diff --git a/mercurial/configitems.py b/mercurial/configitems.py
--- a/mercurial/configitems.py
+++ b/mercurial/configitems.py
@@ -1307,6 +1307,9 @@ coreconfigitem('web', 'archivesubrepos',
 coreconfigitem('web', 'cache',
     default=True,
 )
+coreconfigitem('web', 'comparisoncontext',
+    default=5,
+)
 coreconfigitem('web', 'contact',
     default=None,
 )
diff --git a/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py b/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py
--- a/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py
+++ b/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py
@@ -858,7 +858,7 @@ def comparison(web):
     if 'context' in web.req.qsparams:
         context = parsecontext(web.req.qsparams['context'])
     else:
-        context = parsecontext(web.config('web', 'comparisoncontext', '5'))
+        context = parsecontext(web.config('web', 'comparisoncontext'))
 
     def filelines(f):
         if f.isbinary():
diff --git a/tests/test-http-bad-server.t b/tests/test-http-bad-server.t
--- a/tests/test-http-bad-server.t
+++ b/tests/test-http-bad-server.t
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ Failure to read all bytes in initial HTT
   $ cat hg.pid > $DAEMON_PIDS
 
   $ hg clone http://localhost:$HGPORT/ clone
-  abort: error: bad HTTP status line: ''
+  abort: error: bad HTTP status line: * (glob)
   [255]
 
   $ killdaemons.py $DAEMON_PIDS
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ Same failure, but server reads full HTTP
   $ hg serve --config badserver.closeafterrecvbytes=40 -p $HGPORT -d --pid-file=hg.pid -E error.log
   $ cat hg.pid > $DAEMON_PIDS
   $ hg clone http://localhost:$HGPORT/ clone
-  abort: error: bad HTTP status line: ''
+  abort: error: bad HTTP status line: * (glob)
   [255]
 
   $ killdaemons.py $DAEMON_PIDS
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ Failure on subsequent HTTP request on th
   $ hg serve --config badserver.closeafterrecvbytes=210,223 -p $HGPORT -d --pid-file=hg.pid -E error.log
   $ cat hg.pid > $DAEMON_PIDS
   $ hg clone http://localhost:$HGPORT/ clone
-  abort: error: bad HTTP status line: ''
+  abort: error: bad HTTP status line: * (glob)
   [255]
 
   $ killdaemons.py $DAEMON_PIDS
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ Failure to read getbundle HTTP request
   $ cat hg.pid > $DAEMON_PIDS
   $ hg clone http://localhost:$HGPORT/ clone
   requesting all changes
-  abort: error: bad HTTP status line: ''
+  abort: error: bad HTTP status line: * (glob)
   [255]
 
   $ killdaemons.py $DAEMON_PIDS
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ Now do a variation using POST to send ar
   $ cat hg.pid > $DAEMON_PIDS
 
   $ hg clone http://localhost:$HGPORT/ clone
-  abort: error: bad HTTP status line: ''
+  abort: error: bad HTTP status line: * (glob)
   [255]
 
   $ killdaemons.py $DAEMON_PIDS