diff --git a/docs/Config.md b/docs/Config.md
index 925ceb1b3..3742c4090 100644
--- a/docs/Config.md
+++ b/docs/Config.md
@@ -366,6 +366,9 @@ git:
   allBranchesLogCmds:
     - git log --graph --all --color=always --abbrev-commit --decorate --date=relative  --pretty=medium
 
+  # If true, git diffs are rendered with the `--ignore-all-space` flag, which ignores whitespace changes. Can be toggled from within Lazygit with `<c-w>`.
+  ignoreWhitespaceInDiffView: false
+
   # If true, do not spawn a separate process when using GPG
   overrideGpg: false
 
diff --git a/pkg/commands/git_commands/commit.go b/pkg/commands/git_commands/commit.go
index 3568dbb33..2aed0f06d 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git_commands/commit.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git_commands/commit.go
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ func (self *CommitCommands) ShowCmdObj(hash string, filterPath string) *oscomman
 		Arg("--decorate").
 		Arg("-p").
 		Arg(hash).
-		ArgIf(self.AppState.IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView, "--ignore-all-space").
+		ArgIf(self.UserConfig().Git.IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView, "--ignore-all-space").
 		Arg(fmt.Sprintf("--find-renames=%d%%", self.AppState.RenameSimilarityThreshold)).
 		ArgIf(filterPath != "", "--", filterPath).
 		Dir(self.repoPaths.worktreePath).
diff --git a/pkg/commands/git_commands/commit_test.go b/pkg/commands/git_commands/commit_test.go
index a00a4ff23..3ce414a83 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git_commands/commit_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git_commands/commit_test.go
@@ -320,8 +320,8 @@ func TestCommitShowCmdObj(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Run(s.testName, func(t *testing.T) {
 			userConfig := config.GetDefaultConfig()
 			userConfig.Git.Paging.ExternalDiffCommand = s.extDiffCmd
+			userConfig.Git.IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView = s.ignoreWhitespace
 			appState := &config.AppState{}
-			appState.IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView = s.ignoreWhitespace
 			appState.DiffContextSize = s.contextSize
 			appState.RenameSimilarityThreshold = s.similarityThreshold
 
diff --git a/pkg/commands/git_commands/diff.go b/pkg/commands/git_commands/diff.go
index 16bb76275..8da1b103d 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git_commands/diff.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git_commands/diff.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ func NewDiffCommands(gitCommon *GitCommon) *DiffCommands {
 func (self *DiffCommands) DiffCmdObj(diffArgs []string) *oscommands.CmdObj {
 	extDiffCmd := self.UserConfig().Git.Paging.ExternalDiffCommand
 	useExtDiff := extDiffCmd != ""
-	ignoreWhitespace := self.AppState.IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView
+	ignoreWhitespace := self.UserConfig().Git.IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView
 
