diff --git a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/options/colors/pages/GeneralColorsPage.java b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/options/colors/pages/GeneralColorsPage.java
index 0e08183cd32d..9cc256420448 100644
--- a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/options/colors/pages/GeneralColorsPage.java
+++ b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/options/colors/pages/GeneralColorsPage.java
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ public class GeneralColorsPage implements ColorSettingsPage, InspectionColorSett
     new ColorDescriptor(OptionsBundle.message("options.general.color.descriptor.caret"), EditorColors.CARET_COLOR, ColorDescriptor.Kind.FOREGROUND),
     new ColorDescriptor(OptionsBundle.message("options.general.color.descriptor.caret.row"), EditorColors.CARET_ROW_COLOR, ColorDescriptor.Kind.BACKGROUND),
     new ColorDescriptor(OptionsBundle.message("options.general.color.descriptor.right.margin"), EditorColors.RIGHT_MARGIN_COLOR, ColorDescriptor.Kind.FOREGROUND),
-    new ColorDescriptor(OptionsBundle.message("options.general.color.descriptor.whitespaces"), EditorColors.WHITESPACES_COLOR, ColorDescriptor.Kind.BACKGROUND),
+    new ColorDescriptor(OptionsBundle.message("options.general.color.descriptor.whitespaces"), EditorColors.WHITESPACES_COLOR, ColorDescriptor.Kind.FOREGROUND),
     new ColorDescriptor(OptionsBundle.message("options.general.color.descriptor.indent.guide"), EditorColors.INDENT_GUIDE_COLOR, ColorDescriptor.Kind.BACKGROUND),
     new ColorDescriptor(OptionsBundle.message("options.general.color.descriptor.indent.guide.selected"), EditorColors.SELECTED_INDENT_GUIDE_COLOR, ColorDescriptor.Kind.BACKGROUND),
     new ColorDescriptor(OptionsBundle.message("options.general.color.descriptor.line.number"), EditorColors.LINE_NUMBERS_COLOR, ColorDescriptor.Kind.FOREGROUND),
diff --git a/platform/platform-resources-en/src/messages/OptionsBundle.properties b/platform/platform-resources-en/src/messages/OptionsBundle.properties
index 761cb2400667..25c714325d08 100644
--- a/platform/platform-resources-en/src/messages/OptionsBundle.properties
+++ b/platform/platform-resources-en/src/messages/OptionsBundle.properties
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ options.general.color.descriptor.selection.foreground=Selection foreground
 options.general.color.descriptor.caret=Caret
 options.general.color.descriptor.caret.row=Caret row
 options.general.color.descriptor.right.margin=Right margin
-options.general.color.descriptor.whitespaces=Whitespaces
+options.general.color.descriptor.whitespaces=Whitespace
 options.general.color.descriptor.indent.guide=Vertical indent guide
 options.general.color.descriptor.indent.guide.selected=Selected vertical indent guide
 options.general.color.descriptor.line.number=Line number