diff --git a/helix-term/src/ui/statusline.rs b/helix-term/src/ui/statusline.rs
index 7437cbd07..cc4522d54 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/ui/statusline.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/ui/statusline.rs
@@ -240,10 +240,12 @@ fn render_diagnostics<F>(context: &mut RenderContext, write: F)
             counts
         });
 
+    let icons = context.editor.config().diagnostic_icons;
+
     if warnings > 0 {
         write(
             context,
-            "●".to_string(),
+            icons.warning.to_string(),
             Some(context.editor.theme.get("warning")),
         );
         write(context, format!(" {} ", warnings), None);
@@ -252,7 +254,7 @@ fn render_diagnostics<F>(context: &mut RenderContext, write: F)
     if errors > 0 {
         write(
             context,
-            "●".to_string(),
+            icons.error.to_string(),
             Some(context.editor.theme.get("error")),
         );
         write(context, format!(" {} ", errors), None);
diff --git a/helix-view/src/annotations/diagnostics.rs b/helix-view/src/annotations/diagnostics.rs
index 09085d3fe..9f432d945 100644
--- a/helix-view/src/annotations/diagnostics.rs
+++ b/helix-view/src/annotations/diagnostics.rs
@@ -13,6 +13,27 @@ pub enum DiagnosticFilter {
     Enable(Severity),
 }
 
+/// The icon (character) to use for each [`Diagnostic`] level.
+#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, Copy, Clone, Eq, PartialEq, PartialOrd, Ord)]
+#[serde(default, deny_unknown_fields)]
+pub struct DiagnosticIcons {
+    pub error: char,
+    pub warning: char,
+    pub info: char,
+    pub hint: char,
+}
+
+impl Default for DiagnosticIcons {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            error: '●',
+            warning: '●',
+            info: '●',
+            hint: '●',
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for DiagnosticFilter {
     fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<Self, D::Error>
     where
diff --git a/helix-view/src/editor.rs b/helix-view/src/editor.rs
index 26dea3a21..973c90ec8 100644
--- a/helix-view/src/editor.rs
+++ b/helix-view/src/editor.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use crate::{
-    annotations::diagnostics::{DiagnosticFilter, InlineDiagnosticsConfig},
+    annotations::diagnostics::{DiagnosticFilter, DiagnosticIcons, InlineDiagnosticsConfig},
     document::{
         DocumentOpenError, DocumentSavedEventFuture, DocumentSavedEventResult, Mode, SavePoint,
     },
@@ -345,6 +345,7 @@ pub struct Config {
     /// Display diagnostic below the line they occur.
     pub inline_diagnostics: InlineDiagnosticsConfig,
     pub end_of_line_diagnostics: DiagnosticFilter,
+    pub diagnostic_icons: DiagnosticIcons,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Deserialize, Serialize, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord)]
@@ -982,6 +983,7 @@ fn default() -> Self {
             jump_label_alphabet: ('a'..='z').collect(),
             inline_diagnostics: InlineDiagnosticsConfig::default(),
             end_of_line_diagnostics: DiagnosticFilter::Disable,
+            diagnostic_icons: DiagnosticIcons::default(),
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/helix-view/src/gutter.rs b/helix-view/src/gutter.rs
index 36f719f79..c2159be57 100644
--- a/helix-view/src/gutter.rs
+++ b/helix-view/src/gutter.rs
@@ -46,16 +46,19 @@ pub fn width(self, view: &View, doc: &Document) -> usize {
 }
 
 pub fn diagnostic<'doc>(
-    _editor: &'doc Editor,
+    editor: &'doc Editor,
     doc: &'doc Document,
     _view: &View,
     theme: &Theme,
     _is_focused: bool,
 ) -> GutterFn<'doc> {
-    let warning = theme.get("warning");
-    let error = theme.get("error");
-    let info = theme.get("info");
-    let hint = theme.get("hint");
+    let icons = &editor.config().diagnostic_icons;
+
+    let warning = (theme.get("warning"), icons.warning);
+    let error = (theme.get("error"), icons.error);
+    let info = (theme.get("info"), icons.info);
+    let hint = (theme.get("hint"), icons.hint);
+
     let diagnostics = &doc.diagnostics;
 
     Box::new(
@@ -74,13 +77,14 @@ pub fn diagnostic<'doc>(
                             .any(|ls| ls.id() == d.provider)
                 });
             diagnostics_on_line.max_by_key(|d| d.severity).map(|d| {
-                write!(out, "●").ok();
-                match d.severity {
+                let (style, indicator) = match d.severity {
                     Some(Severity::Error) => error,
                     Some(Severity::Warning) | None => warning,
                     Some(Severity::Info) => info,
                     Some(Severity::Hint) => hint,
-                }
+                };
+                out.push(indicator);
+                style
             })
         },
     )