diff --git a/diff.c b/diff.c
index f6df18af91..ab6e6a88a5 100644
--- a/diff.c
+++ b/diff.c
@@ -1185,9 +1185,9 @@ static void dim_moved_lines(struct diff_options *o)
 }
 
 static void emit_line_ws_markup(struct diff_options *o,
-				const char *set, const char *reset,
-				const char *line, int len,
-				const char *set_sign, char sign,
+				const char *set_sign, const char *set,
+				const char *reset,
+				char sign, const char *line, int len,
 				unsigned ws_rule, int blank_at_eof)
 {
 	const char *ws = NULL;
@@ -1271,7 +1271,7 @@ static void emit_diff_symbol_from_struct(struct diff_options *o,
 			else if (c == '-')
 				set = diff_get_color_opt(o, DIFF_FILE_OLD);
 		}
-		emit_line_ws_markup(o, set, reset, line, len, set_sign, ' ',
+		emit_line_ws_markup(o, set_sign, set, reset, ' ', line, len,
 				    flags & (DIFF_SYMBOL_CONTENT_WS_MASK), 0);
 		break;
 	case DIFF_SYMBOL_PLUS:
@@ -1314,7 +1314,7 @@ static void emit_diff_symbol_from_struct(struct diff_options *o,
 				set = diff_get_color_opt(o, DIFF_CONTEXT_BOLD);
 			flags &= ~DIFF_SYMBOL_CONTENT_WS_MASK;
 		}
-		emit_line_ws_markup(o, set, reset, line, len, set_sign, '+',
+		emit_line_ws_markup(o, set_sign, set, reset, '+', line, len,
 				    flags & DIFF_SYMBOL_CONTENT_WS_MASK,
 				    flags & DIFF_SYMBOL_CONTENT_BLANK_LINE_EOF);
 		break;
@@ -1357,7 +1357,7 @@ static void emit_diff_symbol_from_struct(struct diff_options *o,
 			else
 				set = diff_get_color_opt(o, DIFF_CONTEXT_DIM);
 		}
-		emit_line_ws_markup(o, set, reset, line, len, set_sign, '-',
+		emit_line_ws_markup(o, set_sign, set, reset, '-', line, len,
 				    flags & DIFF_SYMBOL_CONTENT_WS_MASK, 0);
 		break;
 	case DIFF_SYMBOL_WORDS_PORCELAIN: