diff --git a/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/account/DiffPreferences.java b/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/account/DiffPreferences.java
index 07d45e9ab4..b1f05f81e3 100644
--- a/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/account/DiffPreferences.java
+++ b/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/account/DiffPreferences.java
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ import com.google.gwt.core.client.JavaScriptObject;
 
 public class DiffPreferences extends JavaScriptObject {
   public static DiffPreferences create(DiffPreferencesInfo in) {
+    if (in == null) {
+      in = DiffPreferencesInfo.defaults();
+    }
     DiffPreferences p = createObject().cast();
     p.ignoreWhitespace(in.ignoreWhitespace);
     p.tabSize(in.tabSize);
diff --git a/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/diff/PreferencesBox.java b/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/diff/PreferencesBox.java
index a50768db49..455a6437eb 100644
--- a/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/diff/PreferencesBox.java
+++ b/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/diff/PreferencesBox.java
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ public class PreferencesBox extends Composite {
     AccountApi.putDiffPreferences(prefs, new GerritCallback<DiffPreferences>() {
       @Override
       public void onSuccess(DiffPreferences result) {
-        DiffPreferencesInfo p = Gerrit.getDiffPreferences();
+        DiffPreferencesInfo p = new DiffPreferencesInfo();
         result.copyTo(p);
         Gerrit.setDiffPreferences(p);
       }