diff --git a/builtin-diff-files.c b/builtin-diff-files.c
index 9c04111656..4abe3c28fb 100644
--- a/builtin-diff-files.c
+++ b/builtin-diff-files.c
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ int cmd_diff_files(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	prefix = setup_git_directory_gently(&nongit);
 	init_revisions(&rev, prefix);
-	git_config(git_default_config); /* no "diff" UI options */
+	git_config(git_diff_basic_config); /* no "diff" UI options */
 	rev.abbrev = 0;
 
 	if (!setup_diff_no_index(&rev, argc, argv, nongit, prefix))
diff --git a/builtin-diff-index.c b/builtin-diff-index.c
index 0f2390a20a..2b955deb91 100644
--- a/builtin-diff-index.c
+++ b/builtin-diff-index.c
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ int cmd_diff_index(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	int result;
 
 	init_revisions(&rev, prefix);
-	git_config(git_default_config); /* no "diff" UI options */
+	git_config(git_diff_basic_config); /* no "diff" UI options */
 	rev.abbrev = 0;
 
 	argc = setup_revisions(argc, argv, &rev, NULL);
diff --git a/builtin-diff-tree.c b/builtin-diff-tree.c
index ebc50efbd2..832797ff3b 100644
--- a/builtin-diff-tree.c
+++ b/builtin-diff-tree.c
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ int cmd_diff_tree(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	int read_stdin = 0;
 
 	init_revisions(opt, prefix);
-	git_config(git_default_config); /* no "diff" UI options */
+	git_config(git_diff_basic_config); /* no "diff" UI options */
 	nr_sha1 = 0;
 	opt->abbrev = 0;
 	opt->diff = 1;
diff --git a/diff.c b/diff.c
index 5bdc111378..44aa477c41 100644
--- a/diff.c
+++ b/diff.c
@@ -178,6 +178,12 @@ int git_diff_ui_config(const char *var, const char *value)
 				return parse_funcname_pattern(var, ep, value);
 		}
 	}
+
+	return git_diff_basic_config(var, value);
+}
+
+int git_diff_basic_config(const char *var, const char *value)
+{
 	if (!prefixcmp(var, "diff.color.") || !prefixcmp(var, "color.diff.")) {
 		int slot = parse_diff_color_slot(var, 11);
 		color_parse(value, var, diff_colors[slot]);
diff --git a/diff.h b/diff.h
index beccf85962..073d5cbf1b 100644
--- a/diff.h
+++ b/diff.h
@@ -172,6 +172,7 @@ extern void diff_unmerge(struct diff_options *,
 #define DIFF_SETUP_USE_CACHE		2
 #define DIFF_SETUP_USE_SIZE_CACHE	4
 
+extern int git_diff_basic_config(const char *var, const char *value);
 extern int git_diff_ui_config(const char *var, const char *value);
 extern void diff_setup(struct diff_options *);
 extern int diff_opt_parse(struct diff_options *, const char **, int);