diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index e50fb487..dfa7fa6c 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -1,16 +1,13 @@
 version: 2
 updates:
-- package-ecosystem: github-actions
-  directory: '/'
-  ignore:
-      - dependency-name: 'actions/*'
-        update-types:
-            ['version-update:semver-minor', 'version-update:semver-patch']
-  schedule:
-    interval: daily
-  open-pull-requests-limit: 10
-- package-ecosystem: npm
-  directory: '/'
-  schedule:
-    interval: daily
-  open-pull-requests-limit: 10
\ No newline at end of file
+  - package-ecosystem: "github-actions"
+    directory: "/"
+    schedule:
+      interval: "monthly"
+    open-pull-requests-limit: 10
+
+  - package-ecosystem: "npm"
+    directory: "/"
+    schedule:
+      interval: "weekly"
+    open-pull-requests-limit: 10
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 1fe724ad..724be794 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ jobs:
           node-version: ${{ matrix.node-version }}
 
       - name: Restore cached dependencies
-        uses: actions/cache@v2.1.6
+        uses: actions/cache@v3
         with:
           path: node_modules
           key: node-modules-${{ hashFiles('package.json') }}
diff --git a/Readme.md b/Readme.md
index 430a1350..e35d1c90 100644
--- a/Readme.md
+++ b/Readme.md
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ node app.js | pino-pretty
 - `--levelLabel` (`-b`): Output the log level using the specified label.
   Default: `levelLabel`.
 - `--minimumLevel` (`-L`): Hide messages below the specified log level. Accepts a number, `trace`, `debug`, `info`, `warn`, `error`, or `fatal`. If any more filtering is required, consider using [`jq`](https://stedolan.github.io/jq/).
+- `--customLevels` (`-x`): Override default levels with custom levels, e.g. `-x err:99,info:1`
+- `--customColors` (`-X`): Override default colors with custom colors, e.g. `-X err:red,info:blue`
+- `--useOnlyCustomProps` (`-U`): Only use custom levels and colors (if provided) (default: true); else fallback to default levels and colors, e.g. `-U false`
 - `--messageFormat` (`-o`): Format output of message, e.g. `{levelLabel} - {pid} - url:{request.url}` will output message: `INFO - 1123 - url:localhost:3000/test`
   Default: `false`
 - `--timestampKey` (`-a`): Define the key that contains the log timestamp.
diff --git a/bin.js b/bin.js
index 7927febb..96b496dd 100644
--- a/bin.js
+++ b/bin.js
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ args
   .option(['L', 'minimumLevel'], 'Hide messages below the specified log level')
   .option(['x', 'customLevels'], 'Override default levels (`-x err:99,info:1`)')
   .option(['X', 'customColors'], 'Override default colors using names from https://www.npmjs.com/package/colorette (`-X err:red,info:blue`)')
+  .option(['U', 'useOnlyCustomProps'], 'Only use custom levels and colors (if provided); don\'t fallback to default levels and colors (-U false)')
   .option(['k', 'errorLikeObjectKeys'], 'Define which keys contain error objects (`-k err,error`) (defaults to `err,error`)')
   .option(['m', 'messageKey'], 'Highlight the message under the specified key', CONSTANTS.MESSAGE_KEY)
   .option('levelKey', 'Detect the log level under the specified key', CONSTANTS.LEVEL_KEY)
diff --git a/index.d.ts b/index.d.ts
index b270e84b..bc012457 100644
--- a/index.d.ts
+++ b/index.d.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import { DestinationStream } from 'pino';
 
 type LogDescriptor = Record<string, unknown>;
 
-declare function PinoPretty(options: PrettyOptions_): PinoPretty.PrettyStream;
+declare function PinoPretty(options?: PrettyOptions_): PinoPretty.PrettyStream;
 
 interface PrettyOptions_ {
   /**
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 87234f9f..3ac3c8bd 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -4,9 +4,7 @@ const { isColorSupported } = require('colorette')
 const pump = require('pump')
 const { Transform } = require('readable-stream')
 const abstractTransport = require('pino-abstract-transport')
-const sonic = require('sonic-boom')
 const sjs = require('secure-json-parse')
-
 const colors = require('./lib/colors')
 const { ERROR_LIKE_KEYS, MESSAGE_KEY, TIMESTAMP_KEY, LEVEL_KEY, LEVEL_NAMES } = require('./lib/constants')
 const {
@@ -17,6 +15,7 @@ const {
   prettifyMetadata,
   prettifyObject,
   prettifyTime,
+  buildSafeSonicBoom,
   filterLog
 } = require('./lib/utils')
 
