diff --git a/_pytest/capture.py b/_pytest/capture.py
index 481bc2549..b627e5102 100644
--- a/_pytest/capture.py
+++ b/_pytest/capture.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ def pytest_load_initial_conftests(early_config, parser, args):
     ns = early_config.known_args_namespace
     if ns.capture == "fd":
         _py36_windowsconsoleio_workaround()
+    _colorama_workaround()
     _readline_workaround()
     pluginmanager = early_config.pluginmanager
     capman = CaptureManager(ns.capture)
@@ -473,6 +474,24 @@ class DontReadFromInput:
             raise AttributeError('redirected stdin has no attribute buffer')
 
 
+def _colorama_workaround():
+    """
+    Ensure colorama is imported so that it attaches to the correct stdio
+    handles on Windows.
+
+    colorama uses the terminal on import time. So if something does the
+    first import of colorama while I/O capture is active, colorama will
+    fail in various ways.
+    """
+
+    if not sys.platform.startswith('win32'):
+        return
+    try:
+        import colorama  # noqa
+    except ImportError:
+        pass
+
+
 def _readline_workaround():
     """
     Ensure readline is imported so that it attaches to the correct stdio
diff --git a/changelog/2510.bugfix b/changelog/2510.bugfix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e6fcb7c74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/2510.bugfix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fix terminal color changing to black on Windows if ``colorama`` is imported in a ``conftest.py`` file.