diff --git a/xdiff/xutils.c b/xdiff/xutils.c
index 01e6765e3d..b68afa25c1 100644
--- a/xdiff/xutils.c
+++ b/xdiff/xutils.c
@@ -31,14 +31,22 @@
 
 int xdl_emit_diffrec(char const *rec, long size, char const *pre, long psize,
 		     xdemitcb_t *ecb) {
-	mmbuffer_t mb[2];
+	mmbuffer_t mb[3];
+	int i;
 
 	mb[0].ptr = (char *) pre;
 	mb[0].size = psize;
 	mb[1].ptr = (char *) rec;
 	mb[1].size = size;
+	i = 2;
 
-	if (ecb->outf(ecb->priv, mb, 2) < 0) {
+	if (!size || rec[size-1] != '\n') {
+		mb[2].ptr = "\n\\ No newline at end of file\n";
+		mb[2].size = strlen(mb[2].ptr);
+		i = 3;
+	}
+
+	if (ecb->outf(ecb->priv, mb, i) < 0) {
 
 		return -1;
 	}