 	return self.cmd.New(
 		NewGitCmd("diff").
diff --git a/pkg/commands/git_commands/stash.go b/pkg/commands/git_commands/stash.go
index a0097e87e..585b1f277 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git_commands/stash.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git_commands/stash.go
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ func (self *StashCommands) ShowStashEntryCmdObj(index int) *oscommands.CmdObj {
 		Arg("-u").
 		Arg(fmt.Sprintf("--color=%s", self.UserConfig().Git.Paging.ColorArg)).
 		Arg(fmt.Sprintf("--unified=%d", self.AppState.DiffContextSize)).
-		ArgIf(self.AppState.IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView, "--ignore-all-space").
+		ArgIf(self.UserConfig().Git.IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView, "--ignore-all-space").
 		Arg(fmt.Sprintf("--find-renames=%d%%", self.AppState.RenameSimilarityThreshold)).
 		Arg(fmt.Sprintf("refs/stash@{%d}", index)).
 		Dir(self.repoPaths.worktreePath).
diff --git a/pkg/commands/git_commands/stash_test.go b/pkg/commands/git_commands/stash_test.go
index 4d54ea521..fc34e2c93 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git_commands/stash_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git_commands/stash_test.go
@@ -144,8 +144,8 @@ func TestStashStashEntryCmdObj(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, s := range scenarios {
 		t.Run(s.testName, func(t *testing.T) {
 			userConfig := config.GetDefaultConfig()
+			userConfig.Git.IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView = s.ignoreWhitespace
 			appState := &config.AppState{}
-			appState.IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView = s.ignoreWhitespace
 			appState.DiffContextSize = s.contextSize
 			appState.RenameSimilarityThreshold = s.similarityThreshold
 			repoPaths := RepoPaths{
diff --git a/pkg/commands/git_commands/working_tree.go b/pkg/commands/git_commands/working_tree.go
index a5faa801b..e521b38ca 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git_commands/working_tree.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git_commands/working_tree.go
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ func (self *WorkingTreeCommands) WorktreeFileDiffCmdObj(node models.IFile, plain
 		Arg("--submodule").
 		Arg(fmt.Sprintf("--unified=%d", contextSize)).
 		Arg(fmt.Sprintf("--color=%s", colorArg)).
-		ArgIf(!plain && self.AppState.IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView, "--ignore-all-space").
+		ArgIf(!plain && self.UserConfig().Git.IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView, "--ignore-all-space").
 		Arg(fmt.Sprintf("--find-renames=%d%%", self.AppState.RenameSimilarityThreshold)).
 		ArgIf(cached, "--cached").
 		ArgIf(noIndex, "--no-index").
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ func (self *WorkingTreeCommands) ShowFileDiffCmdObj(from string, to string, reve
 		Arg(from).
 		Arg(to).
 		ArgIf(reverse, "-R").
-		ArgIf(!plain && self.AppState.IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView, "--ignore-all-space").
+		ArgIf(!plain && self.UserConfig().Git.IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView, "--ignore-all-space").
 		Arg("--").
 		Arg(fileName).
 		Dir(self.repoPaths.worktreePath).
diff --git a/pkg/commands/git_commands/working_tree_test.go b/pkg/commands/git_commands/working_tree_test.go
index bbe3d7720..1191e5a0c 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git_commands/working_tree_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git_commands/working_tree_test.go
@@ -327,8 +327,8 @@ func TestWorkingTreeDiff(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, s := range scenarios {
 		t.Run(s.testName, func(t *testing.T) {
 			userConfig := config.GetDefaultConfig()
+			userConfig.Git.IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView = s.ignoreWhitespace
 			appState := &config.AppState{}
-			appState.IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView = s.ignoreWhitespace
 			appState.DiffContextSize = s.contextSize
 			appState.RenameSimilarityThreshold = s.similarityThreshold
 			repoPaths := RepoPaths{
@@ -396,8 +396,8 @@ func TestWorkingTreeShowFileDiff(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, s := range scenarios {
 		t.Run(s.testName, func(t *testing.T) {
 			userConfig := config.GetDefaultConfig()
+			userConfig.Git.IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView = s.ignoreWhitespace
 			appState := &config.AppState{}
-			appState.IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView = s.ignoreWhitespace
 			appState.DiffContextSize = s.contextSize
 			repoPaths := RepoPaths{
 				worktreePath: "/path/to/worktree",
diff --git a/pkg/config/app_config.go b/pkg/config/app_config.go
index 90c6c1013..521cad07d 100644
--- a/pkg/config/app_config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/app_config.go
@@ -676,12 +676,11 @@ type AppState struct {
 	// For backwards compatibility we keep the old name in yaml files.
 	ShellCommandsHistory []string `yaml:"customcommandshistory"`
 
