diff --git a/Documentation/rest-api-changes.txt b/Documentation/rest-api-changes.txt
index 9846329cbf..a5dffd1df0 100644
--- a/Documentation/rest-api-changes.txt
+++ b/Documentation/rest-api-changes.txt
@@ -3670,8 +3670,9 @@ If the `weblinks-only` parameter is specified, only the diff web links are retur
   }
 ----
 
-The `ignore-whitespace` parameter can be specified to control how whitespace differences are
-reported in the result.  Valid values are `NONE`, `TRAILING`, `CHANGED` or `ALL`.
+The `whitespace` parameter can be specified to control how whitespace
+differences are reported in the result.  Valid values are `IGNORE_NONE`,
+`IGNORE_TRAILING`, `IGNORE_LEADING_AND_TRAILING` or `IGNORE_ALL`.
 
 The `context` parameter can be specified to control the number of lines of surrounding context
 in the diff.  Valid values are `ALL` or number of lines.
diff --git a/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/diff/DiffApi.java b/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/diff/DiffApi.java
index 6d795d30da..df51c75343 100644
--- a/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/diff/DiffApi.java
+++ b/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/diff/DiffApi.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import com.google.gerrit.client.info.FileInfo;
 import com.google.gerrit.client.rpc.NativeMap;
 import com.google.gerrit.client.rpc.RestApi;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.client.DiffPreferencesInfo;
+import com.google.gerrit.extensions.client.DiffPreferencesInfo.Whitespace;
 import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.client.PatchSet;
 import com.google.gwt.user.client.rpc.AsyncCallback;
 
@@ -70,22 +71,8 @@ public class DiffApi {
   }
 
   public DiffApi ignoreWhitespace(DiffPreferencesInfo.Whitespace w) {
-    switch (w) {
-      default:
-      case IGNORE_NONE:
-        return ignoreWhitespace(IgnoreWhitespace.NONE);
-      case IGNORE_TRAILING:
-        return ignoreWhitespace(IgnoreWhitespace.TRAILING);
-      case IGNORE_LEADING_AND_TRAILING:
-        return ignoreWhitespace(IgnoreWhitespace.CHANGED);
-      case IGNORE_ALL:
-        return ignoreWhitespace(IgnoreWhitespace.ALL);
-    }
-  }
-
-  public DiffApi ignoreWhitespace(IgnoreWhitespace w) {
-    if (w != null && w != IgnoreWhitespace.NONE) {
-      call.addParameter("ignore-whitespace", w);
+    if (w != null && w != Whitespace.IGNORE_ALL) {
+      call.addParameter("whitespace", w);
     }
     return this;
   }
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/change/GetDiff.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/change/GetDiff.java
index 1546e345d3..1ab4e85487 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/change/GetDiff.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/change/GetDiff.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import com.google.common.collect.Maps;
 import com.google.gerrit.common.data.PatchScript;
 import com.google.gerrit.common.data.PatchScript.DisplayMethod;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.client.DiffPreferencesInfo;
+import com.google.gerrit.extensions.client.DiffPreferencesInfo.Whitespace;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.common.ChangeType;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.common.DiffInfo;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.common.DiffInfo.ContentEntry;
@@ -89,8 +90,12 @@ public class GetDiff implements RestReadView<FileResource> {
   @Option(name = "--base", metaVar = "REVISION")
   String base;
 
+  @Deprecated
   @Option(name = "--ignore-whitespace")
-  IgnoreWhitespace ignoreWhitespace = IgnoreWhitespace.NONE;
+  IgnoreWhitespace ignoreWhitespace;
+
+  @Option(name = "--whitespace")
+  Whitespace whitespace;
 
   @Option(name = "--context", handler = ContextOptionHandler.class)
   int context = DiffPreferencesInfo.DEFAULT_CONTEXT;
@@ -123,7 +128,13 @@ public class GetDiff implements RestReadView<FileResource> {
       basePatchSet = baseResource.getPatchSet();
     }
     DiffPreferencesInfo prefs = new DiffPreferencesInfo();
-    prefs.ignoreWhitespace = ignoreWhitespace.whitespace;
+    if (whitespace != null) {
+      prefs.ignoreWhitespace = whitespace;
+    } else if (ignoreWhitespace != null) {
+      prefs.ignoreWhitespace = ignoreWhitespace.whitespace;
+    } else {
+      prefs.ignoreWhitespace = Whitespace.IGNORE_ALL;
+    }
     prefs.context = context;
     prefs.intralineDifference = intraline;
 
@@ -368,6 +379,7 @@ public class GetDiff implements RestReadView<FileResource> {
     }
   }
 
+  @Deprecated
   enum IgnoreWhitespace {
     NONE(DiffPreferencesInfo.Whitespace.IGNORE_NONE),
     TRAILING(DiffPreferencesInfo.Whitespace.IGNORE_TRAILING),