diff --git a/diff.c b/diff.c
index 1e1b5127d1..53f0df7532 100644
--- a/diff.c
+++ b/diff.c
@@ -1176,6 +1176,7 @@ static void mark_color_as_moved(struct diff_options *o,
 	struct moved_block *pmb = NULL; /* potentially moved blocks */
 	int pmb_nr = 0, pmb_alloc = 0;
 	int n, flipped_block = 0, block_length = 0;
+	enum diff_symbol last_symbol = 0;
 
 
 	for (n = 0; n < o->emitted_symbols->nr; n++) {
@@ -1183,7 +1184,6 @@ static void mark_color_as_moved(struct diff_options *o,
 		struct moved_entry *key;
 		struct moved_entry *match = NULL;
 		struct emitted_diff_symbol *l = &o->emitted_symbols->buf[n];
-		enum diff_symbol last_symbol = 0;
 
 		switch (l->s) {
 		case DIFF_SYMBOL_PLUS:
@@ -1251,7 +1251,7 @@ static void mark_color_as_moved(struct diff_options *o,
 							    &pmb, &pmb_alloc,
 							    &pmb_nr);
 
-			if (contiguous && pmb_nr && last_symbol != l->s)
+			if (contiguous && pmb_nr && last_symbol == l->s)
 				flipped_block = (flipped_block + 1) % 2;
 			else
 				flipped_block = 0;
diff --git a/t/t4015-diff-whitespace.sh b/t/t4015-diff-whitespace.sh
index 308dc13659..4e0fd76c6c 100755
--- a/t/t4015-diff-whitespace.sh
+++ b/t/t4015-diff-whitespace.sh
@@ -1442,6 +1442,78 @@ test_expect_success 'detect permutations inside moved code -- dimmed-zebra' '
 	test_cmp expected actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'zebra alternate color is only used when necessary' '
+	cat >old.txt <<-\EOF &&
+	line 1A should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate
+	line 1B should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate
+	unchanged
+	line 2A should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate
+	line 2B should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate
+	line 3A should be marked as oldMovedAlternate newMoved
+	line 3B should be marked as oldMovedAlternate newMoved
+	unchanged
+	line 4A should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate
+	line 4B should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate
+	line 5A should be marked as oldMovedAlternate newMoved
+	line 5B should be marked as oldMovedAlternate newMoved
+	line 6A should be marked as oldMoved newMoved
+	line 6B should be marked as oldMoved newMoved
+	EOF
+	cat >new.txt <<-\EOF &&
+	  line 1A should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate
+	  line 1B should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate
+	unchanged
+	  line 3A should be marked as oldMovedAlternate newMoved
+	  line 3B should be marked as oldMovedAlternate newMoved
+	  line 2A should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate
+	  line 2B should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate
+	unchanged
+	  line 6A should be marked as oldMoved newMoved
+	  line 6B should be marked as oldMoved newMoved
+	    line 4A should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate
+	    line 4B should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate
+	  line 5A should be marked as oldMovedAlternate newMoved
+	  line 5B should be marked as oldMovedAlternate newMoved
+	EOF
+	test_expect_code 1 git diff --no-index --color --color-moved=zebra \
+		 --color-moved-ws=allow-indentation-change \
+		 old.txt new.txt >output &&
+	grep -v index output | test_decode_color >actual &&
+	cat >expected <<-\EOF &&
+	<BOLD>diff --git a/old.txt b/new.txt<RESET>
+	<BOLD>--- a/old.txt<RESET>
+	<BOLD>+++ b/new.txt<RESET>
+	<CYAN>@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@<RESET>
+	<BOLD;MAGENTA>-line 1A should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate<RESET>
+	<BOLD;MAGENTA>-line 1B should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate<RESET>
+	<BOLD;CYAN>+<RESET><BOLD;CYAN>  line 1A should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate<RESET>
+	<BOLD;CYAN>+<RESET><BOLD;CYAN>  line 1B should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate<RESET>
+	 unchanged<RESET>
+	<BOLD;MAGENTA>-line 2A should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate<RESET>
+	<BOLD;MAGENTA>-line 2B should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate<RESET>
+	<BOLD;BLUE>-line 3A should be marked as oldMovedAlternate newMoved<RESET>
+	<BOLD;BLUE>-line 3B should be marked as oldMovedAlternate newMoved<RESET>
+	<BOLD;CYAN>+<RESET><BOLD;CYAN>  line 3A should be marked as oldMovedAlternate newMoved<RESET>
+	<BOLD;CYAN>+<RESET><BOLD;CYAN>  line 3B should be marked as oldMovedAlternate newMoved<RESET>
+	<BOLD;YELLOW>+<RESET><BOLD;YELLOW>  line 2A should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate<RESET>
+	<BOLD;YELLOW>+<RESET><BOLD;YELLOW>  line 2B should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate<RESET>
+	 unchanged<RESET>
+	<BOLD;MAGENTA>-line 4A should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate<RESET>
+	<BOLD;MAGENTA>-line 4B should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate<RESET>
+	<BOLD;BLUE>-line 5A should be marked as oldMovedAlternate newMoved<RESET>
+	<BOLD;BLUE>-line 5B should be marked as oldMovedAlternate newMoved<RESET>
+	<BOLD;MAGENTA>-line 6A should be marked as oldMoved newMoved<RESET>
+	<BOLD;MAGENTA>-line 6B should be marked as oldMoved newMoved<RESET>
+	<BOLD;CYAN>+<RESET><BOLD;CYAN>  line 6A should be marked as oldMoved newMoved<RESET>
+	<BOLD;CYAN>+<RESET><BOLD;CYAN>  line 6B should be marked as oldMoved newMoved<RESET>
+	<BOLD;YELLOW>+<RESET><BOLD;YELLOW>    line 4A should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate<RESET>
+	<BOLD;YELLOW>+<RESET><BOLD;YELLOW>    line 4B should be marked as oldMoved newMovedAlternate<RESET>
+	<BOLD;CYAN>+<RESET><BOLD;CYAN>  line 5A should be marked as oldMovedAlternate newMoved<RESET>
+	<BOLD;CYAN>+<RESET><BOLD;CYAN>  line 5B should be marked as oldMovedAlternate newMoved<RESET>
+	EOF
+	test_cmp expected actual
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'cmd option assumes configured colored-moved' '
 	test_config color.diff.oldMoved "magenta" &&
 	test_config color.diff.newMoved "cyan" &&