diff --git a/rc/git-tools.kak b/rc/git-tools.kak
index 16dcf698..7a87ca29 100644
--- a/rc/git-tools.kak
+++ b/rc/git-tools.kak
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ hook global WinSetOption filetype=(?!git-status).* %{
 decl line-flag-list git_blame_flags
 decl line-flag-list git_diff_flags
 
+face GitBlame default,magenta
+
 def -shell-params \
   -docstring %sh{printf "%%{Git wrapping helper\navailable commands:\n add\n rm\n blame\n commit\n checkout\n diff\n hide-blame\n log\n show\n show-diff\n status\n update-diff}"} \
   -shell-completion %{
@@ -58,7 +60,7 @@ def -shell-params \
     run_git_blame() {
         (
             echo "eval -client '$kak_client' %{
-                      try %{ addhl flag_lines magenta git_blame_flags }
+                      try %{ addhl flag_lines GitBlame git_blame_flags }
                       set buffer=$kak_bufname git_blame_flags ''
                   }" | kak -p ${kak_session}
                   git blame "$@" --incremental ${kak_buffile} | awk -e '
@@ -66,10 +68,10 @@ def -shell-params \
                       if (line == "") { return; }
                       text=substr(sha,1,8) " " dates[sha] " " authors[sha]
                       gsub(":", "\\:", text)
-                      gsub(",", "\\,", text)
-                      flag=line ",black," text
+                      # gsub("|", "\\|", text)
+                      flag=line "|default|" text
                       for ( i=1; i < count; i++ ) {
-                          flag=flag ":" line+i ",black," text
+                          flag=flag ":" line+i "|default|" text
                       }
                       cmd = "kak -p " ENVIRON["kak_session"]
                       print "set -add buffer=" ENVIRON["kak_bufname"] " git_blame_flags %{" flag "}" | cmd
@@ -94,7 +96,7 @@ def -shell-params \
         git diff -U0 $kak_buffile | awk -e '
             BEGIN {
                 line=0
-                flags="0,red,."
+                flags="0|red|."
             }
             /^---.*/ {}
             /^@@ -[0-9]+(,[0-9]+)? \+[0-9]+(,[0-9]+)? @@.*/ {
@@ -105,10 +107,10 @@ def -shell-params \
                  }
             }
             /^\+/ {
-                 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 }
         '
     }
@@ -150,7 +152,7 @@ def -shell-params \
             }"
             ;;
        show-diff)
-           echo "try %{ addhl flag_lines black git_diff_flags }"
+           echo "try %{ addhl flag_lines default,black git_diff_flags }"
            update_diff
            ;;
        update-diff) update_diff ;;
diff --git a/src/face.hh b/src/face.hh
index b5891c89..e650cd81 100644
--- a/src/face.hh
+++ b/src/face.hh
@@ -42,6 +42,13 @@ constexpr bool operator!=(const Face& lhs, const Face& rhs)
     return not (lhs == rhs);
 }
 
+constexpr Face merge_faces(const Face& base, const Face& face)
+{
+    return { face.fg == Color::Default ? base.fg : face.fg,
+             face.bg == Color::Default ? base.bg : face.bg,
+             face.attributes | base.attributes };
+}
+
 }
 
 #endif // face_hh_INCLUDED
diff --git a/src/highlighters.cc b/src/highlighters.cc
index eec224a5..5b0068c0 100644
--- a/src/highlighters.cc
+++ b/src/highlighters.cc
@@ -155,12 +155,7 @@ void apply_highlighter(const Context& context,
 auto apply_face = [](const Face& face)
 {
     return [&face](DisplayAtom& atom) {
-        if (face.fg != Color::Default)
-            atom.face.fg = face.fg;
-        if (face.bg != Color::Default)
-            atom.face.bg = face.bg;
-        if (face.attributes != Attribute::Normal)
-            atom.face.attributes |= face.attributes;
+        atom.face = merge_faces(atom.face, face);
     };
 };
 
@@ -891,7 +886,8 @@ HighlighterAndId create_flag_lines_highlighter(HighlighterParameters params)
         throw runtime_error("wrong parameter count");
 
     const String& option_name = params[1];
-    Color bg = str_to_color(params[0]);
+    String default_face = params[0];
+    get_face(default_face); // validate param
 
     // throw if wrong option type
     GlobalScope::instance().options()[option_name].get<Vector<LineAndFlag, MemoryDomain::Options>>();
@@ -902,6 +898,8 @@ HighlighterAndId create_flag_lines_highlighter(HighlighterParameters params)
         auto& lines_opt = context.options()[option_name];
         auto& lines = lines_opt.get<Vector<LineAndFlag, MemoryDomain::Options>>();
 
+        auto def_face = get_face(default_face);
+
         CharCount width = 0;
         for (auto& l : lines)
              width = std::max(width, std::get<2>(l).char_length());
@@ -915,7 +913,7 @@ HighlighterAndId create_flag_lines_highlighter(HighlighterParameters params)
             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() ? std::get<1>(*it) : Color::Default , bg };
+            atom.face = it != lines.end() ? merge_faces(get_face(std::get<1>(*it)), def_face) : def_face;
             line.insert(line.begin(), std::move(atom));
         }
     };
diff --git a/src/highlighters.hh b/src/highlighters.hh
index 504869c9..8c6fd3c4 100644
--- a/src/highlighters.hh
+++ b/src/highlighters.hh
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ namespace Kakoune
 
 void register_highlighters();
 
-using LineAndFlag = std::tuple<LineCount, Color, String>;
+using LineAndFlag = std::tuple<LineCount, String, String>;
 
 }
 
diff --git a/src/option_types.hh b/src/option_types.hh
index ae960261..a4d29227 100644
--- a/src/option_types.hh
+++ b/src/option_types.hh
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ void option_from_string(StringView str, UnorderedMap<Key, Value, domain>& opt)
     }
 }
 
-constexpr char tuple_separator = ',';
+constexpr char tuple_separator = '|';
 
 template<size_t I, typename... Types>
 struct TupleOptionDetail
@@ -176,9 +176,9 @@ bool option_add(T&, const T&)
 template<typename EffectiveType, typename LineType, typename ColumnType>
 inline void option_from_string(StringView str, LineAndColumn<EffectiveType, LineType, ColumnType>& opt)
 {
-    auto vals = split(str, tuple_separator);
+    auto vals = split(str, ',');
     if (vals.size() != 2)
-        throw runtime_error(format("expected <line>{}<column>", tuple_separator));
+        throw runtime_error("expected <line>,<column>");
     opt.line = str_to_int(vals[0]);
     opt.column = str_to_int(vals[1]);
 }
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ inline void option_from_string(StringView str, LineAndColumn<EffectiveType, Line
 template<typename EffectiveType, typename LineType, typename ColumnType>
 inline String option_to_string(const LineAndColumn<EffectiveType, LineType, ColumnType>& opt)
 {
-    return to_string(opt.line) + tuple_separator + to_string(opt.column);
+    return format("{},{}", opt.line, opt.column);
 }
 
 enum YesNoAsk