@@ -35,6 +34,7 @@ const defaultOptions = {
   errorProps: '',
   customLevels: null,
   customColors: null,
+  useOnlyCustomProps: true,
   levelFirst: false,
   messageKey: MESSAGE_KEY,
   messageFormat: false,
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ function prettyFactory (options) {
   const timestampKey = opts.timestampKey
   const errorLikeObjectKeys = opts.errorLikeObjectKeys
   const errorProps = opts.errorProps.split(',')
+  const useOnlyCustomProps = typeof opts.useOnlyCustomProps === 'boolean' ? opts.useOnlyCustomProps : opts.useOnlyCustomProps === 'true'
   const customLevels = opts.customLevels
     ? opts.customLevels
         .split(',')
@@ -69,25 +70,26 @@ function prettyFactory (options) {
 
           return agg
         }, { default: 'USERLVL' })
-    : undefined
+    : {}
   const customLevelNames = opts.customLevels
     ? opts.customLevels
         .split(',')
         .reduce((agg, value, idx) => {
           const [levelName, levelIdx = idx] = value.split(':')
 
-          agg[levelName] = levelIdx
+          agg[levelName.toLowerCase()] = levelIdx
 
           return agg
         }, {})
-    : undefined
+    : {}
   const customColors = opts.customColors
     ? opts.customColors
         .split(',')
         .reduce((agg, value) => {
           const [level, color] = value.split(':')
 
-          const levelNum = customLevelNames !== undefined ? customLevelNames[level] : LEVEL_NAMES[level]
+          const condition = useOnlyCustomProps ? opts.customLevels : customLevelNames[level] !== undefined
+          const levelNum = condition ? customLevelNames[level] : LEVEL_NAMES[level]
           const colorIdx = levelNum !== undefined ? levelNum : level
 
           agg.push([colorIdx, color])
@@ -95,11 +97,19 @@ function prettyFactory (options) {
           return agg
         }, [])
     : undefined
+  const customProps = {
+    customLevels,
+    customLevelNames
+  }
+  if (useOnlyCustomProps && !opts.customLevels) {
+    customProps.customLevels = undefined
+    customProps.customLevelNames = undefined
+  }
   const customPrettifiers = opts.customPrettifiers
   const ignoreKeys = opts.ignore ? new Set(opts.ignore.split(',')) : undefined
   const hideObject = opts.hideObject
   const singleLine = opts.singleLine
-  const colorizer = colors(opts.colorize, customColors)
+  const colorizer = colors(opts.colorize, customColors, useOnlyCustomProps)
 
   return pretty
 
@@ -117,18 +127,19 @@ function prettyFactory (options) {
     }
 
     if (minimumLevel) {
-      const minimum = (customLevelNames === undefined ? LEVEL_NAMES[minimumLevel] : customLevelNames[minimumLevel]) || Number(minimumLevel)
+      const condition = useOnlyCustomProps ? opts.customLevels : customLevelNames[minimumLevel] !== undefined
+      const minimum = (condition ? customLevelNames[minimumLevel] : LEVEL_NAMES[minimumLevel]) || Number(minimumLevel)
       const level = log[levelKey === undefined ? LEVEL_KEY : levelKey]
       if (level < minimum) return
     }
 
