diff --git a/rc/clang.kak b/rc/clang.kak
index eff8e2f3..b7db9479 100644
--- a/rc/clang.kak
+++ b/rc/clang.kak
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ def clang-parse -params 0..1 -docstring "Parse the contents of the current buffe
             fi
 
             flags=$(cat ${dir}/stderr | sed -rne "
-                        /^<stdin>:[0-9]+:([0-9]+:)? (fatal )?error/ { s/^<stdin>:([0-9]+):.*/\1|red|█/; p }
-                        /^<stdin>:[0-9]+:([0-9]+:)? warning/ { s/^<stdin>:([0-9]+):.*/\1|yellow|█/; p }
+                        /^<stdin>:[0-9]+:([0-9]+:)? (fatal )?error/ { s/^<stdin>:([0-9]+):.*/\1|{red}█/; p }
+                        /^<stdin>:[0-9]+:([0-9]+:)? warning/ { s/^<stdin>:([0-9]+):.*/\1|{yellow}█/; p }
                     " | paste -s -d ':')
 
             errors=$(cat ${dir}/stderr | sed -rne "
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ def -allow-override -hidden clang-show-error-info %{ %sh{
 } }
 
 def clang-enable-diagnostics -docstring "Activate automatic diagnostics of the code by clang" %{
-    addhl flag_lines default clang_flags'
+    addhl flag_lines default clang_flags
     hook window -group clang-diagnostics NormalIdle .* %{ clang-show-error-info }
 }
 
diff --git a/rc/git-tools.kak b/rc/git-tools.kak
index 8aeb7741..3d77e88b 100644
--- a/rc/git-tools.kak
+++ b/rc/git-tools.kak
@@ -70,12 +70,12 @@ def -params 1.. \
                       text=substr(sha,1,8) " " dates[sha] " " authors[sha]
                       gsub(":", "\\:", text)
                       # gsub("|", "\\|", text)
-                      flag=line "|default|" text
+                      flag=line "|" text
                       for ( i=1; i < count; i++ ) {
-                          flag=flag ":" line+i "|default|" text
+                          flag=flag ":" line+i "|" text
                       }
                       cmd = "kak -p " ENVIRON["kak_session"]
-                      print "set -add buffer=" ENVIRON["kak_bufname"] " git_blame_flags %{:" flag "}" | cmd
+                      print "set -add buffer=" ENVIRON["kak_bufname"] " git_blame_flags %{" flag "}" | cmd
                       close(cmd)
                   }
                   /^([0-9a-f]{40}) ([0-9]+) ([0-9]+) ([0-9]+)/ {
@@ -108,10 +108,10 @@ def -params 1.. \
                  }
             }
             /^\+/ {
-                 flags=flags ":" line "|green|+"
+                 flags=flags ":" line "|{green}+"
                  line++
             }
-            /^\-/ { flags=flags ":" line "|red|-" }
+            /^\-/ { flags=flags ":" line "|{red}-" }
             END { print "set buffer git_diff_flags ", flags }
         '
     }
diff --git a/src/highlighters.cc b/src/highlighters.cc
index 28e36660..aba0079d 100644
--- a/src/highlighters.cc
+++ b/src/highlighters.cc
@@ -944,22 +944,37 @@ HighlighterAndId create_flag_lines_highlighter(HighlighterParameters params)
         }
 
         auto def_face = get_face(default_face);
+        Vector<DisplayLine> display_lines;
+        for (auto& line : lines)
+        {
+            display_lines.push_back(parse_display_line(std::get<1>(line)));
+            for (auto& atom : display_lines.back())
+                atom.face = merge_faces(def_face, atom.face);
+        }
 
         CharCount width = 0;
-        for (auto& l : lines)
-             width = std::max(width, std::get<2>(l).char_length());
-        const String empty{' ', width};
+        for (auto& l : display_lines)
+             width = std::max(width, l.length());
+        const DisplayAtom empty{String{' ', width}, def_face};
         for (auto& line : display_buffer.lines())
         {
             int line_num = (int)line.range().begin.line + 1;
             auto it = find_if(lines,
                               [&](const LineAndFlag& l)
                               { return std::get<0>(l) == line_num; });
-            String content = it != lines.end() ? std::get<2>(*it) : empty;
-            content += String(' ', width - content.char_length());
-            DisplayAtom atom{std::move(content)};
-            atom.face = it != lines.end() ? merge_faces(get_face(std::get<1>(*it)), def_face) : def_face;
-            line.insert(line.begin(), std::move(atom));
+            if (it == lines.end())
+                line.insert(line.begin(), empty);
+            else
+            {
+                DisplayLine& display_line = display_lines[it - lines.begin()];
+                DisplayAtom padding_atom{String(' ', width - display_line.length()), def_face};
+                auto it = std::copy(std::make_move_iterator(display_line.begin()),
+                                    std::make_move_iterator(display_line.end()),
+                                    std::inserter(line, line.begin()));
+
+                if (padding_atom.length() != 0)
+                    *it++ = std::move(padding_atom);
+            }
         }
     };
 
diff --git a/src/highlighters.hh b/src/highlighters.hh
index 8c6fd3c4..26b7a5d1 100644
--- a/src/highlighters.hh
+++ b/src/highlighters.hh
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ namespace Kakoune
 
 void register_highlighters();
 
-using LineAndFlag = std::tuple<LineCount, String, String>;
+using LineAndFlag = std::tuple<LineCount, String>;
 
 }
 
diff --git a/src/option_types.hh b/src/option_types.hh
index 73a8bcfb..0330a7e9 100644
--- a/src/option_types.hh
+++ b/src/option_types.hh
@@ -253,7 +253,8 @@ inline void option_from_string(StringView str, TimestampedList<T>& opt)
 {
     auto it = find(str, ':');
     opt.timestamp = str_to_int({str.begin(), it});
-    option_from_string({it+1, str.end()}, opt.list);
+    if (it != str.end())
+        option_from_string({it+1, str.end()}, opt.list);
 }
 
 template<typename T>