-	HideCommandLog             bool
-	IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView bool
-	DiffContextSize            uint64
-	RenameSimilarityThreshold  int
-	LocalBranchSortOrder       string
-	RemoteBranchSortOrder      string
+	HideCommandLog            bool
+	DiffContextSize           uint64
+	RenameSimilarityThreshold int
+	LocalBranchSortOrder      string
+	RemoteBranchSortOrder     string
 
 	// One of: 'date-order' | 'author-date-order' | 'topo-order' | 'default'
 	// 'topo-order' makes it easier to read the git log graph, but commits may not
diff --git a/pkg/config/user_config.go b/pkg/config/user_config.go
index 179410aa9..8f6ed2187 100644
--- a/pkg/config/user_config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/user_config.go
@@ -264,6 +264,8 @@ type GitConfig struct {
 	BranchLogCmd string `yaml:"branchLogCmd"`
 	// Commands used to display git log of all branches in the main window, they will be cycled in order of appearance (array of strings)
 	AllBranchesLogCmds []string `yaml:"allBranchesLogCmds"`
+	// If true, git diffs are rendered with the `--ignore-all-space` flag, which ignores whitespace changes. Can be toggled from within Lazygit with `<c-w>`.
+	IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView bool `yaml:"ignoreWhitespaceInDiffView"`
 	// If true, do not spawn a separate process when using GPG
 	OverrideGpg bool `yaml:"overrideGpg"`
 	// If true, do not allow force pushes
@@ -808,6 +810,7 @@ func GetDefaultConfig() *UserConfig {
 			AutoStageResolvedConflicts:   true,
 			BranchLogCmd:                 "git log --graph --color=always --abbrev-commit --decorate --date=relative --pretty=medium {{branchName}} --",
 			AllBranchesLogCmds:           []string{"git log --graph --all --color=always --abbrev-commit --decorate --date=relative  --pretty=medium"},
+			IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView:   false,
 			DisableForcePushing:          false,
 			CommitPrefixes:               map[string][]CommitPrefixConfig(nil),
 			BranchPrefix:                 "",
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/diff_helper.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/diff_helper.go
index 95c820d37..9a08f15ec 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/diff_helper.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/diff_helper.go
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ func (self *DiffHelper) WithDiffModeCheck(f func()) {
 }
 
 func (self *DiffHelper) IgnoringWhitespaceSubTitle() string {
-	if self.c.GetAppState().IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView {
+	if self.c.UserConfig().Git.IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView {
 		return self.c.Tr.IgnoreWhitespaceDiffViewSubTitle
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/toggle_whitespace_action.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/toggle_whitespace_action.go
index 4d491e79b..a1ac0c8da 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/toggle_whitespace_action.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/toggle_whitespace_action.go
@@ -25,8 +25,7 @@ func (self *ToggleWhitespaceAction) Call() error {
 		return errors.New(self.c.Tr.IgnoreWhitespaceNotSupportedHere)
 	}
 
-	self.c.GetAppState().IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView = !self.c.GetAppState().IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView
-	self.c.SaveAppStateAndLogError()
+	self.c.UserConfig().Git.IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView = !self.c.UserConfig().Git.IgnoreWhitespaceInDiffView
 
 	self.c.Context().CurrentSide().HandleFocus(types.OnFocusOpts{})
 	return nil
diff --git a/schema/config.json b/schema/config.json
index e21b7bb66..194cb8e9c 100644
--- a/schema/config.json
+++ b/schema/config.json
@@ -359,6 +359,11 @@
             "git log --graph --all --color=always --abbrev-commit --decorate --date=relative  --pretty=medium"
           ]
         },
+        "ignoreWhitespaceInDiffView": {
+          "type": "boolean",
+          "description": "If true, git diffs are rendered with the `--ignore-all-space` flag, which ignores whitespace changes. Can be toggled from within Lazygit with `\u003cc-w\u003e`.",
+          "default": false
+        },
         "overrideGpg": {
           "type": "boolean",
           "description": "If true, do not spawn a separate process when using GPG",