diff --git a/color.c b/color.c
index 85864176a..ec96fe104 100644
--- a/color.c
+++ b/color.c
@@ -204,13 +204,21 @@ int want_color(int var)
 	return var > 0;
 }
 
-int git_color_default_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
+int git_color_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 {
 	if (!strcmp(var, "color.ui")) {
 		git_use_color_default = git_config_colorbool(var, value);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int git_color_default_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
+{
+	if (git_color_config(var, value, cb) < 0)
+		return -1;
+
 	return git_default_config(var, value, cb);
 }
 
diff --git a/color.h b/color.h
index b413e0eac..3e515f2a4 100644
--- a/color.h
+++ b/color.h
@@ -74,8 +74,10 @@ extern const int column_colors_ansi_max;
 extern int color_stdout_is_tty;
 
 /*
- * Use this instead of git_default_config if you need the value of color.ui.
+ * Use the first one if you need only color config; the second is a convenience
+ * if you are just going to change to git_default_config, too.
  */
+int git_color_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb);
 int git_color_default_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb);
 
 int git_config_colorbool(const char *var, const char *value);
diff --git a/diff.c b/diff.c
index 0496cdc01..052e42adf 100644
--- a/diff.c
+++ b/diff.c
@@ -164,6 +164,9 @@ int git_diff_ui_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 	if (!strcmp(var, "diff.ignoresubmodules"))
 		handle_ignore_submodules_arg(&default_diff_options, value);
 
+	if (git_color_config(var, value, cb) < 0)
+		return -1;
+
 	return git_diff_basic_config(var, value, cb);
 }
 
@@ -212,7 +215,7 @@ int git_diff_basic_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 	if (!prefixcmp(var, "submodule."))
 		return parse_submodule_config_option(var, value);
 
-	return git_color_default_config(var, value, cb);
+	return git_default_config(var, value, cb);
 }
 
 static char *quote_two(const char *one, const char *two)