diff --git a/ipyparallel/client/client.py b/ipyparallel/client/client.py
index b47e60c0..8fec6f11 100644
--- a/ipyparallel/client/client.py
+++ b/ipyparallel/client/client.py
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 from ipyparallel import error, serialize, util
 from ipyparallel.serialize import PrePickled, Reference
 from ipyparallel.util import _OutputProducingThread as Thread
+from ipyparallel.util import _TermColors
 
 from .asyncresult import AsyncHubResult, AsyncResult
 from .futures import MessageFuture, multi_future
@@ -161,11 +162,30 @@ def _plaintext(self) -> str:
         if not text_out:
             return ''
 
+        ip = get_ipython()
+        if ip is None:
+            colors = "NoColor"
+        else:
+            colors = ip.colors
+
+        if colors.lower() == "nocolor":
+            out = normal = ""
+        else:
+            out = _TermColors.Red
+            normal = _TermColors.Normal
+
         if '\n' in text_out and not text_out.startswith('\n'):
             # add newline for multiline reprs
             text_out = '\n' + text_out
 
-        return f"Out[{self.metadata['engine_id']}:{self.execution_count}]: {text_out}"
+        return ''.join(
+            [
+                out,
+                f"Out[{self.metadata['engine_id']}:{self.execution_count}]: ",
+                normal,
+                text_out,
+            ]
+        )
 
     def _repr_pretty_(self, p, cycle):
         p.text(self._plaintext())
diff --git a/ipyparallel/engine/app.py b/ipyparallel/engine/app.py
index 7f27dcaa..9028f400 100755
--- a/ipyparallel/engine/app.py
+++ b/ipyparallel/engine/app.py
@@ -758,6 +758,8 @@ def send_with_metadata(
             if self.use_mpi and self.init_mpi:
                 app.exec_lines.insert(0, self.init_mpi)
             app.init_profile_dir()
+            app.init_gui_pylab()
+            app.init_extensions()
             app.init_code()
 
             # redirect output at the end, only after start is called
diff --git a/ipyparallel/tests/clienttest.py b/ipyparallel/tests/clienttest.py
index 9f5fb96e..9ac2272d 100644
--- a/ipyparallel/tests/clienttest.py
+++ b/ipyparallel/tests/clienttest.py
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ def generate_output():
     a rich displayable object.
     """
 
-    from IPython.core.display import HTML, Math, display
+    from IPython.display import HTML, Math, display
 
     print("stdout")
     print("stderr", file=sys.stderr)
diff --git a/ipyparallel/tests/test_magics.py b/ipyparallel/tests/test_magics.py
index ca3588b7..7602250c 100644
--- a/ipyparallel/tests/test_magics.py
+++ b/ipyparallel/tests/test_magics.py
@@ -173,18 +173,18 @@ def test_cellpx_groupby_order(self):
         expected.extend(
             [
                 r'\[output:\d+\]',
-                'IPython.core.display.HTML',
+                'IPython..+.HTML',
             ]
             * len(v)
         )
         expected.extend(
             [
                 r'\[output:\d+\]',
-                'IPython.core.display.Math',
+                'IPython..+.Math',
             ]
             * len(v)
         )
-        expected.extend([r'Out\[\d+:\d+\]:.*IPython\.core\.display\.Math'] * len(v))
+        expected.extend([r'Out\[\d+:\d+\]:.*IPython\..+\.Math'] * len(v))
 
         assert len(lines), len(expected) == io.stdout
         for line, expect in zip(lines, expected):
@@ -440,8 +440,8 @@ def test_result(self):
                 ip.run_line_magic('pxresult', '')
             assert str(data[name]) in io.stdout
 
-    def test_px_pylab(self):
-        """%pylab works on engines"""
+    def test_px_matplotlib(self):
+        """%matplotlib inline works on engines"""
         pytest.importorskip('matplotlib')
         ip = get_ipython()
         v = self.client[-1]
@@ -449,15 +449,19 @@ def test_px_pylab(self):
         v.activate()
 
         with capture_output() as io:
-            ip.run_line_magic("px", "%pylab inline")
-
-        assert (
-            "Populating the interactive namespace from numpy and matplotlib"
-            in io.stdout
-        )
+            ip.run_line_magic(
+                "px",
+                "\n".join(
+                    [
+                        "%matplotlib inline",
+                        "import numpy as np",
+                        "import matplotlib.pyplot as plt",
+                    ]
+                ),
+            )
 
         with capture_output(display=False) as io:
-            ip.run_line_magic("px", "plot(rand(100))")
+            ip.run_line_magic("px", "plt.plot(np.random.rand(100))")
         assert 'Out[' in io.stdout
         assert 'matplotlib.lines' in io.stdout
 
diff --git a/ipyparallel/tests/test_view.py b/ipyparallel/tests/test_view.py
index 87439015..e073ec44 100644
--- a/ipyparallel/tests/test_view.py
+++ b/ipyparallel/tests/test_view.py
@@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ def test_execute_magic(self):
     def test_execute_displaypub(self):
         """execute tracks display_pub output"""
         view = self.client[:]
-        view.execute("from IPython.core.display import *")
+        view.execute("from IPython.display import *")
         ar = view.execute("[ display(i) for i in range(5) ]", block=True)
 
         expected = [{'text/plain': str(j)} for j in range(5)]
@@ -625,7 +625,7 @@ def test_execute_displaypub(self):
     def test_apply_displaypub(self):
         """apply tracks display_pub output"""
         view = self.client[:]
-        view.execute("from IPython.core.display import *")
+        view.execute("from IPython.display import *")
 
         @interactive
         def publish():
diff --git a/ipyparallel/util.py b/ipyparallel/util.py
index d4a953f4..7a675980 100644
--- a/ipyparallel/util.py
+++ b/ipyparallel/util.py
@@ -836,3 +836,10 @@ def __init__(self, target, **kwargs):
     def _wrapped_target(self, target, *args, **kwargs):
         _detach_thread_output(self.ident)
         return target(*args, **kwargs)
+
+
+# minimal subset of TermColors, removed from IPython
+# not for public consumption
+class _TermColors:
+    Normal = '\033[0m'
+    Red = '\033[0;31m'