diff --git a/git-prompt.c b/git-prompt.c
index 0a2a08e..87a7cd3 100644
--- a/git-prompt.c
+++ b/git-prompt.c
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@
   }
 #endif
 
+#define color8(CODE) "\e[3" #CODE "m"
+#define color256(CODE) "\e[38;5;" #CODE "m"
+#define bold "\e[1m"
+#define reset "\e[0m"
+
 typedef struct process {
   pid_t pid;
   FILE* out;
@@ -104,7 +109,7 @@ int main() {
   }
   char* branch = trim(branch_buf);
   char prompt[1024] = {};
-  append(prompt, 3, " %{%F{66}%}", branch, "%{%f%}");
+  append(prompt, 3, " " color256(66), branch, reset);
 
   // get the upstream remote if one exists
   char command[1024] = {};
@@ -178,22 +183,22 @@ int main() {
   if (indexed || modified || deleted || unmerged || untracked) {  // modified
     char int_buf[32];
     if (indexed) {
-      append(prompt, 3, "%{%F{2}%}*", inttostr(int_buf, indexed), "%{%f%}");
+      append(prompt, 3, color8(2) "*", inttostr(int_buf, indexed), reset);
     }
     if (modified) {
-      append(prompt, 3, "%{%F{1}%}+", inttostr(int_buf, modified), "%{%f%}");
+      append(prompt, 3, color8(1) "+", inttostr(int_buf, modified), reset);
     }
     if (deleted) {
-      append(prompt, 3, "%{%F{1}%}-", inttostr(int_buf, deleted), "%{%f%}");
+      append(prompt, 3, color8(1) "-", inttostr(int_buf, deleted), reset);
     }
     if (unmerged) {
-      append(prompt, 3, "%{%B%F{1}%}×", inttostr(int_buf, unmerged), "%{%f%b%}");
+      append(prompt, 3, bold color8(1) "×", inttostr(int_buf, unmerged), reset);
     }
     if (untracked) {
-      append(prompt, 1, "%{%F{1}%}…%{%f%}");
+      append(prompt, 1, color8(1) "…" reset);
     }
   } else {  // clean
-    append(prompt, 1, "%{%B%F{2}%}✓%{%f%b%}");
+    append(prompt, 1, bold color8(2) "✓" reset);
   }
 
   // print the prompt