diff --git a/builtin-diff-files.c b/builtin-diff-files.c
index ac13db70ff..5d4a5c5828 100644
--- a/builtin-diff-files.c
+++ b/builtin-diff-files.c
@@ -47,12 +47,5 @@ int cmd_diff_files(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	if (rev.pending.nr ||
 	    rev.min_age != -1 || rev.max_age != -1)
 		usage(diff_files_usage);
-	/*
-	 * Backward compatibility wart - "diff-files -s" used to
-	 * defeat the common diff option "-s" which asked for
-	 * DIFF_FORMAT_NO_OUTPUT.
-	 */
-	if (rev.diffopt.output_format == DIFF_FORMAT_NO_OUTPUT)
-		rev.diffopt.output_format = DIFF_FORMAT_RAW;
 	return run_diff_files(&rev, silent);
 }
diff --git a/builtin-diff.c b/builtin-diff.c
index a090e298a5..82afce782d 100644
--- a/builtin-diff.c
+++ b/builtin-diff.c
@@ -56,13 +56,6 @@ static int builtin_diff_files(struct rev_info *revs,
 	if (revs->max_count < 0 &&
 	    (revs->diffopt.output_format & DIFF_FORMAT_PATCH))
 		revs->combine_merges = revs->dense_combined_merges = 1;
-	/*
-	 * Backward compatibility wart - "diff-files -s" used to
-	 * defeat the common diff option "-s" which asked for
-	 * DIFF_FORMAT_NO_OUTPUT.
-	 */
-	if (revs->diffopt.output_format == DIFF_FORMAT_NO_OUTPUT)
-		revs->diffopt.output_format = DIFF_FORMAT_RAW;
 	return run_diff_files(revs, silent);
 }
 
diff --git a/diff.c b/diff.c
index a8710cb9e2..8861b853e7 100644
--- a/diff.c
+++ b/diff.c
@@ -1679,6 +1679,19 @@ void diff_setup(struct diff_options *options)
 
 int diff_setup_done(struct diff_options *options)
 {
+	int count = 0;
+
+	if (options->output_format & DIFF_FORMAT_NAME)
+		count++;
+	if (options->output_format & DIFF_FORMAT_NAME_STATUS)
+		count++;
+	if (options->output_format & DIFF_FORMAT_CHECKDIFF)
+		count++;
+	if (options->output_format & DIFF_FORMAT_NO_OUTPUT)
+		count++;
+	if (count > 1)
+		die("--name-only, --name-status, --check and -s are mutually exclusive");
+
 	if (options->find_copies_harder)
 		options->detect_rename = DIFF_DETECT_COPY;