diff --git a/diff.c b/diff.c
index 8e2914c031..5e4471f15f 100644
--- a/diff.c
+++ b/diff.c
@@ -414,14 +414,6 @@ int git_diff_ui_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	if (!strcmp(var, "diff.wserrorhighlight")) {
-		int val = parse_ws_error_highlight(value);
-		if (val < 0)
-			return -1;
-		ws_error_highlight_default = val;
-		return 0;
-	}
-
 	if (git_color_config(var, value, cb) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
@@ -450,6 +442,14 @@ int git_diff_basic_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 		return color_parse(value, diff_colors[slot]);
 	}
 
+	if (!strcmp(var, "diff.wserrorhighlight")) {
+		int val = parse_ws_error_highlight(value);
+		if (val < 0)
+			return -1;
+		ws_error_highlight_default = val;
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	/* like GNU diff's --suppress-blank-empty option  */
 	if (!strcmp(var, "diff.suppressblankempty") ||
 			/* for backwards compatibility */
diff --git a/t/t3701-add-interactive.sh b/t/t3701-add-interactive.sh
index e36fd0a5d3..5bae6e50f1 100755
--- a/t/t3701-add-interactive.sh
+++ b/t/t3701-add-interactive.sh
@@ -553,6 +553,19 @@ test_expect_success 'diffs can be colorized' '
 	grep "$(printf "\\033")" output
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'colorized diffs respect diff.wsErrorHighlight' '
+	git reset --hard &&
+
+	echo "old " >test &&
+	git add test &&
+	echo "new " >test &&
+
+	printf y >y &&
+	force_color git -c diff.wsErrorHighlight=all add -p >output.raw 2>&1 <y &&
+	test_decode_color <output.raw >output &&
+	grep "old<" output
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'diffFilter filters diff' '
 	git reset --hard &&