-    const prettifiedMessage = prettifyMessage({ log, messageKey, colorizer, messageFormat, levelLabel })
+    const prettifiedMessage = prettifyMessage({ log, messageKey, colorizer, messageFormat, levelLabel, ...customProps, useOnlyCustomProps })
 
     if (ignoreKeys) {
       log = filterLog(log, ignoreKeys)
     }
 
-    const prettifiedLevel = prettifyLevel({ log, colorizer, levelKey, prettifier: customPrettifiers.level, customLevels, customLevelNames })
+    const prettifiedLevel = prettifyLevel({ log, colorizer, levelKey, prettifier: customPrettifiers.level, ...customProps })
     const prettifiedMetadata = prettifyMetadata({ log, prettifiers: customPrettifiers })
     const prettifiedTime = prettifyTime({ log, translateFormat: opts.translateTime, timestampKey, prettifier: customPrettifiers.time })
 
@@ -227,7 +238,7 @@ function build (opts = {}) {
     if (typeof opts.destination === 'object' && typeof opts.destination.write === 'function') {
       destination = opts.destination
     } else {
-      destination = sonic({
+      destination = buildSafeSonicBoom({
         dest: opts.destination || 1,
         append: opts.append,
         mkdir: opts.mkdir,
diff --git a/lib/colors.js b/lib/colors.js
index 6d74a44a..f6a20b15 100644
--- a/lib/colors.js
+++ b/lib/colors.js
@@ -42,39 +42,51 @@ function resolveCustomColoredColorizer (customColors) {
   )
 }
 
-function colorizeLevel (level, colorizer, { customLevels, customLevelNames } = {}) {
-  const levels = customLevels || LEVELS
-  const levelNames = customLevelNames || LEVEL_NAMES
-
-  let levelNum = 'default'
-  if (Number.isInteger(+level)) {
-    levelNum = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(levels, level) ? level : levelNum
-  } else {
-    levelNum = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(levelNames, level.toLowerCase()) ? levelNames[level.toLowerCase()] : levelNum
-  }
+function colorizeLevel (useOnlyCustomProps) {
+  return function (level, colorizer, { customLevels, customLevelNames } = {}) {
+    const levels = useOnlyCustomProps ? customLevels || LEVELS : Object.assign({}, LEVELS, customLevels)
+    const levelNames = useOnlyCustomProps ? customLevelNames || LEVEL_NAMES : Object.assign({}, LEVEL_NAMES, customLevelNames)
+
+    let levelNum = 'default'
+    if (Number.isInteger(+level)) {
+      levelNum = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(levels, level) ? level : levelNum
+    } else {
+      levelNum = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(levelNames, level.toLowerCase()) ? levelNames[level.toLowerCase()] : levelNum
+    }
 
-  const levelStr = levels[levelNum]
+    const levelStr = levels[levelNum]
 
-  return Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(colorizer, levelNum) ? colorizer[levelNum](levelStr) : colorizer.default(levelStr)
+    return Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(colorizer, levelNum) ? colorizer[levelNum](levelStr) : colorizer.default(levelStr)
+  }
 }
 
-function plainColorizer (level, opts) {
-  return colorizeLevel(level, plain, opts)
+function plainColorizer (useOnlyCustomProps) {
+  const newPlainColorizer = colorizeLevel(useOnlyCustomProps)
+  const customColoredColorizer = function (level, opts) {
+    return newPlainColorizer(level, plain, opts)
+  }
+  customColoredColorizer.message = plain.message
+  customColoredColorizer.greyMessage = plain.greyMessage
+  return customColoredColorizer
 }
-plainColorizer.message = plain.message
-plainColorizer.greyMessage = plain.greyMessage
 
-function coloredColorizer (level, opts) {
-  return colorizeLevel(level, colored, opts)
+function coloredColorizer (useOnlyCustomProps) {
+  const newColoredColorizer = colorizeLevel(useOnlyCustomProps)
+  const customColoredColorizer = function (level, opts) {
+    return newColoredColorizer(level, colored, opts)
+  }
+  customColoredColorizer.message = colored.message
+  customColoredColorizer.greyMessage = colored.greyMessage
+  return customColoredColorizer
 }
-coloredColorizer.message = colored.message
-coloredColorizer.greyMessage = colored.greyMessage
 
