diff --git a/indra/newview/app_settings/settings.xml b/indra/newview/app_settings/settings.xml
index 333721bbb8..6e00d86103 100644
--- a/indra/newview/app_settings/settings.xml
+++ b/indra/newview/app_settings/settings.xml
@@ -20844,5 +20844,16 @@ Change of this parameter will affect the layout of buttons in notification toast
       <key>Value</key>
       <integer>0</integer>
     </map>
+    <key>FSColorIMsDistinctly</key>
+    <map>
+      <key>Comment</key>
+      <string>Color IM/Group messages distinctly in the console.</string>
+      <key>Persist</key>
+      <integer>1</integer>
+      <key>Type</key>
+      <string>Boolean</string>
+      <key>Value</key>
+      <integer>0</integer>
+    </map>
 </map>
 </llsd>
diff --git a/indra/newview/fsconsoleutils.cpp b/indra/newview/fsconsoleutils.cpp
index bde57db6a1..4257829b38 100644
--- a/indra/newview/fsconsoleutils.cpp
+++ b/indra/newview/fsconsoleutils.cpp
@@ -247,6 +247,7 @@ void FSConsoleUtils::onProccessInstantMessageNameLookup(const LLUUID& agent_id,
 
 	static LLCachedControl<bool> nameTagShowUsernames(gSavedSettings, "NameTagShowUsernames");
 	static LLCachedControl<bool> useDisplayNames(gSavedSettings, "UseDisplayNames");
+	static LLCachedControl<bool> im_coloring(gSavedSettings, "FSColorIMsDistinctly");
 	if (nameTagShowUsernames && useDisplayNames)
 	{
 		senderName = av_name.getCompleteName();
@@ -271,7 +272,7 @@ void FSConsoleUtils::onProccessInstantMessageNameLookup(const LLUUID& agent_id,
 		senderName = "[" + group + "] " + senderName;
 	}
 
-	LLColor4 textColor = LLUIColorTable::instance().getColor("AgentIMColor");
+	LLColor4 textColor = LLUIColorTable::instance().getColor( im_coloring ? "AgentIMColor" : "AgentChatColor" );
 	
 	// <FS:CR> FIRE-1061 - Color friends, lindens, muted, etc
 	textColor = LGGContactSets::getInstance()->colorize(agent_id, textColor, LGG_CS_CHAT);
diff --git a/indra/newview/skins/default/xui/en/panel_preferences_colors.xml b/indra/newview/skins/default/xui/en/panel_preferences_colors.xml
index 0ec0626841..dda0a59f9e 100755
--- a/indra/newview/skins/default/xui/en/panel_preferences_colors.xml
+++ b/indra/newview/skins/default/xui/en/panel_preferences_colors.xml
@@ -454,38 +454,57 @@
        width="95">
        Direct
      </text>
-     <color_swatch
-       can_apply_immediately="true"
-       color="AgentIMColor"
+     <check_box
+       control_name="FSColorIMsDistinctly"
        follows="left|top"
-       height="24"
-       label_height="0"
        layout="topleft"
-       left="190"
-       name="console_im"
-       top_pad="-15"
-       width="44" >
-       <color_swatch.init_callback
-       function="Pref.getUIColor"
-       parameter="AgentIMColor" />
-       <color_swatch.commit_callback
-       function="Pref.applyUIColor"
-       parameter="AgentIMColor" />
-     </color_swatch>
-     <text
-       type="string"
-       length="1"
+       left="20"
+       top_pad="24"
+       height="12"
+       name="FSColorIMsDistinctly"
+       width="450"
+       label="Color IM/Group chat distinctly in console:" />
+     <panel
+       top_pad="2"
+       height="25"
+       width="505"
        follows="left|top"
-       height="10"
-       layout="topleft"
-       left_pad="5"
-       mouse_opaque="false"
-       name="console_im_label"
-       top_delta="5"
-       width="95">
-       IMs/Group
-     </text>
-	 </panel>
+       label=""
+       visibility_control="FSColorIMsDistinctly"
+       name="im_color_panel" >
+       <color_swatch
+         can_apply_immediately="true"
+         color="AgentIMColor"
+         follows="left|top"
+         height="24"
+         label_height="0"
+         layout="topleft"
+         left="20"
+         name="console_im"
+         top="0"
+         width="44" >
+         <color_swatch.init_callback
+          function="Pref.getUIColor"
+          parameter="AgentIMColor" />
+         <color_swatch.commit_callback
+          function="Pref.applyUIColor"
+          parameter="AgentIMColor" />
+       </color_swatch>
+       <text
+         type="string"
+         length="1"
+         follows="left|top"
+         height="10"
+         layout="topleft"
+         left_pad="5"
+         mouse_opaque="false"
+         name="console_im_label"
+         top_delta="5"
+         width="95">
+         IMs/Group
+       </text>
+     </panel>
+   </panel>
 	 <panel
 	  top_pad="5"
 	  bottom="-1"