diff --git a/colors/base16.kak b/colors/base16.kak
index 607b170b..e7c7329f 100644
--- a/colors/base16.kak
+++ b/colors/base16.kak
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ evaluate-commands %sh{
         face global MenuInfo ${cyan_light}
         face global Information ${black_light},${cyan_light}
         face global Error ${grey_light},${magenta_light}
+        face global DiagnosticError ${magenta_light}
+        face global DiagnosticWarning ${cyan_light}
         face global StatusLine ${grey_light},${black_lighterer}
         face global StatusLineMode ${orange_dark}
         face global StatusLineInfo ${cyan_light}
diff --git a/colors/default.kak b/colors/default.kak
index ed819222..e1462388 100644
--- a/colors/default.kak
+++ b/colors/default.kak
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ face global MenuBackground blue,white
 face global MenuInfo cyan
 face global Information black,yellow
 face global Error black,red
+face global DiagnosticError red
+face global DiagnosticWarning yellow
 face global StatusLine cyan,default
 face global StatusLineMode yellow,default
 face global StatusLineInfo blue,default
diff --git a/colors/desertex.kak b/colors/desertex.kak
index f3ec765d..f4a4d274 100644
--- a/colors/desertex.kak
+++ b/colors/desertex.kak
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ face global MenuInfo white,rgb:445599
 face global Information black,yellow
 
 face global Error      white,red
+face global DiagnosticError red
+face global DiagnosticWarning yellow
 face global StatusLine cyan,default
 
 # Status line modes and prompts:
diff --git a/colors/github.kak b/colors/github.kak
index f2ff3c5e..0dcce7f3 100644
--- a/colors/github.kak
+++ b/colors/github.kak
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ face global MenuForeground rgb:434343,rgb:CDCDFD
 face global MenuBackground rgb:F8F8FF,rgb:808080
 face global Information rgb:F8F8FF,rgb:4078C0
 face global Error rgb:F8F8FF,rgb:BD2C00
+face global DiagnosticError rgb:CF222E
+face global DiagnosticWarning rgb:9A6700
 face global StatusLine rgb:434343,rgb:DDDDDD
 face global StatusCursor rgb:434343,rgb:CDCDFD
 face global Prompt rgb:F8F8FF,rgb:4078C0
diff --git a/colors/greyscale.kak b/colors/greyscale.kak
index a6ca33e6..1931564a 100644
--- a/colors/greyscale.kak
+++ b/colors/greyscale.kak
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ evaluate-commands %sh{
 
     set-face global Information ${grey_light_2},${grey_dark_2}
     set-face global Error ${grey_light_2},${grey_dark_3}
+    set-face global DiagnosticError ${grey_dark_3}
+    set-face global DiagnosticWarning ${grey_dark_2}
     set-face global BufferPadding ${grey_light_1}
 
 EOF
diff --git a/colors/gruvbox-dark.kak b/colors/gruvbox-dark.kak
index 73b10621..76bf27ec 100644
--- a/colors/gruvbox-dark.kak
+++ b/colors/gruvbox-dark.kak
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ evaluate-commands %sh{
         face global MenuInfo           ${bg}
         face global Information        ${bg},${fg}
         face global Error              ${bg},${red}
+        face global DiagnosticError    ${red}
+        face global DiagnosticWarning  ${yellow}
         face global StatusLine         ${fg},${bg}
         face global StatusLineMode     ${yellow}+b
         face global StatusLineInfo     ${purple}
diff --git a/colors/gruvbox-light.kak b/colors/gruvbox-light.kak
index c0ff7f82..6e000d7b 100644
--- a/colors/gruvbox-light.kak
+++ b/colors/gruvbox-light.kak
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ evaluate-commands %sh{
         face global MenuInfo           ${bg}
         face global Information        ${bg},${fg}
         face global Error              ${bg},${red}
+        face global DiagnosticError    ${red}
+        face global DiagnosticWarning  ${yellow}
         face global StatusLine         ${fg},${bg}
         face global StatusLineMode     ${yellow}+b
         face global StatusLineInfo     ${purple}
diff --git a/colors/kaleidoscope-dark.kak b/colors/kaleidoscope-dark.kak
index e59e15e1..247bfe7b 100644
--- a/colors/kaleidoscope-dark.kak
+++ b/colors/kaleidoscope-dark.kak
@@ -124,6 +124,8 @@ evaluate-commands %sh{
 
     set-face global Information ${black},${light_yellow}
     set-face global Error ${white},${vibrant_red}
+    set-face global DiagnosticError ${high_contrast_red}
+    set-face global DiagnosticWarning ${high_contrast_yellow}
     set-face global BufferPadding ${dark_grey}
 
