diff --git a/src/ophyd_async/epics/adcore/__init__.py b/src/ophyd_async/epics/adcore/__init__.py
index 16587efa01..fab5fe5ff5 100644
--- a/src/ophyd_async/epics/adcore/__init__.py
+++ b/src/ophyd_async/epics/adcore/__init__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from ._core_detector import AreaDetector
 from ._core_io import (
+    ADBaseColorMode,
     ADBaseDatasetDescriber,
     ADBaseIO,
     DetectorState,
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@
 )
 
 __all__ = [
+    "ADBaseColorMode",
     "ADBaseIO",
     "AreaDetector",
     "DetectorState",
diff --git a/src/ophyd_async/epics/adcore/_core_io.py b/src/ophyd_async/epics/adcore/_core_io.py
index 52332de994..4bb013ffec 100644
--- a/src/ophyd_async/epics/adcore/_core_io.py
+++ b/src/ophyd_async/epics/adcore/_core_io.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import asyncio
 
-from ophyd_async.core import Device, StrictEnum
+from ophyd_async.core import Device, StrictEnum, SubsetEnum
 from ophyd_async.core._providers import DatasetDescriber
 from ophyd_async.epics.core import (
     epics_signal_r,
@@ -16,6 +16,12 @@ class Callback(StrictEnum):
     DISABLE = "Disable"
 
 
+# For now, only support mono and RGB1
+class ADBaseColorMode(SubsetEnum):
+    MONO = "Mono"
+    RGB = "RGB1"
+
+
 class NDArrayBaseIO(Device):
     def __init__(self, prefix: str, name: str = "") -> None:
         self.unique_id = epics_signal_r(int, prefix + "UniqueId_RBV")
@@ -24,6 +30,7 @@ def __init__(self, prefix: str, name: str = "") -> None:
         self.array_size_x = epics_signal_r(int, prefix + "ArraySizeX_RBV")
         self.array_size_y = epics_signal_r(int, prefix + "ArraySizeY_RBV")
         self.data_type = epics_signal_r(ADBaseDataType, prefix + "DataType_RBV")
+        self.color_mode = epics_signal_r(ADBaseColorMode, prefix + "ColorMode_RBV")
         self.array_counter = epics_signal_rw_rbv(int, prefix + "ArrayCounter")
         # There is no _RBV for this one
         self.wait_for_plugins = epics_signal_rw(bool, prefix + "WaitForPlugins")
@@ -37,11 +44,18 @@ def __init__(self, driver: NDArrayBaseIO) -> None:
     async def np_datatype(self) -> str:
         return convert_ad_dtype_to_np(await self._driver.data_type.get_value())
 
-    async def shape(self) -> tuple[int, int]:
+    async def shape(self) -> tuple[int, int] | tuple[int, int, int]:
+        current_color_mode = await self._driver.color_mode.get_value()
+        if current_color_mode not in ADBaseColorMode:
+            raise ValueError(f"Current color mode {current_color_mode} not currently supported!")
+
         shape = await asyncio.gather(
             self._driver.array_size_y.get_value(),
             self._driver.array_size_x.get_value(),
         )
+        if current_color_mode == ADBaseColorMode.RGB:
+            shape = (3, *shape)
+
         return shape
 
 
diff --git a/tests/epics/adsimdetector/test_sim.py b/tests/epics/adsimdetector/test_sim.py
index 11c06b9dd5..f8a22cd720 100644
--- a/tests/epics/adsimdetector/test_sim.py
+++ b/tests/epics/adsimdetector/test_sim.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ def two_test_adsimdetectors(
     ad_standard_det_factory: Callable,
 ) -> Sequence[adsimdetector.SimDetector]:
     deta = ad_standard_det_factory(adsimdetector.SimDetector)
-    detb = ad_standard_det_factory(adsimdetector.SimDetector, number=2)
+    detb = ad_standard_det_factory(adsimdetector.SimDetector, number=2, color=True)
 
     return deta, detb
 
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ def plan():
         "test_adsim2-driver-acquire_time"
     ] == pytest.approx(1.8)
     assert descriptor["data_keys"]["test_adsim1"]["shape"] == [10, 10]
-    assert descriptor["data_keys"]["test_adsim2"]["shape"] == [11, 11]
+    assert descriptor["data_keys"]["test_adsim2"]["shape"] == [3, 11, 11]
     assert sda["stream_resource"] == sra["uid"]
     assert sdb["stream_resource"] == srb["uid"]
     assert (
@@ -277,6 +277,15 @@ async def test_detector_writes_to_file(
     ]
 
 
+async def test_invalid_color_mode(
+    test_adsimdetector: adsimdetector.SimDetector,
+):
+    set_mock_value(test_adsimdetector.driver.color_mode, "Bayer")
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as exc_info:
+        await test_adsimdetector._writer._dataset_describer.shape()
+    assert "not currently supported!" in str(exc_info.value)
+
+
 async def test_read_and_describe_detector(
     test_adsimdetector: adsimdetector.SimDetector,
 ):
diff --git a/tests/epics/conftest.py b/tests/epics/conftest.py
index 5422e0f388..caa46254d5 100644
--- a/tests/epics/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/epics/conftest.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ def generate_ad_standard_det(
         detector_cls: type[adcore.AreaDetector],
         writer_cls: type[adcore.ADWriter] = adcore.ADHDFWriter,
         number=1,
+        color=False,
         **kwargs,
     ) -> adcore.AreaDetector:
         # Dynamically generate a name based on the class of controller
@@ -64,6 +65,9 @@ def on_set_file_path_callback(value: str, wait: bool = True):
         if isinstance(test_adstandard_det.fileio, adcore.NDFileHDFIO):
             set_mock_value(test_adstandard_det.fileio.num_frames_chunks, 1)
 
+        if color:
+            set_mock_value(test_adstandard_det.driver.color_mode, adcore.ADBaseColorMode.RGB)
+
         return test_adstandard_det
 
     return generate_ad_standard_det