diff --git a/hgext3rd/tweakdefaults.py b/hgext3rd/tweakdefaults.py
--- a/hgext3rd/tweakdefaults.py
+++ b/hgext3rd/tweakdefaults.py
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@
     # change rebase exit from 1 to 0 if nothing is rebased
     nooprebase = True
 
+    # whether to show a warning on some deprecated usages
+    singlecolonwarn = False
+
     # educational messages
     bmnodesthint = ''
     bmnodestmsg = ''
@@ -49,6 +52,7 @@
     nodesthint = ''
     nodestmsg = ''
     rollbackhint = ''
+    singlecolonmsg = ''
     tagsmessage = ''
 
     # output new hashes when nodes get updated
@@ -695,16 +699,19 @@
     return cmd
 
 def _analyzewrapper(orig, x, ui):
-    """Wraps analyzer to detect the use of colons in the revisions
-    """
+    """Wraps analyzer to detect the use of colons in the revisions"""
     result = orig(x)
 
-    if isinstance(x, tuple) and \
+    enabled = ui.configbool('tweakdefaults', 'singlecolonwarn')
+
+    # The last condition is added so that warnings are not shown if
+    # hg log --follow is invoked w/o arguments
+    if enabled and isinstance(x, tuple) and \
             (x[0] in ('range', 'rangepre', 'rangepost')) and \
             x != ('rangepre', ('symbol', '.')):
-        # The last condition is added so that warnings are not shown if
-        # hg log --follow is invoked w/o arguments
-        ui.develwarn("use of ':' is deprecated\n")
+        msg = ui.config('tweakdefaults', 'singlecolonmsg',
+                        _("use of ':' is deprecated"))
+        ui.warn('%s\n' % msg)
 
     return result
 
diff --git a/tests/test-tweakdefaults.t b/tests/test-tweakdefaults.t
--- a/tests/test-tweakdefaults.t
+++ b/tests/test-tweakdefaults.t
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#testcases develwarn.true develwarn.false
+#testcases singlecolonwarn.true singlecolonwarn.false
   $ . "$TESTDIR/histedit-helpers.sh"
 
   $ cat >> $HGRCPATH << EOF
@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@
   > updatecheck=noconflict
   > EOF
 
-#if develwarn.false
+#if singlecolonwarn.true
   $ cat >> $HGRCPATH << EOF
   > [tweakdefaults]
-  > develwarn = False
+  > singlecolonwarn = True
   > EOF
 #endif
 
@@ -754,10 +754,9 @@
   
 Test that developer warning is shown whenever ':' is used implicitly or explicitly
 
-#if develwarn.true
+#if singlecolonwarn.true
   $ hg log -G -T '{rev} {bookmarks}' -r '0:2'
-  devel-warn: use of ':' is deprecated
-   at: *tweakdefaults.py:* (_analyzewrap) (glob)
+  use of ':' is deprecated
   o  2
   |
   o  1 master
@@ -774,10 +773,9 @@
   
 #endif
 
-#if develwarn.true
+#if singlecolonwarn.true
   $ hg log -G -T '{rev} {bookmarks}' -r ':2'
-  devel-warn: use of ':' is deprecated
-   at: *tweakdefaults.py:* (_analyzewrap) (glob)
+  use of ':' is deprecated
   o  2
   |
   o  1 master
@@ -794,10 +792,9 @@
   
 #endif
 
-#if develwarn.true
+#if singlecolonwarn.true
   $ hg log -G -T '{rev} {bookmarks}' -r '0:'
-  devel-warn: use of ':' is deprecated
-   at: *tweakdefaults.py:* (_analyzewrap) (glob)
+  use of ':' is deprecated
   o  2
   |
   o  1 master