-function customColoredColorizerFactory (customColors) {
-  const customColored = resolveCustomColoredColorizer(customColors)
+function customColoredColorizerFactory (customColors, useOnlyCustomProps) {
+  const onlyCustomColored = resolveCustomColoredColorizer(customColors)
+  const customColored = useOnlyCustomProps ? onlyCustomColored : Object.assign({}, colored, onlyCustomColored)
+  const colorizeLevelCustom = colorizeLevel(useOnlyCustomProps)
 
   const customColoredColorizer = function (level, opts) {
-    return colorizeLevel(level, customColored, opts)
+    return colorizeLevelCustom(level, customColored, opts)
   }
   customColoredColorizer.message = customColoredColorizer.message || customColored.message
   customColoredColorizer.greyMessage = customColoredColorizer.greyMessage || customColored.greyMessage
@@ -89,6 +101,7 @@ function customColoredColorizerFactory (customColors) {
  * @param {boolean} [useColors=false] When `true` a function that applies standard
  * terminal colors is returned.
  * @param {array[]} [customColors] Touple where first item of each array is the level index and the second item is the color
+ * @param {boolean} [useOnlyCustomProps] When `true`, only use the provided custom colors provided and not fallback to default
  *
  * @returns {function} `function (level) {}` has a `.message(str)` method to
  * apply colorization to a string. The core function accepts either an integer
@@ -97,12 +110,12 @@ function customColoredColorizerFactory (customColors) {
  * colors as the integer `level` and will also default to `USERLVL` if the given
  * string is not a recognized level name.
  */
-module.exports = function getColorizer (useColors = false, customColors) {
+module.exports = function getColorizer (useColors = false, customColors, useOnlyCustomProps) {
   if (useColors && customColors !== undefined) {
-    return customColoredColorizerFactory(customColors)
+    return customColoredColorizerFactory(customColors, useOnlyCustomProps)
   } else if (useColors) {
-    return coloredColorizer
+    return coloredColorizer(useOnlyCustomProps)
   }
 
-  return plainColorizer
+  return plainColorizer(useOnlyCustomProps)
 }
diff --git a/lib/utils.js b/lib/utils.js
index 706f5e8f..adae9f23 100644
--- a/lib/utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils.js
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 
 const clone = require('rfdc')({ circles: true })
 const dateformat = require('dateformat')
+const SonicBoom = require('sonic-boom')
 const stringifySafe = require('fast-safe-stringify')
+const { isMainThread } = require('worker_threads')
 const defaultColorizer = require('./colors')()
 const {
   DATE_FORMAT,
@@ -23,6 +25,7 @@ module.exports = {
   prettifyMetadata,
   prettifyObject,
   prettifyTime,
+  buildSafeSonicBoom,
   filterLog
 }
 
