diff --git a/src/Makefile.housekeeping b/src/Makefile.housekeeping
index f7755369..e40e7132 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.housekeeping
+++ b/src/Makefile.housekeeping
@@ -710,6 +710,31 @@ $(BIN)/version.o : ../.git/index
 endif
 endif
 
+# Debug message autocolourisation range
+#
+DBGCOL_LIST	:= $(BIN)/.dbgcol.list
+ifeq ($(wildcard $(DBGCOL_LIST)),)
+DBGCOL_OLD := <invalid>
+else
+DBGCOL_OLD := $(shell cat $(DBGCOL_LIST))
+endif
+ifneq ($(DBGCOL_OLD),$(DBGCOL))
+$(shell $(ECHO) "$(DBGCOL)" > $(DBGCOL_LIST))
+endif
+
+$(DBGCOL_LIST) : $(MAKEDEPS)
+
+VERYCLEANUP += $(DBGCOL_LIST)
+
+DBGCOL_COLOURS := $(subst -, ,$(DBGCOL))
+DBGCOL_MIN := $(word 1,$(DBGCOL_COLOURS))
+DBGCOL_MAX := $(word 2,$(DBGCOL_COLOURS))
+
+debug_DEPS += $(DBGCOL_LIST)
+
+CFLAGS_debug += $(if $(DBGCOL_MIN),-DDBGCOL_MIN=$(DBGCOL_MIN))
+CFLAGS_debug += $(if $(DBGCOL_MAX),-DDBGCOL_MAX=$(DBGCOL_MAX))
+
 # We automatically generate rules for any file mentioned in AUTO_SRCS
 # using the following set of templates.  We use $(eval ...) if
 # available, otherwise we generate separate Makefile fragments and
diff --git a/src/core/debug.c b/src/core/debug.c
index 2161f973..7ded4708 100644
--- a/src/core/debug.c
+++ b/src/core/debug.c
@@ -118,6 +118,15 @@ void dbg_hex_dump_da ( unsigned long dispaddr, const void *data,
 	}
 }
 
+/**
+ * Base message stream colour
+ *
+ * We default to using 31 (red foreground) as the base colour.
+ */
+#ifndef DBGCOL_MIN
+#define DBGCOL_MIN 31
+#endif
+
 /**
  * Maximum number of separately coloured message streams
  *
@@ -125,7 +134,9 @@ void dbg_hex_dump_da ( unsigned long dispaddr, const void *data,
  * of which will be the terminal default and one of which will be
  * invisible on the terminal because it matches the background colour.
  */
-#define NUM_AUTO_COLOURS 6
+#ifndef DBGCOL_MAX
+#define DBGCOL_MAX ( DBGCOL_MIN + 6 - 1 )
+#endif
 
 /** A colour assigned to an autocolourised debug message stream */
 struct autocolour {
@@ -142,7 +153,7 @@ struct autocolour {
  * @ret colour		Colour ID
  */
 static int dbg_autocolour ( unsigned long stream ) {
-	static struct autocolour acs[NUM_AUTO_COLOURS];
+	static struct autocolour acs[ DBGCOL_MAX - DBGCOL_MIN + 1 ];
 	static unsigned long use;
 	unsigned int i;
 	unsigned int oldest;
@@ -180,7 +191,7 @@ static int dbg_autocolour ( unsigned long stream ) {
  */
 void dbg_autocolourise ( unsigned long stream ) {
 	dbg_printf ( "\033[%dm",
-		     ( stream ? ( 31 + dbg_autocolour ( stream ) ) : 0 ) );
+		     ( stream ? ( DBGCOL_MIN + dbg_autocolour ( stream ) ) :0));
 }
 
 /**