diff --git a/contrib/difftool/git-difftool-helper b/contrib/difftool/git-difftool-helper
index 9c0a13452a..e481913c91 100755
--- a/contrib/difftool/git-difftool-helper
+++ b/contrib/difftool/git-difftool-helper
@@ -86,11 +86,11 @@ launch_merge_tool () {
 		;;
 
 	vimdiff)
-		"$merge_tool_path" -c "wincmd l" "$LOCAL" "$REMOTE"
+		"$merge_tool_path" -d -c "wincmd l" "$LOCAL" "$REMOTE"
 		;;
 
 	gvimdiff)
-		"$merge_tool_path" -c "wincmd l" -f "$LOCAL" "$REMOTE"
+		"$merge_tool_path" -d -c "wincmd l" -f "$LOCAL" "$REMOTE"
 		;;
 
 	xxdiff)
@@ -160,6 +160,12 @@ init_merge_tool_path() {
 	merge_tool_path=$(git config mergetool."$1".path)
 	if test -z "$merge_tool_path"; then
 		case "$1" in
+		vimdiff)
+			merge_tool_path=vim
+			;;
+		gvimdiff)
+			merge_tool_path=gvim
+			;;
 		emerge)
 			merge_tool_path=emacs
 			;;
diff --git a/git-mergetool.sh b/git-mergetool.sh
index 87fa88af55..6e611e94a4 100755
--- a/git-mergetool.sh
+++ b/git-mergetool.sh
@@ -214,12 +214,12 @@ merge_file () {
 	    ;;
 	vimdiff)
 	    touch "$BACKUP"
-	    "$merge_tool_path" -c "wincmd l" "$LOCAL" "$MERGED" "$REMOTE"
+	    "$merge_tool_path" -d -c "wincmd l" "$LOCAL" "$MERGED" "$REMOTE"
 	    check_unchanged
 	    ;;
 	gvimdiff)
 	    touch "$BACKUP"
-	    "$merge_tool_path" -c "wincmd l" -f "$LOCAL" "$MERGED" "$REMOTE"
+	    "$merge_tool_path" -d -c "wincmd l" -f "$LOCAL" "$MERGED" "$REMOTE"
 	    check_unchanged
 	    ;;
 	xxdiff)
@@ -359,6 +359,12 @@ init_merge_tool_path() {
 	merge_tool_path=`git config mergetool.$1.path`
 	if test -z "$merge_tool_path" ; then
 		case "$1" in
+			vimdiff)
+				merge_tool_path=vim
+				;;
+			gvimdiff)
+				merge_tool_path=gvim
+				;;
 			emerge)
 				merge_tool_path=emacs
 				;;