diff --git a/lib/spack/llnl/util/tty/color.py b/lib/spack/llnl/util/tty/color.py
index bfb6338798b..f5eeee4c227 100644
--- a/lib/spack/llnl/util/tty/color.py
+++ b/lib/spack/llnl/util/tty/color.py
@@ -326,8 +326,7 @@ def __init__(self, stream, color=None):
         self._stream = stream
         self._color = color
 
-    def write(self, string, **kwargs):
-        raw = kwargs.get("raw", False)
+    def write(self, string, raw=False):
         raw_write = getattr(self._stream, "write")
 
         color = self._color
@@ -338,7 +337,6 @@ def write(self, string, **kwargs):
                 color = get_color_when()
         raw_write(colorize(string, color=color))
 
-    def writelines(self, sequence, **kwargs):
-        raw = kwargs.get("raw", False)
+    def writelines(self, sequence, raw=False):
         for string in sequence:
-            self.write(string, self.color, raw=raw)
+            self.write(string, raw=raw)