diff --git a/lib/reporters/base.js b/lib/reporters/base.js
index 78858c9e4a..a764572f62 100644
--- a/lib/reporters/base.js
+++ b/lib/reporters/base.js
@@ -68,8 +68,10 @@ exports.colors = {
   green: 32,
   light: 90,
   'diff gutter': 90,
-  'diff added': '30;42',
-  'diff removed': '30;41'
+  'diff added': '32',
+  'diff removed': '31',
+  'diff added inline': '30;42',
+  'diff removed inline': '30;41'
 };
 
 /**
@@ -189,9 +191,9 @@ var generateDiff = (exports.generateDiff = function(actual, expected) {
   } catch (err) {
     var msg =
       '\n      ' +
-      color('diff added', '+ expected') +
+      color('diff added' + (exports.inlineDiffs ? " inline" : ""), '+ expected') +
       ' ' +
-      color('diff removed', '- actual:  failed to generate Mocha diff') +
+      color('diff removed' + (exports.inlineDiffs ? " inline" : ""), '- actual:  failed to generate Mocha diff') +
       '\n';
     return msg;
   }
@@ -406,9 +408,9 @@ function inlineDiff(actual, expected) {
   // legend
   msg =
     '\n' +
-    color('diff removed', 'actual') +
+    color('diff removed inline', 'actual') +
     ' ' +
-    color('diff added', 'expected') +
+    color('diff added inline', 'expected') +
     '\n\n' +
     msg +
     '\n';
@@ -474,10 +476,10 @@ function errorDiff(actual, expected) {
     .diffWordsWithSpace(actual, expected)
     .map(function(str) {
       if (str.added) {
-        return colorLines('diff added', str.value);
+        return colorLines('diff added inline', str.value);
       }
       if (str.removed) {
-        return colorLines('diff removed', str.value);
+        return colorLines('diff removed inline', str.value);
       }
       return str.value;
     })