diff --git a/mercurial/configitems.py b/mercurial/configitems.py
--- a/mercurial/configitems.py
+++ b/mercurial/configitems.py
@@ -640,6 +640,9 @@ coreconfigitem('web', 'refreshinterval',
 coreconfigitem('web', 'stripes',
     default=1,
 )
+coreconfigitem('web', 'style',
+    default='paper',
+)
 coreconfigitem('worker', 'backgroundclose',
     default=dynamicdefault,
 )
diff --git a/mercurial/hgweb/hgwebdir_mod.py b/mercurial/hgweb/hgwebdir_mod.py
--- a/mercurial/hgweb/hgwebdir_mod.py
+++ b/mercurial/hgweb/hgwebdir_mod.py
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ class hgwebdir(object):
         self.repos = repos
         self.ui = u
         encoding.encoding = self.ui.config('web', 'encoding')
-        self.style = self.ui.config('web', 'style', 'paper')
+        self.style = self.ui.config('web', 'style')
         self.templatepath = self.ui.config('web', 'templates', None)
         self.stripecount = self.ui.config('web', 'stripes')
         if self.stripecount:
diff --git a/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py b/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py
--- a/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py
+++ b/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py
@@ -762,7 +762,7 @@ def filediff(web, req, tmpl):
         ctx = fctx.changectx()
     basectx = ctx.p1()
 
-    style = web.config('web', 'style', 'paper')
+    style = web.config('web', 'style')
     if 'style' in req.form:
         style = req.form['style'][0]
 
@@ -999,7 +999,7 @@ def filelog(web, req, tmpl):
     revs = fctx.filelog().revs(start, end - 1)
     entries = []
 
-    diffstyle = web.config('web', 'style', 'paper')
+    diffstyle = web.config('web', 'style')
     if 'style' in req.form:
         diffstyle = req.form['style'][0]
 
diff --git a/mercurial/hgweb/webutil.py b/mercurial/hgweb/webutil.py
--- a/mercurial/hgweb/webutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/hgweb/webutil.py
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ def changesetentry(web, req, tmpl, ctx):
     if basectx is None:
         basectx = ctx.p1()
 
-    style = web.config('web', 'style', 'paper')
+    style = web.config('web', 'style')
     if 'style' in req.form:
         style = req.form['style'][0]