Reporter cells expressing a chimeric receptor that activates a reporter can be used for screening ligand-mediated signal transduction. In this study, we used reporter cells harboring an NFAT/lacZ construct that express β-galactosidase when the chimeric receptor is stimulated. A colorimetric β-galactosidase substrate, chlorophenol-red β-d-galactopyranoside (CPRG), was used to detect enzymatic activity. Sub-optimal conditions have unfortunately extensively been reported with such reporter-based β-galactosidase assays. Here, we aimed to improve the CPRG-based colorimetric assay such that receptor ligands could be effectively screened with reporter cells.