diff --git a/builtin-diff-files.c b/builtin-diff-files.c
index 81ac2fe64a..2e10118623 100644
--- a/builtin-diff-files.c
+++ b/builtin-diff-files.c
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ int cmd_diff_files(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 	struct rev_info rev;
 	int silent = 0;
 
-	git_config(git_default_config); /* no "diff" UI options */
 	init_revisions(&rev);
+	git_config(git_default_config); /* no "diff" UI options */
 	rev.abbrev = 0;
 
 	argc = setup_revisions(argc, argv, &rev, NULL);
diff --git a/builtin-diff-index.c b/builtin-diff-index.c
index a1fa1b85cf..dc52c054ee 100644
--- a/builtin-diff-index.c
+++ b/builtin-diff-index.c
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ int cmd_diff_index(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 	int cached = 0;
 	int i;
 
-	git_config(git_default_config); /* no "diff" UI options */
 	init_revisions(&rev);
+	git_config(git_default_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 b610668594..8957b459de 100644
--- a/builtin-diff-tree.c
+++ b/builtin-diff-tree.c
@@ -67,9 +67,9 @@ int cmd_diff_tree(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 	static struct rev_info *opt = &log_tree_opt;
 	int read_stdin = 0;
 
+	init_revisions(opt);
 	git_config(git_default_config); /* no "diff" UI options */
 	nr_sha1 = 0;
-	init_revisions(opt);
 	opt->abbrev = 0;
 	opt->diff = 1;
 	argc = setup_revisions(argc, argv, opt, NULL);
diff --git a/builtin-diff.c b/builtin-diff.c
index cb38f44561..7d5ad6271e 100644
--- a/builtin-diff.c
+++ b/builtin-diff.c
@@ -250,8 +250,9 @@ int cmd_diff(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 	 * Other cases are errors.
 	 */
 
-	git_config(git_diff_ui_config);
 	init_revisions(&rev);
+	git_config(git_diff_ui_config);
+	diff_setup(&rev.diffopt);
 
 	argc = setup_revisions(argc, argv, &rev, NULL);
 	if (!rev.diffopt.output_format) {
diff --git a/builtin-log.c b/builtin-log.c
index 4052cc75bd..88c835acba 100644
--- a/builtin-log.c
+++ b/builtin-log.c
@@ -49,8 +49,9 @@ int cmd_whatchanged(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 {
 	struct rev_info rev;
 
-	git_config(git_diff_ui_config);
 	init_revisions(&rev);
+	git_config(git_diff_ui_config);
+	diff_setup(&rev.diffopt);
 	rev.diff = 1;
 	rev.diffopt.recursive = 1;
 	rev.simplify_history = 0;
@@ -64,8 +65,9 @@ int cmd_show(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 {
 	struct rev_info rev;
 
-	git_config(git_diff_ui_config);
 	init_revisions(&rev);
+	git_config(git_diff_ui_config);
+	diff_setup(&rev.diffopt);
 	rev.diff = 1;
 	rev.diffopt.recursive = 1;
 	rev.combine_merges = 1;
@@ -81,8 +83,9 @@ int cmd_log(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 {
 	struct rev_info rev;
 
-	git_config(git_diff_ui_config);
 	init_revisions(&rev);
+	git_config(git_diff_ui_config);
+	diff_setup(&rev.diffopt);
 	rev.always_show_header = 1;
 	cmd_log_init(argc, argv, envp, &rev);
 	return cmd_log_walk(&rev);