@@ -252,12 +255,13 @@ function prettifyLevel ({ log, colorizer = defaultColorizer, levelKey = LEVEL_KE
  * key is not a string, then `undefined` will be returned. Otherwise, a string
  * that is the prettified message.
  */
-function prettifyMessage ({ log, messageFormat, messageKey = MESSAGE_KEY, colorizer = defaultColorizer, levelLabel = LEVEL_LABEL, levelKey = LEVEL_KEY, customLevels }) {
+function prettifyMessage ({ log, messageFormat, messageKey = MESSAGE_KEY, colorizer = defaultColorizer, levelLabel = LEVEL_LABEL, levelKey = LEVEL_KEY, customLevels, useOnlyCustomProps }) {
   if (messageFormat && typeof messageFormat === 'string') {
     const message = String(messageFormat).replace(/{([^{}]+)}/g, function (match, p1) {
       // return log level as string instead of int
       if (p1 === levelLabel && log[levelKey]) {
-        return customLevels === undefined ? LEVELS[log[levelKey]] : customLevels[log[levelKey]]
+        const condition = useOnlyCustomProps ? customLevels === undefined : customLevels[log[levelKey]] === undefined
+        return condition ? LEVELS[log[levelKey]] : customLevels[log[levelKey]]
       }
       // Parse nested key access, e.g. `{keyA.subKeyB}`.
       return p1.split('.').reduce(function (prev, curr) {
@@ -580,3 +584,67 @@ function filterLog (log, ignoreKeys) {
   })
   return logCopy
 }
+
+function noop () {}
+
+/**
+ * Creates a safe SonicBoom instance
+ *
+ * @param {object} opts Options for SonicBoom
+ *
+ * @returns {object} A new SonicBoom stream
+ */
+function buildSafeSonicBoom (opts) {
+  const stream = new SonicBoom(opts)
+  stream.on('error', filterBrokenPipe)
+  // if we are sync: false, we must flush on exit
+  if (!opts.sync && isMainThread) {
+    setupOnExit(stream)
+  }
+  return stream
+
+  function filterBrokenPipe (err) {
+    if (err.code === 'EPIPE') {
+      stream.write = noop
+      stream.end = noop
+      stream.flushSync = noop
+      stream.destroy = noop
+      return
+    }
+    stream.removeListener('error', filterBrokenPipe)
+  }
+}
+
+function setupOnExit (stream) {
+  /* istanbul ignore next */
+  if (global.WeakRef && global.WeakMap && global.FinalizationRegistry) {
+    // This is leak free, it does not leave event handlers
+    const onExit = require('on-exit-leak-free')
+
+    onExit.register(stream, autoEnd)
+
+    stream.on('close', function () {
+      onExit.unregister(stream)
+    })
+  }
+}
+
+/* istanbul ignore next */
+function autoEnd (stream, eventName) {
+  // This check is needed only on some platforms
+
+  if (stream.destroyed) {
+    return
+  }
+
+  if (eventName === 'beforeExit') {
+    // We still have an event loop, let's use it
+    stream.flush()
+    stream.on('drain', function () {
+      stream.end()
+    })
+  } else {
+    // We do not have an event loop, so flush synchronously
+    stream.flushSync()
+  }
+}
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 7416f0b5..5d419a2d 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "pino-pretty",
-  "version": "7.5.3",
+  "version": "7.6.1",
   "description": "Prettifier for Pino log lines",
   "type": "commonjs",
   "main": "index.js",
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
     "dateformat": "^4.6.3",
     "fast-safe-stringify": "^2.0.7",
     "joycon": "^3.1.1",
+    "on-exit-leak-free": "^0.2.0",
     "pino-abstract-transport": "^0.5.0",
     "pump": "^3.0.0",
     "readable-stream": "^3.6.0",
