diff --git a/diff.c b/diff.c
index 0d7f5ea4a8..108c7d7644 100644
--- a/diff.c
+++ b/diff.c
@@ -295,12 +295,13 @@ static void emit_line_0(FILE *file, const char *set, const char *reset,
 		nofirst = 0;
 	}
 
-	fputs(set, file);
-
-	if (!nofirst)
-		fputc(first, file);
-	fwrite(line, len, 1, file);
-	fputs(reset, file);
+	if (len || !nofirst) {
+		fputs(set, file);
+		if (!nofirst)
+			fputc(first, file);
+		fwrite(line, len, 1, file);
+		fputs(reset, file);
+	}
 	if (has_trailing_carriage_return)
 		fputc('\r', file);
 	if (has_trailing_newline)
diff --git a/t/t4034-diff-words.sh b/t/t4034-diff-words.sh
index 21db6e95c4..2d24fbeda6 100755
--- a/t/t4034-diff-words.sh
+++ b/t/t4034-diff-words.sh
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ cat > expect <<\EOF
 <WHITE>+++ b/post<RESET>
 <BROWN>@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@<RESET>
 <RED>h(4)<RESET><GREEN>h(4),hh[44]<RESET>
-<RESET>
+
 a = b + c<RESET>
 
 <GREEN>aa = a<RESET>
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ cat > expect <<\EOF
 <WHITE>+++ b/post<RESET>
 <BROWN>@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@<RESET>
 h(4),<GREEN>hh<RESET>[44]
-<RESET>
+
 a = b + c<RESET>
 
 <GREEN>aa = a<RESET>
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ cat > expect <<\EOF
 <WHITE>+++ b/post<RESET>
 <BROWN>@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@<RESET>
 h(4)<GREEN>,hh[44]<RESET>
-<RESET>
+
 a = b + c<RESET>
 
 <GREEN>aa = a<RESET>
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ cat > expect <<\EOF
 <WHITE>+++ b/post<RESET>
 <BROWN>@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@<RESET>
 h(4),<GREEN>hh[44<RESET>]
-<RESET>
+
 a = b + c<RESET>
 
 <GREEN>aa = a<RESET>