 EOF
diff --git a/colors/kaleidoscope-light.kak b/colors/kaleidoscope-light.kak
index 0dc2c2e9..65331306 100644
--- a/colors/kaleidoscope-light.kak
+++ b/colors/kaleidoscope-light.kak
@@ -124,6 +124,8 @@ evaluate-commands %sh{
 
     set-face global Information ${black},${muted_sand}
     set-face global Error ${white},${vibrant_red}
+    set-face global DiagnosticError ${high_contrast_red}
+    set-face global DiagnosticWarning ${high_contrast_yellow}
     set-face global BufferPadding ${vibrant_grey}
 
 EOF
diff --git a/colors/lucius.kak b/colors/lucius.kak
index c227a17a..360328ed 100644
--- a/colors/lucius.kak
+++ b/colors/lucius.kak
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ evaluate-commands %sh{
         face global MenuInfo ${lucius_grey}
         face global Information ${lucius_lighter_grey},${lucius_dark_green}
         face global Error ${lucius_light_red},${lucius_dark_red}
+        face global DiagnosticError ${lucius_light_red}
+        face global DiagnosticWarning ${lucius_purple}
         face global StatusLine ${lucius_lighter_grey},${lucius_dark_grey}
         face global StatusLineMode ${lucius_lighter_grey},${lucius_dark_green}+b
         face global StatusLineInfo ${lucius_dark_grey},${lucius_lighter_grey}
diff --git a/colors/palenight.kak b/colors/palenight.kak
index b0ade4f5..3624011b 100644
--- a/colors/palenight.kak
+++ b/colors/palenight.kak
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ evaluate-commands %sh{
     face global Information        $white,$visual_grey
 
     face global Error              $white,$red
+    face global DiagnosticError    $red
+    face global DiagnosticWarning  $yellow
     face global StatusLine         $white,$black
 