@@ -52,8 +53,8 @@
     "rimraf": "^3.0.2",
     "snazzy": "^9.0.0",
     "standard": "^16.0.3",
-    "tap": "^15.0.9",
-    "tsd": "^0.19.0",
+    "tap": "^16.0.0",
+    "tsd": "^0.20.0",
     "typescript": "^4.4.3"
   },
   "tsd": {
diff --git a/test/basic.test.js b/test/basic.test.js
index a2af4684..ba70fb4a 100644
--- a/test/basic.test.js
+++ b/test/basic.test.js
@@ -308,11 +308,12 @@ test('basic prettifier tests', (t) => {
       write (chunk, enc, cb) {
         const formatted = pretty(chunk.toString())
         const localHour = dateformat(epoch, 'HH')
+        const localMinute = dateformat(epoch, 'MM')
         const localDate = dateformat(epoch, 'yyyy-mm-dd')
         const offset = dateformat(epoch, 'o')
         t.equal(
           formatted,
-          `[${localDate} ${localHour}:35:28.992 ${offset}] INFO (${pid} on ${hostname}): foo\n`
+          `[${localDate} ${localHour}:${localMinute}:28.992 ${offset}] INFO (${pid} on ${hostname}): foo\n`
         )
         cb()
       }
@@ -329,11 +330,12 @@ test('basic prettifier tests', (t) => {
       write (chunk, enc, cb) {
         const formatted = pretty(chunk.toString())
         const localHour = dateformat(epoch, 'HH')
+        const localMinute = dateformat(epoch, 'MM')
         const localDate = dateformat(epoch, 'yyyy/mm/dd')
         const offset = dateformat(epoch, 'o')
         t.equal(
           formatted,
-          `[${localDate} ${localHour}:35:28 ${offset}] INFO (${pid} on ${hostname}): foo\n`
+          `[${localDate} ${localHour}:${localMinute}:28 ${offset}] INFO (${pid} on ${hostname}): foo\n`
         )
         cb()
       }
diff --git a/test/cli.test.js b/test/cli.test.js
index 77676a96..93852970 100644
--- a/test/cli.test.js
+++ b/test/cli.test.js
@@ -96,6 +96,30 @@ test('cli', (t) => {
       child.stdin.write('{"level":99,"time":1522431328992,"msg":"hello world","pid":42,"hostname":"foo"}\n')
       t.teardown(() => child.kill())
     })
+
+    t.test(`customize levels via ${optionName} with minimumLevel, customLevels and useOnlyCustomProps false`, (t) => {
+      t.plan(1)
+      const child = spawn(process.argv[0], [bin, '--minimumLevel', 'custom', '--useOnlyCustomProps', 'false', optionName, 'custom:99,info:1'], { env })
+      child.on('error', t.threw)
+      child.stdout.on('data', (data) => {
+        t.equal(data.toString(), `[${epoch}] CUSTOM (42 on foo): hello world\n`)
+      })
+      child.stdin.write('{"level":1,"time":1522431328992,"msg":"hello world","pid":42,"hostname":"foo"}\n')
+      child.stdin.write('{"level":99,"time":1522431328992,"msg":"hello world","pid":42,"hostname":"foo"}\n')
+      t.teardown(() => child.kill())
+    })
+
+    t.test(`customize levels via ${optionName} with minimumLevel, customLevels and useOnlyCustomProps true`, (t) => {
+      t.plan(1)
+      const child = spawn(process.argv[0], [bin, '--minimumLevel', 'custom', '--useOnlyCustomProps', 'true', optionName, 'custom:99,info:1'], { env })
+      child.on('error', t.threw)
+      child.stdout.on('data', (data) => {
+        t.equal(data.toString(), `[${epoch}] CUSTOM (42 on foo): hello world\n`)
+      })
+      child.stdin.write('{"level":1,"time":1522431328992,"msg":"hello world","pid":42,"hostname":"foo"}\n')
+      child.stdin.write('{"level":99,"time":1522431328992,"msg":"hello world","pid":42,"hostname":"foo"}\n')
+      t.teardown(() => child.kill())
+    })
   })
 
