diff --git a/evennia/contrib/tests.py b/evennia/contrib/tests.py
index be58d83fc1..eed5193b04 100644
--- a/evennia/contrib/tests.py
+++ b/evennia/contrib/tests.py
@@ -988,81 +988,61 @@ class TestUnixCommand(CommandTest):
         self.assertTrue(any(l.startswith("dummy: error:") for l in lines))
 
 
+import re
 from evennia.contrib import color_markups
-from evennia.utils import ansi
-
 
 class TestColorMarkup(EvenniaTest):
-
-    def test_default_markup(self):
-        reload(ansi)
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A |rred test"), 'A \x1b[1m\x1b[31mred test')
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A {rred test"), 'A {rred test')
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A %crred test"), "A %crred test")
-
-    @override_settings(
-        COLOR_ANSI_EXTRA_MAP=[],
-        COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_FG=[],
-        COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_BG=[],
-        COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_GFG=[],
-        COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_GBG=[],
-        COLOR_ANSI_XTERM256_BRIGHT_BG_EXTRA_MAP=[],
-        COLOR_NO_DEFAULT=False)
-    def tearDown(self):
-        reload(ansi)
-
-    @override_settings(
-        COLOR_ANSI_EXTRA_MAP=color_markups.CURLY_COLOR_ANSI_EXTRA_MAP,
-        COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_FG=color_markups.CURLY_COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_FG,
-        COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_BG=color_markups.CURLY_COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_BG,
-        COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_GFG=color_markups.CURLY_COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_GFG,
-        COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_GBG=color_markups.CURLY_COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_GBG,
-        COLOR_ANSI_XTERM256_BRIGHT_BG_EXTRA_MAP=color_markups.CURLY_COLOR_ANSI_XTERM256_BRIGHT_BG_EXTRA_MAP)
+    """
+    Note: Normally this would be tested by importing the ansi parser and run
+    the mappings through it. This is not possible since the ansi module creates
+    its mapping at the module/class level; since the ansi module is used by so
+    many other modules it appears that trying to overload
+    settings to test it causes issues with unrelated tests.
+    """
     def test_curly_markup(self):
-        reload(ansi)  # this is important since the module is initialized
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A |rred test"), 'A \x1b[1m\x1b[31mred test')
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A {rred test"), 'A \x1b[1m\x1b[31mred test')
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A {[Rred test"), 'A \x1b[41mred test')
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A |500red test"), 'A \x1b[1m\x1b[31mred test')
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A {500red test"), 'A \x1b[1m\x1b[31mred test')
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A {[500red test"), 'A \x1b[41mred test')
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A {=hgray test"), 'A \x1b[1m\x1b[30mgray test')
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A {[=hgray test"), 'A \x1b[40mgray test')
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A %crred test"), "A %crred test")
-        # fake ansi bright background
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A {[rred test"), 'A \x1b[41mred test')
+        ansi_map = color_markups.CURLY_COLOR_ANSI_EXTRA_MAP
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(re.escape(ansi_map[7][0]), '{r'))
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(re.escape(ansi_map[-1][0]), '{[X'))
+        xterm_fg = color_markups.CURLY_COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_FG
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_fg[0], '{001'))
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_fg[0], '{123'))
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_fg[0], '{455'))
+        xterm_bg = color_markups.CURLY_COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_BG
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_bg[0], '{[001'))
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_bg[0], '{[123'))
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_bg[0], '{[455'))
+        xterm_gfg = color_markups.CURLY_COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_GFG
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_gfg[0], '{=h'))
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_gfg[0], '{=e'))
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_gfg[0], '{=w'))
+        xterm_gbg = color_markups.CURLY_COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_GBG
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_gbg[0], '{[=a'))
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_gbg[0], '{[=k'))
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_gbg[0], '{[=z'))
+        bright_map = color_markups.CURLY_COLOR_ANSI_XTERM256_BRIGHT_BG_EXTRA_MAP
+        self.assertEqual(bright_map[0][1], '{[500')
+        self.assertEqual(bright_map[-1][1], '{[222')
 
