diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 2d3fb22..7b5c9a9 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ TEMPLATES := $(shell find src/ -type f)
 msgfmt = {a.style('==>','bold')} {a.style('$(1)','b_magenta')} {a.style('<==','bold')}
 msg = $(call tprint,$(call msgfmt ,$(1)))
 
-### task.mk development | args: --divider --align center
+### task.mk development | args: -d --align center -ms d_green
 ## bootstrap | generate local dev environment
 .PHONY: bootstrap
 bootstrap:
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ c clean:
 	@rm -f task.mk .task.mk
 
 ### | args: --divider --whitespace
-### examples of task.mk features | args: --divider --align center
+### examples of task.mk features | args: --divider --align center --msg-style d_red
 define list_files_py
 from pathlib import Path
 print("files in $(2)")
diff --git a/src/help.py b/src/help.py
index 9a41918..391d48b 100644
--- a/src/help.py
+++ b/src/help.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ def rawargs(argstring):
     parser.add_argument("--align")
     parser.add_argument("-d", "--divider", action="store_true")
     parser.add_argument("-ws", "--whitespace", action="store_true")
+    parser.add_argument("-ms", "--msg-style", type=str)
     return parser.parse_args(argstring.split())
 
 
@@ -57,15 +58,16 @@ def print_goal(goal, msg, max_goal_len):
 
 def print_rawmsg(msg, argstr, maxlens):
     args = rawargs(argstr)
+    msg_style = args.msg_style if args.msg_style else "$(MSG_COLOR)"
     if msg:
         if args.align == "sep":
             print(
-                f"{' '*(maxlens.goal+len('$(HELP_SEP)')+4)}{ansi.style(msg,'$(MSG_COLOR)')}"
+                f"{' '*(maxlens.goal+len('$(HELP_SEP)')+4)}{ansi.style(msg,msg_style)}"
             )
         elif args.align == "center":
-            print(f"  {ansi.style(msg.center(sum(maxlens)),'$(MSG_COLOR)')}")
+            print(f"  {ansi.style(msg.center(sum(maxlens)),msg_style)}")
         else:
-            print(f"  {ansi.style(msg,'$(MSG_COLOR)')}")
+            print(f"  {ansi.style(msg,msg_style)}")
     if args.divider:
         print(
             ansi.style(
diff --git a/task.mk b/task.mk
index 8f72254..0d1da4f 100644
--- a/task.mk
+++ b/task.mk
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # }> [github.com/daylinmorgan/task.mk] <{ #
 # Copyright (c) 2022 Daylin Morgan
 # MIT License
-# version: v22.9.12-8-gea398af-dev
+# version: v22.9.12-9-g1bed53d-dev
 #
 # task.mk should be included at the bottom of your Makefile.
 # See below for the standard configuration options that should be set prior to including this file.
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ def rawargs(argstring):
     parser.add_argument("--align")
     parser.add_argument("-d", "--divider", action="store_true")
     parser.add_argument("-ws", "--whitespace", action="store_true")
+    parser.add_argument("-ms", "--msg-style", type=str)
     return parser.parse_args(argstring.split())
 
 
@@ -152,15 +153,16 @@ def print_goal(goal, msg, max_goal_len):
 
 def print_rawmsg(msg, argstr, maxlens):
     args = rawargs(argstr)
+    msg_style = args.msg_style if args.msg_style else "$(MSG_COLOR)"
     if msg:
         if args.align == "sep":
             print(
-                f"{' '*(maxlens.goal+len('$(HELP_SEP)')+4)}{ansi.style(msg,'$(MSG_COLOR)')}"
+                f"{' '*(maxlens.goal+len('$(HELP_SEP)')+4)}{ansi.style(msg,msg_style)}"
             )
         elif args.align == "center":
-            print(f"  {ansi.style(msg.center(sum(maxlens)),'$(MSG_COLOR)')}")
+            print(f"  {ansi.style(msg.center(sum(maxlens)),msg_style)}")
         else:
-            print(f"  {ansi.style(msg,'$(MSG_COLOR)')}")
+            print(f"  {ansi.style(msg,msg_style)}")
     if args.divider:
         print(
             ansi.style(