   ;['--customColors', '-X'].forEach((optionName) => {
@@ -123,6 +147,74 @@ test('cli', (t) => {
     })
   })
 
+  ;['--useOnlyCustomProps', '-U'].forEach((optionName) => {
+    t.test(`customize levels via ${optionName} false and customColors`, (t) => {
+      t.plan(1)
+      const child = spawn(process.argv[0], [bin, '--customColors', 'err:blue,info:red', optionName, 'false'], { env })
+      child.on('error', t.threw)
+      child.stdout.on('data', (data) => {
+        t.equal(data.toString(), `[${epoch}] INFO (42 on foo): hello world\n`)
+      })
+      child.stdin.write(logLine)
+      t.teardown(() => child.kill())
+    })
+
+    t.test(`customize levels via ${optionName} true and customColors`, (t) => {
+      t.plan(1)
+      const child = spawn(process.argv[0], [bin, '--customColors', 'err:blue,info:red', optionName, 'true'], { env })
+      child.on('error', t.threw)
+      child.stdout.on('data', (data) => {
+        t.equal(data.toString(), `[${epoch}] INFO (42 on foo): hello world\n`)
+      })
+      child.stdin.write(logLine)
+      t.teardown(() => child.kill())
+    })
+
+    t.test(`customize levels via ${optionName} true and customLevels`, (t) => {
+      t.plan(1)
+      const child = spawn(process.argv[0], [bin, '--customLevels', 'err:99,custom:30', optionName, 'true'], { env })
+      child.on('error', t.threw)
+      child.stdout.on('data', (data) => {
+        t.equal(data.toString(), `[${epoch}] CUSTOM (42 on foo): hello world\n`)
+      })
+      child.stdin.write(logLine)
+      t.teardown(() => child.kill())
+    })
+
+    t.test(`customize levels via ${optionName} true and no customLevels`, (t) => {
+      t.plan(1)
+      const child = spawn(process.argv[0], [bin, optionName, 'true'], { env })
+      child.on('error', t.threw)
+      child.stdout.on('data', (data) => {
+        t.equal(data.toString(), `[${epoch}] INFO (42 on foo): hello world\n`)
+      })
+      child.stdin.write(logLine)
+      t.teardown(() => child.kill())
+    })
+
+    t.test(`customize levels via ${optionName} false and customLevels`, (t) => {
+      t.plan(1)
+      const child = spawn(process.argv[0], [bin, '--customLevels', 'err:99,custom:25', optionName, 'false'], { env })
+      child.on('error', t.threw)
+      child.stdout.on('data', (data) => {
+        t.equal(data.toString(), `[${epoch}] INFO (42 on foo): hello world\n`)
+      })
+      child.stdin.write(logLine)
+      t.teardown(() => child.kill())
+    })
+
+    t.test(`customize levels via ${optionName} false and no customLevels`, (t) => {
+      t.plan(1)
+      const child = spawn(process.argv[0], [bin, optionName, 'false'], { env })
+      child.on('error', t.threw)
+      child.stdout.on('data', (data) => {
+        t.equal(data.toString(), `[${epoch}] INFO (42 on foo): hello world\n`)
+      })
+      child.stdin.write(logLine)
+      t.teardown(() => child.kill())
+    })
+  })
+
   t.test('does ignore escaped keys', (t) => {
     t.plan(1)
     const child = spawn(process.argv[0], [bin, '-i', 'log\\.domain\\.corp/foo'], { env })
diff --git a/test/lib/colors.test.js b/test/lib/colors.test.js
index b4d83b6f..2a4d3b12 100644
--- a/test/lib/colors.test.js
+++ b/test/lib/colors.test.js
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ const testCustomColoringColorizer = getColorizer => async t => {
   }
 
   const colorizer = getColorizer(true, customColors)
+  const colorizerWithCustomPropUse = getColorizer(true, customColors, true)
   let colorized = colorizer(1, opts)
   t.equal(colorized, '\u001B[31mERR\u001B[39m')
 
@@ -113,6 +114,12 @@ const testCustomColoringColorizer = getColorizer => async t => {
 
   colorized = colorizer('use-default')
   t.equal(colorized, '\u001B[37mUSERLVL\u001B[39m')
+
+  colorized = colorizer(40, opts)
+  t.equal(colorized, '\u001B[33mWARN\u001B[39m')
+
+  colorized = colorizerWithCustomPropUse(50, opts)
+  t.equal(colorized, '\u001B[37mUSERLVL\u001B[39m')
 }
 
 test('returns default colorizer - private export', testDefaultColorizer(getColorizerPrivate))
diff --git a/test/lib/utils.public.test.js b/test/lib/utils.public.test.js
index 0acbc2ef..911ea1cf 100644
--- a/test/lib/utils.public.test.js
+++ b/test/lib/utils.public.test.js
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 const tap = require('tap')
 const getColorizer = require('../../lib/colors')
 const utils = require('../../lib/utils')
+const rimraf = require('rimraf')
+const { join } = require('path')
+const fs = require('fs')
 
 tap.test('prettifyErrorLog', t => {
   const { prettifyErrorLog } = utils
@@ -101,16 +104,31 @@ tap.test('prettifyMessage', t => {
     t.equal(str, 'appModule - ')
   })
 
-  t.test('returns message formatted by `messageFormat` option - levelLabel', async t => {
-    const str = prettifyMessage({ log: { msg: 'foo', context: 'appModule', level: 30 }, messageFormat: '[{level}] {levelLabel} {context} - {msg}' })
+  t.test('returns message formatted by `messageFormat` option - levelLabel & useOnlyCustomProps false', async t => {
+    const str = prettifyMessage({ log: { msg: 'foo', context: 'appModule', level: 30 }, messageFormat: '[{level}] {levelLabel} {context} - {msg}', customLevels: {} })
     t.equal(str, '[30] INFO appModule - foo')
   })
 
