diff --git a/extensions/git/src/git.ts b/extensions/git/src/git.ts
index 957f447e8c2..0c11a690c41 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/git.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/git.ts
@@ -1506,6 +1506,21 @@ export class Repository {
 		return parseGitChanges(this.repositoryRoot, gitResult.stdout);
 	}
 
+	async diffTrees(treeish1: string, treeish2?: string): Promise<Change[]> {
+		const args = ['diff-tree', '-r', '--name-status', '-z', '--diff-filter=ADMR', treeish1];
+
+		if (treeish2) {
+			args.push(treeish2);
+		}
+
+		const gitResult = await this.exec(args);
+		if (gitResult.exitCode) {
+			return [];
+		}
+
+		return parseGitChanges(this.repositoryRoot, gitResult.stdout);
+	}
+
 	async getMergeBase(ref1: string, ref2: string, ...refs: string[]): Promise<string | undefined> {
 		try {
 			const args = ['merge-base'];
diff --git a/extensions/git/src/historyProvider.ts b/extensions/git/src/historyProvider.ts
index d4b1d0a39d5..1d9641474e9 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/historyProvider.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/historyProvider.ts
@@ -146,13 +146,9 @@ export class GitHistoryProvider implements SourceControlHistoryProvider, FileDec
 
 		try {
 			// Get the common ancestor commit, and commits
-			const [mergeBaseCommit, commits] = await Promise.all([
-				this.repository.getCommit(options.limit.id),
-				this.repository.log({ range: `${options.limit.id}..`, refNames, shortStats: true })
-			]);
-
-			// Add common ancestor commit
-			commits.push(mergeBaseCommit);
+			const commit = await this.repository.getCommit(options.limit.id);
+			const commitParentId = commit.parents.length > 0 ? commit.parents[0] : await this.repository.getEmptyTree();
+			const commits = await this.repository.log({ range: `${commitParentId}..`, refNames, shortStats: true });
 
 			await ensureEmojis();
 
@@ -180,24 +176,18 @@ export class GitHistoryProvider implements SourceControlHistoryProvider, FileDec
 	}
 
 	async provideHistoryItemSummary(historyItemId: string, historyItemParentId: string | undefined): Promise<SourceControlHistoryItem> {
-		if (!historyItemParentId) {
-			const commit = await this.repository.getCommit(historyItemId);
-			historyItemParentId = commit.parents.length > 0 ? commit.parents[0] : `${historyItemId}^`;
-		}
-
+		historyItemParentId = historyItemParentId ?? await this.repository.getEmptyTree();
 		const allChanges = await this.repository.diffBetweenShortStat(historyItemParentId, historyItemId);
+
 		return { id: historyItemId, parentIds: [historyItemParentId], message: '', statistics: allChanges };
 	}
 
 	async provideHistoryItemChanges(historyItemId: string, historyItemParentId: string | undefined): Promise<SourceControlHistoryItemChange[]> {
-		if (!historyItemParentId) {
-			const commit = await this.repository.getCommit(historyItemId);
-			historyItemParentId = commit.parents.length > 0 ? commit.parents[0] : `${historyItemId}^`;
-		}
+		historyItemParentId = historyItemParentId ?? await this.repository.getEmptyTree();
 
 		const historyItemChangesUri: Uri[] = [];
 		const historyItemChanges: SourceControlHistoryItemChange[] = [];
-		const changes = await this.repository.diffBetween(historyItemParentId, historyItemId);
+		const changes = await this.repository.diffTrees(historyItemParentId, historyItemId);
 
 		for (const change of changes) {
 			const historyItemUri = change.uri.with({
diff --git a/extensions/git/src/repository.ts b/extensions/git/src/repository.ts
index 5c14345e61a..efbe5077dd4 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/repository.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/repository.ts
@@ -718,6 +718,8 @@ export class Repository implements Disposable {
 	private _untrackedGroup: SourceControlResourceGroup;
 	get untrackedGroup(): GitResourceGroup { return this._untrackedGroup as GitResourceGroup; }
 