-    @override_settings(
-        COLOR_ANSI_EXTRA_MAP=color_markups.MUX_COLOR_ANSI_EXTRA_MAP,
-        COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_FG=color_markups.MUX_COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_FG,
-        COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_BG=color_markups.MUX_COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_BG,
-        COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_GFG=color_markups.MUX_COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_GFG,
-        COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_GBG=color_markups.MUX_COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_GBG,
-        COLOR_ANSI_XTERM256_BRIGHT_BG_EXTRA_MAP=color_markups.MUX_COLOR_ANSI_XTERM256_BRIGHT_BG_EXTRA_MAP)
     def test_mux_markup(self):
-        reload(ansi)
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A |rred test"), 'A \x1b[1m\x1b[31mred test')
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A %ch%crred test"), 'A \x1b[1m\x1b[31mred test')
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A %ch%crred test"), 'A \x1b[1m\x1b[31mred test')
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A |500red test"), 'A \x1b[1m\x1b[31mred test')
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A %c500red test"), 'A \x1b[1m\x1b[31mred test')
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A %c[500red test"), 'A \x1b[41mred test')
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A %c=hgray test"), 'A \x1b[1m\x1b[30mgray test')
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A %c[=hgray test"), 'A \x1b[40mgray test')
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A {rred test"), "A {rred test")
-        # fake ansi bright background
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A %ch%cRred test"), 'A \x1b[41mred test')
-
-    @override_settings(
-        COLOR_ANSI_EXTRA_MAP=color_markups.MUX_COLOR_ANSI_EXTRA_MAP,
-        COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_FG=color_markups.MUX_COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_FG,
-        COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_BG=color_markups.MUX_COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_BG,
-        COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_GFG=color_markups.MUX_COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_GFG,
-        COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_GBG=color_markups.MUX_COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_GBG,
-        COLOR_ANSI_XTERM256_BRIGHT_BG_EXTRA_MAP=color_markups.MUX_COLOR_ANSI_XTERM256_BRIGHT_BG_EXTRA_MAP,
-        COLOR_NO_DEFAULT=True)
-    def test_override(self):
-        reload(ansi)
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A |rred test"), "A |rred test")
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A {rred test"), "A {rred test")
-        self.assertEqual(ansi.parse_ansi("A %ch%crred test"), 'A \x1b[1m\x1b[31mred test')
+        ansi_map = color_markups.MUX_COLOR_ANSI_EXTRA_MAP
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(re.escape(ansi_map[10][0]), '%cr'))
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(re.escape(ansi_map[-1][0]), '%cX'))
+        xterm_fg = color_markups.MUX_COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_FG
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_fg[0], '%c001'))
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_fg[0], '%c123'))
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_fg[0], '%c455'))
+        xterm_bg = color_markups.MUX_COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_BG
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_bg[0], '%c[001'))
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_bg[0], '%c[123'))
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_bg[0], '%c[455'))
+        xterm_gfg = color_markups.MUX_COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_GFG
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_gfg[0], '%c=h'))
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_gfg[0], '%c=e'))
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_gfg[0], '%c=w'))
+        xterm_gbg = color_markups.MUX_COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_GBG
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_gbg[0], '%c[=a'))
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_gbg[0], '%c[=k'))
+        self.assertIsNotNone(re.match(xterm_gbg[0], '%c[=z'))
+        bright_map = color_markups.MUX_COLOR_ANSI_XTERM256_BRIGHT_BG_EXTRA_MAP
+        self.assertEqual(bright_map[0][1], '%c[500')
+        self.assertEqual(bright_map[-1][1], '%c[222')
diff --git a/evennia/settings_default.py b/evennia/settings_default.py
index 33c72b70d9..f7faf24e2d 100644
--- a/evennia/settings_default.py
+++ b/evennia/settings_default.py
@@ -331,9 +331,9 @@ PROTOTYPE_MODULES = ["world.prototypes"]
 # dummyrunner for more information)
 DUMMYRUNNER_SETTINGS_MODULE = "evennia.server.profiling.dummyrunner_settings"
 # Mapping to extend Evennia's normal ANSI color tags. The mapping is a list of
-# tuples mapping the tag to the ANSI convertion, like `(r"%c%r", ansi.ANSI_RED)`
-# (the evennia.utils.ansi module contains all ANSI escape sequences). Default
-# is to use `|` and `|[` prefixes.
+# tuples mapping the exact tag (not a regex!) to the ANSI convertion, like
+# `(r"%c%r", ansi.ANSI_RED)` (the evennia.utils.ansi module contains all
+# ANSI escape sequences). Default is to use `|` and `|[` -prefixes.
 COLOR_ANSI_EXTRA_MAP = []
 # Extend the available regexes for adding XTERM256 colors in-game. This is given
 # as a list of regexes, where each regex must contain three anonymous groups for
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_GFG = []
 COLOR_XTERM256_EXTRA_GBG = []
 # ANSI does not support bright backgrounds, so Evennia fakes this by mapping it to
 # XTERM256 backgrounds where supported. This is a list of tuples that maps the wanted
-# regex to a valid XTERM256 background tag, such as `(r'{[r', r'{[500')`.
+# ansi tag (not a regex!) to a valid XTERM256 background tag, such as `(r'{[r', r'{[500')`.
 COLOR_ANSI_XTERM256_BRIGHT_BG_EXTRA_MAP = []
 # If set True, the above color settings *replace* the default |-style color markdown
 # rather than extend it.