diff --git a/lib/commands/doctor.js b/lib/commands/doctor.js
index ca0438f1a2481..f5bee1eb83f6c 100644
--- a/lib/commands/doctor.js
+++ b/lib/commands/doctor.js
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 const cacache = require('cacache')
-const chalk = require('chalk')
 const fs = require('fs')
 const fetch = require('make-fetch-happen')
 const table = require('text-table')
@@ -102,28 +101,19 @@ class Doctor extends BaseCommand {
       messages.push(line)
     }
 
-    const outHead = ['Check', 'Value', 'Recommendation/Notes'].map(
-      !this.npm.color ? h => h : h => chalk.underline(h)
-    )
+    const outHead = ['Check', 'Value', 'Recommendation/Notes'].map(h => this.npm.chalk.underline(h))
     let allOk = true
-    const outBody = messages.map(
-      !this.npm.color
-        ? item => {
-          allOk = allOk && item[1]
-          item[1] = item[1] ? 'ok' : 'not ok'
-          item[2] = String(item[2])
-          return item
-        }
-        : item => {
-          allOk = allOk && item[1]
-          if (!item[1]) {
-            item[0] = chalk.red(item[0])
-            item[2] = chalk.magenta(String(item[2]))
-          }
-          item[1] = item[1] ? chalk.green('ok') : chalk.red('not ok')
-          return item
-        }
-    )
+    const outBody = messages.map(item => {
+      if (!item[1]) {
+        allOk = false
+        item[0] = this.npm.chalk.red(item[0])
+        item[1] = this.npm.chalk.red('not ok')
+        item[2] = this.npm.chalk.magenta(String(item[2]))
+      } else {
+        item[1] = this.npm.chalk.green('ok')
+      }
+      return item
+    })
     const outTable = [outHead, ...outBody]
     const tableOpts = {
       stringLength: s => ansiTrim(s).length,
diff --git a/lib/commands/publish.js b/lib/commands/publish.js
index ff30366938786..cbf0ccf4d6581 100644
--- a/lib/commands/publish.js
+++ b/lib/commands/publish.js
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ const runScript = require('@npmcli/run-script')
 const pacote = require('pacote')
 const npa = require('npm-package-arg')
 const npmFetch = require('npm-registry-fetch')
-const chalk = require('chalk')
 const replaceInfo = require('../utils/replace-info.js')
 
 const otplease = require('../utils/otplease.js')
@@ -151,8 +150,6 @@ class Publish extends BaseCommand {
     const results = {}
     const json = this.npm.config.get('json')
     const { silent } = this.npm
-    const noop = a => a
-    const color = this.npm.color ? chalk : { green: noop, bold: noop }
     await this.setWorkspaces(filters)
 
     for (const [name, workspace] of this.workspaces.entries()) {
@@ -164,9 +161,9 @@ class Publish extends BaseCommand {
           log.warn(
             'publish',
             `Skipping workspace ${
-              color.green(name)
+              this.npm.chalk.green(name)
             }, marked as ${
-              color.bold('private')
+              this.npm.chalk.bold('private')
             }`
           )
           continue
diff --git a/lib/npm.js b/lib/npm.js
index c819a0807b507..732362565e290 100644
--- a/lib/npm.js
+++ b/lib/npm.js
@@ -1,16 +1,15 @@
 const EventEmitter = require('events')
 const { resolve, dirname, join } = require('path')
 const Config = require('@npmcli/config')
+const chalk = require('chalk')
+const which = require('which')
+const fs = require('@npmcli/fs')
 
 // Patch the global fs module here at the app level
 require('graceful-fs').gracefulify(require('fs'))
 
 const { definitions, flatten, shorthands } = require('./utils/config/index.js')
 const usage = require('./utils/npm-usage.js')
-
-const which = require('which')
-const fs = require('@npmcli/fs')
-
 const LogFile = require('./utils/log-file.js')
 const Timers = require('./utils/timers.js')
 const Display = require('./utils/display.js')
@@ -37,6 +36,7 @@ class Npm extends EventEmitter {
   #tmpFolder = null
   #title = 'npm'
   #argvClean = []
+  #chalk = null
 
   #logFile = new LogFile()
   #display = new Display()
@@ -322,6 +322,17 @@ class Npm extends EventEmitter {
     return this.flatOptions.color
   }
 
+  get chalk () {
+    if (!this.#chalk) {
+      let level = chalk.level
+      if (!this.color) {
+        level = 0
+      }
+      this.#chalk = new chalk.Instance({ level })
+    }
+    return this.#chalk
+  }
+
   get logColor () {
     return this.flatOptions.logColor
   }
diff --git a/test/fixtures/mock-npm.js b/test/fixtures/mock-npm.js
index 4263dc8fbedc3..c9701ebc23794 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/mock-npm.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/mock-npm.js
@@ -132,7 +132,9 @@ const LoadMockNpm = async (t, {
   })
 
   const npm = init ? new Npm() : null
-  t.teardown(() => npm && npm.unload())
+  t.teardown(() => {
+    npm && npm.unload()
+  })
 
   if (load) {
     await npm.load()