diff --git a/tests/shtest b/tests/shtest
index d600d91d..6cc2e172 100755
--- a/tests/shtest
+++ b/tests/shtest
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ printf '\033[4;31mnull\033[0m\n' > $d/expect
 cmp $d/color $d/expect
 
 ## Default colors, complex input
-$JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},123,null]' > $d/color
+$JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},"abc",123,null]' > $d/color
 {
   printf '\033[1;39m[\033[0m'
   printf '\033[1;39m{\033[0m'
@@ -449,6 +449,8 @@ $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},123,null]' > $d/color
   printf '\033[0;39mfalse\033[0m'
   printf '\033[1;39m}\033[0m'
   printf '\033[1;39m,\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[0;32m"abc"\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;39m,\033[0m'
   printf '\033[0;39m123\033[0m'
   printf '\033[1;39m,\033[0m'
   printf '\033[0;90mnull\033[0m'
@@ -458,7 +460,7 @@ cmp $d/color $d/expect
 
 ## Set non-default colors, complex input
 JQ_COLORS='0;30:0;31:0;32:0;33:0;34:1;35:1;36:1;37' \
-  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},123,null]' > $d/color
+  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},"abc",123,null]' > $d/color
 {
   printf '\033[1;35m[\033[0m'
   printf '\033[1;36m{\033[0m'
@@ -471,6 +473,8 @@ JQ_COLORS='0;30:0;31:0;32:0;33:0;34:1;35:1;36:1;37' \
   printf '\033[0;31mfalse\033[0m'
   printf '\033[1;36m}\033[0m'
   printf '\033[1;35m,\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[0;34m"abc"\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;35m,\033[0m'
   printf '\033[0;33m123\033[0m'
   printf '\033[1;35m,\033[0m'
   printf '\033[0;30mnull\033[0m'
@@ -479,7 +483,7 @@ JQ_COLORS='0;30:0;31:0;32:0;33:0;34:1;35:1;36:1;37' \
 cmp $d/color $d/expect
 
 ## Default colors, complex input, indented
-$JQ -Cn '[{"a":true,"b":false},123,null]' > $d/color
+$JQ -Cn '[{"a":true,"b":false},"abc",123,null]' > $d/color
 {
   printf '\033[1;39m[\033[0m\n'
   printf '  \033[1;39m{\033[0m\n'
@@ -492,6 +496,8 @@ $JQ -Cn '[{"a":true,"b":false},123,null]' > $d/color
   printf '\033[0;39mfalse\033[0m\n'
   printf '  \033[1;39m}\033[0m'
   printf '\033[1;39m,\033[0m\n'
+  printf '  \033[0;32m"abc"\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;39m,\033[0m\n'
   printf '  \033[0;39m123\033[0m'
   printf '\033[1;39m,\033[0m\n'
   printf '  \033[0;90mnull\033[0m\n'
@@ -501,7 +507,7 @@ cmp $d/color $d/expect
 
 ## Set non-default colors, complex input, indented
 JQ_COLORS='0;30:0;31:0;32:0;33:0;34:1;35:1;36:1;37' \
-  $JQ -Cn '[{"a":true,"b":false},123,null]' > $d/color
+  $JQ -Cn '[{"a":true,"b":false},"abc",123,null]' > $d/color
 {
   printf '\033[1;35m[\033[0m\n'
   printf '  \033[1;36m{\033[0m\n'
@@ -514,6 +520,8 @@ JQ_COLORS='0;30:0;31:0;32:0;33:0;34:1;35:1;36:1;37' \
   printf '\033[0;31mfalse\033[0m\n'
   printf '  \033[1;36m}\033[0m'
   printf '\033[1;35m,\033[0m\n'
+  printf '  \033[0;34m"abc"\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;35m,\033[0m\n'
   printf '  \033[0;33m123\033[0m'
   printf '\033[1;35m,\033[0m\n'
   printf '  \033[0;30mnull\033[0m\n'
@@ -527,25 +535,25 @@ cmp $d/color $d/expect
 # on stderr.
 set -vx
 echo 'Failed to set $JQ_COLORS' > $d/expect_warning
-$JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},123,null]' > $d/expect
+$JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},"abc",123,null]' > $d/expect
 JQ_COLORS='garbage;30:*;31:,;3^:0;$%:0;34:1;35:1;36' \
-  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},123,null]' > $d/color 2>$d/warning
+  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},"abc",123,null]' > $d/color 2>$d/warning
 cmp $d/color $d/expect
 cmp $d/warning $d/expect_warning
 JQ_COLORS='1234567890123456789;30:0;31:0;32:0;33:0;34:1;35:1;36' \
-  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},123,null]' > $d/color 2>$d/warning
+  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},"abc",123,null]' > $d/color 2>$d/warning
 cmp $d/color $d/expect
 cmp $d/warning $d/expect_warning
 JQ_COLORS='1;31234567890123456789:0;31:0;32:0;33:0;34:1;35:1;36' \
-  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},123,null]' > $d/color 2>$d/warning
+  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},"abc",123,null]' > $d/color 2>$d/warning
 cmp $d/color $d/expect
 cmp $d/warning $d/expect_warning
 JQ_COLORS='1234567890123456;1234567890123456:1234567890123456;1234567890123456:1234567890123456;1234567890123456:1234567890123456;1234567890123456:1234567890123456;1234567890123456:1234567890123456;1234567890123456:1234567890123456;1234567890123456' \
-  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},123,null]' > $d/color 2>$d/warning
+  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},"abc",123,null]' > $d/color 2>$d/warning
 cmp $d/color $d/expect
 cmp $d/warning $d/expect_warning
 JQ_COLORS="0123456789123:0123456789123:0123456789123:0123456789123:0123456789123:0123456789123:0123456789123:0123456789123:" \
-  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},123,null]' > $d/color 2>$d/warning
+  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},"abc",123,null]' > $d/color 2>$d/warning
 cmp $d/color $d/expect
 cmp $d/warning $d/expect_warning