diff --git a/contrib/completion/git-prompt.sh b/contrib/completion/git-prompt.sh
index 57972c2845..76ee4ab1e5 100644
--- a/contrib/completion/git-prompt.sh
+++ b/contrib/completion/git-prompt.sh
@@ -100,9 +100,7 @@
 #
 # If you would like a colored hint about the current dirty state, set
 # GIT_PS1_SHOWCOLORHINTS to a nonempty value. The colors are based on
-# the colored output of "git status -sb" and are available only when
-# using __git_ps1 for PROMPT_COMMAND or precmd in Bash,
-# but always available in Zsh.
+# the colored output of "git status -sb".
 #
 # If you would like __git_ps1 to do nothing in the case when the current
 # directory is set up to be ignored by git, then set
@@ -259,12 +257,12 @@ __git_ps1_colorize_gitstring ()
 		local c_lblue='%F{blue}'
 		local c_clear='%f'
 	else
-		# Using \[ and \] around colors is necessary to prevent
+		# Using \001 and \002 around colors is necessary to prevent
 		# issues with command line editing/browsing/completion!
-		local c_red='\[\e[31m\]'
-		local c_green='\[\e[32m\]'
-		local c_lblue='\[\e[1;34m\]'
-		local c_clear='\[\e[0m\]'
+		local c_red=$'\001\e[31m\002'
+		local c_green=$'\001\e[32m\002'
+		local c_lblue=$'\001\e[1;34m\002'
+		local c_clear=$'\001\e[0m\002'
 	fi
 	local bad_color=$c_red
 	local ok_color=$c_green
@@ -574,11 +572,8 @@ __git_ps1 ()
 		b="\${__git_ps1_branch_name}"
 	fi
 
-	# NO color option unless in PROMPT_COMMAND mode or it's Zsh
 	if [ -n "${GIT_PS1_SHOWCOLORHINTS-}" ]; then
-		if [ $pcmode = yes ] || [ -n "${ZSH_VERSION-}" ]; then
-			__git_ps1_colorize_gitstring
-		fi
+		__git_ps1_colorize_gitstring
 	fi
 
 	local f="$h$w$i$s$u$p"
diff --git a/t/t9903-bash-prompt.sh b/t/t9903-bash-prompt.sh
index d459fae655..d667dda654 100755
--- a/t/t9903-bash-prompt.sh
+++ b/t/t9903-bash-prompt.sh
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ export GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME
 . "$GIT_BUILD_DIR/contrib/completion/git-prompt.sh"
 
 actual="$TRASH_DIRECTORY/actual"
-c_red='\\[\\e[31m\\]'
-c_green='\\[\\e[32m\\]'
-c_lblue='\\[\\e[1;34m\\]'
-c_clear='\\[\\e[0m\\]'
+c_red='\001\e[31m\002'
+c_green='\001\e[32m\002'
+c_lblue='\001\e[1;34m\002'
+c_clear='\001\e[0m\002'
 
 test_expect_success 'setup for prompt tests' '
 	git init otherrepo &&