diff --git a/kittens/diff/config.py b/kittens/diff/config.py
index de5b678a6..0715967bb 100644
--- a/kittens/diff/config.py
+++ b/kittens/diff/config.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from kitty.config_utils import (
     resolve_config, to_color
 )
 from kitty.constants import config_dir
+from kitty.rgb import color_as_sgr
 
 defaults = None
 default_config_path = os.path.join(
@@ -21,10 +22,17 @@ formats = {
     'text': '',
 }
 
+
+def set_formats(opts):
+    formats['text'] = '38' + color_as_sgr(opts.foreground) + ';48' + color_as_sgr(opts.background)
+    formats['margin'] = '38' + color_as_sgr(opts.margin_fg) + ';48' + color_as_sgr(opts.margin_bg)
+    formats['title'] = '38' + color_as_sgr(opts.title_fg) + ';48' + color_as_sgr(opts.title_bg) + ';1'
+
+
 type_map = {}
 
 for name in (
-    'foreground background'
+    'foreground background title_fg title_bg'
 ).split():
     type_map[name] = to_color
 
@@ -76,4 +84,5 @@ def init_config(args):
     config = tuple(resolve_config(SYSTEM_CONF, defconf, args.config))
     overrides = (a.replace('=', ' ', 1) for a in args.override or ())
     opts = load_config(*config, overrides=overrides)
+    set_formats(opts)
     return opts
diff --git a/kittens/diff/diff.conf b/kittens/diff/diff.conf
index 0a83c564a..32da0a320 100644
--- a/kittens/diff/diff.conf
+++ b/kittens/diff/diff.conf
@@ -1,2 +1,6 @@
 foreground   black
 background   #eeeeee
+title_fg     black
+title_bg     #eeeeee
+margin_bg    #dddddd
+margin_fg    #444444
diff --git a/kittens/diff/render.py b/kittens/diff/render.py
index 3efd9c7c4..d5114e680 100644
--- a/kittens/diff/render.py
+++ b/kittens/diff/render.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 
 import re
 from gettext import gettext as _
-from functools import partial
 
 from kitty.fast_data_types import wcswidth
 
@@ -70,14 +69,17 @@ def fit_in(text, count):
     return text + '…'
 
 
-def formatted(fmt, text):
-    return '\x1b[' + fmt + 'm' + text + '\x1b[0m'
+def format_func(which):
+    def formatted(text):
+        fmt = formats[which]
+        return '\x1b[' + fmt + 'm' + text + '\x1b[0m'
+    formatted.__name__ = which + '_format'
+    return formatted
 
 
-title_format = partial(formatted, formats['title'])
-margin_format = partial(formatted, formats['margin'])
-text_format = partial(formatted, formats['text'])
-del formatted
+text_format = format_func('text')
+title_format = format_func('title')
+margin_format = format_func('margin')
 
 
 def place_in(text, sz):
diff --git a/kitty/rgb.py b/kitty/rgb.py
index 92c1bbbc1..95598b97d 100644
--- a/kitty/rgb.py
+++ b/kitty/rgb.py
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@ def color_as_sharp(x):
     return '#{:02x}{:02x}{:02x}'.format(*x)
 
 
+def color_as_sgr(x):
+    return ':2:{}:{}:{}'.format(*x)
+
+
 def to_color(raw, validate=False):
     # See man XParseColor
     x = raw.strip().lower()