+	private _EMPTY_TREE: string | undefined;
+
 	private _HEAD: Branch | undefined;
 	get HEAD(): Branch | undefined {
 		return this._HEAD;
@@ -1112,6 +1114,10 @@ export class Repository implements Disposable {
 		return this.run(Operation.Diff, () => this.repository.diffBetweenShortStat(ref1, ref2));
 	}
 
+	diffTrees(treeish1: string, treeish2?: string): Promise<Change[]> {
+		return this.run(Operation.Diff, () => this.repository.diffTrees(treeish1, treeish2));
+	}
+
 	getMergeBase(ref1: string, ref2: string, ...refs: string[]): Promise<string | undefined> {
 		return this.run(Operation.MergeBase, () => this.repository.getMergeBase(ref1, ref2, ...refs));
 	}
@@ -1602,6 +1608,15 @@ export class Repository implements Disposable {
 		return await this.repository.getCommit(ref);
 	}
 
+	async getEmptyTree(): Promise<string> {
+		if (!this._EMPTY_TREE) {
+			const result = await this.repository.exec(['hash-object', '-t', 'tree', '/dev/null']);
+			this._EMPTY_TREE = result.stdout.trim();
+		}
+
+		return this._EMPTY_TREE;
+	}
+
 	async getCommitCount(range: string): Promise<{ ahead: number; behind: number }> {
 		return await this.run(Operation.RevList, () => this.repository.getCommitCount(range));
 	}
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/scm/browser/scmViewPane.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/scm/browser/scmViewPane.ts
index b3e022bdb0b..33a8b8f5671 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/scm/browser/scmViewPane.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/scm/browser/scmViewPane.ts
@@ -1948,12 +1948,11 @@ registerAction2(class extends Action2 {
 
 		const title = historyItems.length === 1 ?
 			`${historyItems[0].id.substring(0, 8)} - ${historyItems[0].message}` :
-			localize('historyItemChangesEditorTitle', "All Changes ({0} ↔ {1})", historyItem.id.substring(0, 8), historyItemLast.id.substring(0, 8));
+			localize('historyItemChangesEditorTitle', "All Changes ({0} ↔ {1})", historyItemLast.id.substring(0, 8), historyItem.id.substring(0, 8));
 
 		const rootUri = provider.rootUri;
-		const multiDiffSourceUri = rootUri ?
-			rootUri.with({ scheme: 'scm-history-item', path: `${rootUri.path}/${historyItem.id}..${historyItemParentId}` }) :
-			URI.from({ scheme: 'scm-history-item', path: `${provider.label}/${historyItem.id}..${historyItemParentId}` }, true);
+		const path = rootUri ? rootUri.path : provider.label;
+		const multiDiffSourceUri = URI.from({ scheme: 'scm-history-item', path: `${path}/${historyItemParentId}..${historyItem.id}` }, true);
 
 		commandService.executeCommand('_workbench.openMultiDiffEditor', { title, multiDiffSourceUri, resources: historyItemChanges });
 	}
@@ -3420,9 +3419,8 @@ export class SCMViewPane extends ViewPane {
 				const title = `${historyItem.id.substring(0, 8)} - ${historyItem.message}`;
 
 				const rootUri = e.element.repository.provider.rootUri;
-				const multiDiffSourceUri = rootUri ?
-					rootUri.with({ scheme: 'scm-history-item', path: `${rootUri.path}/${historyItem.id}..${historyItemParentId}` }) :
-					URI.from({ scheme: 'scm-history-item', path: `${e.element.repository.provider.label}/${historyItem.id}..${historyItemParentId}` }, true);
+				const path = rootUri ? rootUri.path : e.element.repository.provider.label;
+				const multiDiffSourceUri = URI.from({ scheme: 'scm-history-item', path: `${path}/${historyItemParentId}..${historyItem.id}` }, true);
 
 				await this.commandService.executeCommand('_workbench.openMultiDiffEditor', { title, multiDiffSourceUri, resources: historyItemChanges });
 			}