+  t.test('returns message formatted by `messageFormat` option - levelLabel & useOnlyCustomProps true', async t => {
+    const str = prettifyMessage({ log: { msg: 'foo', context: 'appModule', level: 30 }, messageFormat: '[{level}] {levelLabel} {context} - {msg}', customLevels: { 30: 'CHECK' }, useOnlyCustomProps: true })
+    t.equal(str, '[30] CHECK appModule - foo')
+  })
+
   t.test('returns message formatted by `messageFormat` option - levelLabel & customLevels', async t => {
     const str = prettifyMessage({ log: { msg: 'foo', context: 'appModule', level: 123 }, messageFormat: '[{level}] {levelLabel} {context} - {msg}', customLevels: { 123: 'CUSTOM' } })
     t.equal(str, '[123] CUSTOM appModule - foo')
   })
 
+  t.test('returns message formatted by `messageFormat` option - levelLabel, customLevels & useOnlyCustomProps', async t => {
+    const str = prettifyMessage({ log: { msg: 'foo', context: 'appModule', level: 123 }, messageFormat: '[{level}] {levelLabel} {context} - {msg}', customLevels: { 123: 'CUSTOM' }, useOnlyCustomProps: true })
+    t.equal(str, '[123] CUSTOM appModule - foo')
+  })
+
+  t.test('returns message formatted by `messageFormat` option - levelLabel, customLevels & useOnlyCustomProps false', async t => {
+    const str = prettifyMessage({ log: { msg: 'foo', context: 'appModule', level: 40 }, messageFormat: '[{level}] {levelLabel} {context} - {msg}', customLevels: { 123: 'CUSTOM' }, useOnlyCustomProps: false })
+    t.equal(str, '[40] WARN appModule - foo')
+  })
+
   t.test('`messageFormat` supports nested curly brackets', async t => {
     const str = prettifyMessage({ log: { level: 30 }, messageFormat: '{{level}}-{level}-{{level}-{level}}' })
     t.equal(str, '{30}-30-{30-30}')
@@ -428,3 +446,48 @@ tap.test('#filterLog with circular references', t => {
 
   t.end()
 })
+
+tap.test('buildSafeSonicBoom', t => {
+  const { buildSafeSonicBoom } = utils
+
+  function noop () {}
+
+  const file = () => {
+    const dest = join(__dirname, `${process.pid}-${process.hrtime().toString()}`)
+    const fd = fs.openSync(dest, 'w')
+    return { dest, fd }
+  }
+
+  t.test('should not write when error emitted and code is "EPIPE"', async t => {
+    t.plan(1)
+
+    const { fd, dest } = file()
+    const stream = buildSafeSonicBoom({ sync: true, fd, mkdir: true })
+    t.teardown(() => rimraf(dest, noop))
+
+    stream.emit('error', { code: 'EPIPE' })
+    stream.write('will not work')
+
+    const dataFile = fs.readFileSync(dest)
+    t.equal(dataFile.length, 0)
+  })
+
+  t.test('should stream.write works when error code is not "EPIPE"', async t => {
+    t.plan(3)
+    const { fd, dest } = file()
+    const stream = buildSafeSonicBoom({ sync: true, fd, mkdir: true })
+
+    t.teardown(() => rimraf(dest, noop))
+
+    stream.on('error', () => t.pass('error emitted'))
+
+    stream.emit('error', 'fake error description')
+
+    t.ok(stream.write('will work'))
+
+    const dataFile = fs.readFileSync(dest)
+    t.equal(dataFile.toString(), 'will work')
+  })
+
+  t.end()
+})
diff --git a/test/types/pino-pretty.test-d.ts b/test/types/pino-pretty.test-d.ts
index 3928b389..20a84178 100644
--- a/test/types/pino-pretty.test-d.ts
+++ b/test/types/pino-pretty.test-d.ts
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ const options2: PrettyOptions = {
   mkdir: true,
 };
 
+expectType<PrettyStream>(pretty()); // #326
 expectType<PrettyStream>(pretty(options));
 expectType<PrettyStream>(PinoPrettyNamed(options));
 expectType<PrettyStream>(PinoPrettyDefault(options));