diff --git a/cli/src/commands/diff.rs b/cli/src/commands/diff.rs
index 6d32776f28..634cf2fb96 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/diff.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/diff.rs
@@ -12,9 +12,15 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
+use itertools::Itertools;
+use jj_lib::commit::Commit;
+use jj_lib::merged_tree::MergedTree;
+use jj_lib::rewrite::merge_commit_trees;
 use tracing::instrument;
 
-use crate::cli_util::{print_unmatched_explicit_paths, CommandHelper, RevisionArg};
+use crate::cli_util::{
+    print_unmatched_explicit_paths, CommandHelper, RevisionArg, WorkspaceCommandHelper,
+};
 use crate::command_error::CommandError;
 use crate::diff_util::DiffFormatArgs;
 use crate::ui::Ui;
@@ -52,6 +58,40 @@ pub(crate) struct DiffArgs {
     format: DiffFormatArgs,
 }
 
+fn resolve_revision(
+    workspace_command: &WorkspaceCommandHelper,
+    r: &Option<RevisionArg>,
+) -> Result<Commit, CommandError> {
+    workspace_command.resolve_single_rev(r.as_ref().unwrap_or(&RevisionArg::AT))
+}
+
+fn handle_merge_diff(
+    ui: &mut Ui,
+    workspace_command: &WorkspaceCommandHelper,
+    args: &DiffArgs,
+    from_tree: &MergedTree,
+    to_tree: &MergedTree,
+) -> Result<(), CommandError> {
+    let fileset_expression = workspace_command.parse_file_patterns(&args.paths)?;
+    let matcher = fileset_expression.to_matcher();
+    let diff_renderer = workspace_command.diff_renderer_for(&args.format)?;
+    ui.request_pager();
+    diff_renderer.show_diff(
+        ui,
+        ui.stdout_formatter().as_mut(),
+        from_tree,
+        to_tree,
+        matcher.as_ref(),
+    )?;
+    print_unmatched_explicit_paths(
+        ui,
+        workspace_command,
+        &fileset_expression,
+        [from_tree, to_tree],
+    )?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 #[instrument(skip_all)]
 pub(crate) fn cmd_diff(
     ui: &mut Ui,
@@ -59,37 +99,44 @@ pub(crate) fn cmd_diff(
     args: &DiffArgs,
 ) -> Result<(), CommandError> {
     let workspace_command = command.workspace_helper(ui)?;
-    let from_tree;
-    let to_tree;
-    if args.from.is_some() || args.to.is_some() {
-        let from =
-            workspace_command.resolve_single_rev(args.from.as_ref().unwrap_or(&RevisionArg::AT))?;
-        from_tree = from.tree()?;
-        let to =
-            workspace_command.resolve_single_rev(args.to.as_ref().unwrap_or(&RevisionArg::AT))?;
-        to_tree = to.tree()?;
+
+    let to;
+    let from;
+
+    if args.to.is_some() || args.from.is_some() {
+        to = resolve_revision(&workspace_command, &args.to)?;
+        from = resolve_revision(&workspace_command, &args.from)?;
     } else {
-        let commit = workspace_command
-            .resolve_single_rev(args.revision.as_ref().unwrap_or(&RevisionArg::AT))?;
-        from_tree = commit.parent_tree(workspace_command.repo().as_ref())?;
-        to_tree = commit.tree()?
+        to = resolve_revision(&workspace_command, &args.revision)?;
+        let mut parents: Vec<_> = to.parents().try_collect()?;
+        if parents.len() != 1 {
+            return handle_merge_diff(
+                ui,
+                &workspace_command,
+                args,
+                &merge_commit_trees(workspace_command.repo().as_ref(), &parents)?,
+                &to.tree()?,
+            );
+        }
+        from = parents.pop().unwrap();
     }
+
     let fileset_expression = workspace_command.parse_file_patterns(&args.paths)?;
     let matcher = fileset_expression.to_matcher();
     let diff_renderer = workspace_command.diff_renderer_for(&args.format)?;
     ui.request_pager();
-    diff_renderer.show_diff(
+    diff_renderer.show_commit_diff(
         ui,
         ui.stdout_formatter().as_mut(),
-        &from_tree,
-        &to_tree,
+        from.id(),
+        to.id(),
         matcher.as_ref(),
     )?;
     print_unmatched_explicit_paths(
         ui,
         &workspace_command,
         &fileset_expression,
-        [&from_tree, &to_tree],
+        [&from.tree()?, &to.tree()?],
     )?;
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/cli/src/diff_util.rs b/cli/src/diff_util.rs
index 26a4ea6505..644f38ef1b 100644
--- a/cli/src/diff_util.rs
+++ b/cli/src/diff_util.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ use std::{io, mem};
 
 use futures::StreamExt;
 use itertools::Itertools;
-use jj_lib::backend::{BackendError, TreeValue};
+use jj_lib::backend::{BackendError, CommitId, TreeValue};
 use jj_lib::commit::Commit;
 use jj_lib::conflicts::{materialized_diff_stream, MaterializedTreeValue};
 use jj_lib::diff::{Diff, DiffHunk};
@@ -237,6 +237,20 @@ impl<'a> DiffRenderer<'a> {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Generates diff between `from_tree` and `to_tree`.
+    pub fn show_commit_diff(
+        &self,
+        ui: &Ui, // TODO: remove Ui dependency if possible
+        formatter: &mut dyn Formatter,
+        from: &CommitId,
+        to: &CommitId,
+        matcher: &dyn Matcher,
+    ) -> Result<(), DiffRenderError> {
+        let from_tree = self.repo.store().get_commit(from)?.tree()?;
+        let to_tree = self.repo.store().get_commit(to)?.tree()?;
+        self.show_diff(ui, formatter, &from_tree, &to_tree, matcher)
+    }
+
     /// Generates diff between `from_tree` and `to_tree`.
     pub fn show_diff(
         &self,