     # Status line
diff --git a/colors/plain.kak b/colors/plain.kak
index b207e769..f45d37dd 100644
--- a/colors/plain.kak
+++ b/colors/plain.kak
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ face global MenuBackground blue,black
 face global MenuInfo default
 face global Information blue,black
 face global Error default
+face global DiagnosticError default
+face global DiagnosticWarning default
 face global StatusLine default
 face global StatusLineMode default
 face global StatusLineInfo default
diff --git a/colors/red-phoenix.kak b/colors/red-phoenix.kak
index 52df293a..0ad58f11 100644
--- a/colors/red-phoenix.kak
+++ b/colors/red-phoenix.kak
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ evaluate-commands %sh{
         face global MenuInfo ${gray1}
         face global Information white,${window}
         face global Error white,${gray1}
+        face global DiagnosticError ${orange1}
+        face global DiagnosticWarning ${orange2}
         face global StatusLine ${text},${window}
         face global StatusLineMode ${yellow1}+b
         face global StatusLineInfo ${orange2}
diff --git a/colors/reeder.kak b/colors/reeder.kak
index 7b004b4c..59a2b3e7 100644
--- a/colors/reeder.kak
+++ b/colors/reeder.kak
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ evaluate-commands %sh{
         face global MenuInfo           default,${black}
         face global Information        ${black_light},${brown_lighter}
         face global Error              default,${red}
+        face global DiagnosticError    ${red}
+        face global DiagnosticWarning  ${orange}
         face global StatusLine         ${black},${grey_light}
         face global StatusLineMode     ${orange}
         face global StatusLineInfo     ${black}+b
diff --git a/colors/solarized-dark-termcolors.kak b/colors/solarized-dark-termcolors.kak
index 487d2186..0a29b3a6 100644
--- a/colors/solarized-dark-termcolors.kak
+++ b/colors/solarized-dark-termcolors.kak
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ face global MenuBackground     bright-cyan,black
 face global MenuInfo           bright-green
 face global Information        black,bright-cyan
 face global Error              red,default+b
+face global DiagnosticError    red
+face global DiagnosticWarning  yellow
 face global StatusLine         bright-cyan,black+b
 face global StatusLineMode     bright-red
 face global StatusLineInfo     cyan
diff --git a/colors/solarized-dark.kak b/colors/solarized-dark.kak
index ccbeb4f7..7dc5be83 100644
--- a/colors/solarized-dark.kak
+++ b/colors/solarized-dark.kak
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ evaluate-commands %sh{
         face global MenuInfo           ${base01}
         face global Information        ${base02},${base1}
         face global Error              ${red},default+b
+        face global DiagnosticError    ${red}
+        face global DiagnosticWarning  ${yellow}
         face global StatusLine         ${base1},${base02}+b
         face global StatusLineMode     ${orange}
         face global StatusLineInfo     ${cyan}
diff --git a/colors/solarized-light-termcolors.kak b/colors/solarized-light-termcolors.kak
index ac4afd8a..a17fe977 100644
--- a/colors/solarized-light-termcolors.kak
+++ b/colors/solarized-light-termcolors.kak
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ face global MenuBackground     bright-green,white
 face global MenuInfo           bright-cyan
 face global Information        white,bright-cyan
 face global Error              red,default+b
+face global DiagnosticError    red
+face global DiagnosticWarning  yellow
 face global StatusLine         bright-green,white+b
 face global StatusLineMode     bright-red
 face global StatusLineInfo     cyan
diff --git a/colors/solarized-light.kak b/colors/solarized-light.kak
index b199c55a..87174379 100644
--- a/colors/solarized-light.kak
+++ b/colors/solarized-light.kak
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ evaluate-commands %sh{
         face global MenuInfo           ${base1}
         face global Information        ${base2},${base1}
         face global Error              ${red},default+b
+        face global DiagnosticError    ${red}
+        face global DiagnosticWarning  ${yellow}
         face global StatusLine         ${base01},${base2}+b
         face global StatusLineMode     ${orange}
         face global StatusLineInfo     ${cyan}
diff --git a/colors/tomorrow-night.kak b/colors/tomorrow-night.kak
index 31d5577d..24712b84 100644
--- a/colors/tomorrow-night.kak
+++ b/colors/tomorrow-night.kak
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ evaluate-commands %sh{
         face global MenuInfo ${red}
         face global Information ${foreground},${window}
         face global Error ${foreground},${red}
+        face global DiagnosticError ${red}
+        face global DiagnosticWarning ${yellow}
         face global StatusLine ${foreground},${selection}
         face global StatusLineMode ${yellow}+b
         face global StatusLineInfo ${aqua}
diff --git a/colors/zenburn.kak b/colors/zenburn.kak
index c79c7c48..262d39c3 100644
--- a/colors/zenburn.kak
+++ b/colors/zenburn.kak
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ evaluate-commands %sh{
         face global MenuInfo rgb:cc9393
         face global Information ${zeninfo}
         face global Error default,red
+        face global DiagnosticError red
+        face global DiagnosticWarning yellow
         face global StatusLine ${zenstatus}
         face global StatusLineMode ${zencomment}
         face global StatusLineInfo ${zenspecial}
diff --git a/doc/pages/faces.asciidoc b/doc/pages/faces.asciidoc
index b3dce98d..90187b95 100644
--- a/doc/pages/faces.asciidoc
+++ b/doc/pages/faces.asciidoc
@@ -103,7 +103,13 @@ areas of the user interface:
     face for the informations windows and information messages
 
 *Error*::
-    face of error messages
+    face of errors reported by Kakoune in the status line
+
+*DiagnosticError*::
+    face of errors reported by external tools in the buffer
+
+*DiagnosticWarning*::
+    face of warnings reported by external tools in the buffer
 
 *StatusLine*::
     face used for the status line
diff --git a/rc/tools/spell.kak b/rc/tools/spell.kak
index 49bee50c..901590d8 100644
--- a/rc/tools/spell.kak
+++ b/rc/tools/spell.kak
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ define-command -params ..1 -docstring %{
                     else if (/^[#&]/) {
                         word_len = length($2)
                         word_pos = substr($0, 1, 1) == "&" ? substr($4, 1, length($4) - 1) : $3;
-                        regions = regions " " line_num "." word_pos "+" word_len "|Error"
+                        regions = regions " " line_num "." word_pos "+" word_len "|DiagnosticError"
                     }
 
                     else {
diff --git a/src/face_registry.cc b/src/face_registry.cc
index 87d638e7..84f6826b 100644
--- a/src/face_registry.cc
+++ b/src/face_registry.cc
@@ -184,6 +184,8 @@ FaceRegistry::FaceRegistry()
         { "MenuInfo", {Face{ Color::Cyan, Color::Default }} },
         { "Information", {Face{ Color::Black, Color::Yellow }} },
         { "Error", {Face{ Color::Black, Color::Red }} },
+        { "DiagnosticError", {Face{ Color::Red, Color::Default }} },
+        { "DiagnosticWarning", {Face{ Color::Yellow, Color::Default }} },
         { "StatusLine", {Face{ Color::Cyan, Color::Default }} },
         { "StatusLineMode", {Face{ Color::Yellow, Color::Default }} },
         { "StatusLineInfo", {Face{ Color::Blue, Color::Default }} },