diff --git a/extensions/git/src/git.ts b/extensions/git/src/git.ts
index 2b0e2d321ee..d9f930dd398 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/git.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/git.ts
@@ -1688,9 +1688,8 @@ export class Repository {
 		return result.stdout.trim();
 	}
 
-	async diffBetween2(ref1: string, ref2: string, options: { similarityThreshold?: number; symmetric?: boolean }): Promise<Change[]> {
-		const range = options.symmetric ? `${ref1}...${ref2}` : `${ref1}..${ref2}`;
-		return await this.diffFiles(range, { cached: false, similarityThreshold: options.similarityThreshold });
+	async diffBetween2(ref1: string, ref2: string, options: { similarityThreshold?: number }): Promise<Change[]> {
+		return await this.diffFiles(`${ref1}...${ref2}`, { cached: false, similarityThreshold: options.similarityThreshold });
 	}
 
 	private async diffFiles(ref: string | undefined, options: { cached: boolean; similarityThreshold?: number }): Promise<Change[]> {
@@ -1718,6 +1717,29 @@ export class Repository {
 		return parseGitChanges(this.repositoryRoot, gitResult.stdout);
 	}
 
+	async diffTrees(treeish1: string, treeish2?: string, options?: { similarityThreshold?: number }): Promise<Change[]> {
+		const args = ['diff-tree', '-r', '--name-status', '-z', '--diff-filter=ADMR'];
+
+		if (options?.similarityThreshold) {
+			args.push(`--find-renames=${options.similarityThreshold}%`);
+		}
+
+		args.push(treeish1);
+
+		if (treeish2) {
+			args.push(treeish2);
+		}
+
+		args.push('--');
+
+		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/repository.ts b/extensions/git/src/repository.ts
index 12516966e3d..00d9186fd46 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/repository.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/repository.ts
@@ -1232,12 +1232,25 @@ export class Repository implements Disposable {
 	}
 
 	diffBetween2(ref1: string, ref2: string): Promise<Change[]> {
+		if (ref1 === this._EMPTY_TREE) {
+			// Use git diff-tree to get the
+			// changes in the first commit
+			return this.diffTrees(ref1, ref2);
+		}
+
 		const scopedConfig = workspace.getConfiguration('git', Uri.file(this.root));
 		const similarityThreshold = scopedConfig.get<number>('similarityThreshold', 50);
 
 		return this.run(Operation.Diff, () => this.repository.diffBetween2(ref1, ref2, { similarityThreshold }));
 	}
 
+	diffTrees(treeish1: string, treeish2?: string): Promise<Change[]> {
+		const scopedConfig = workspace.getConfiguration('git', Uri.file(this.root));
+		const similarityThreshold = scopedConfig.get<number>('similarityThreshold', 50);
+
+		return this.run(Operation.Diff, () => this.repository.diffTrees(treeish1, treeish2, { similarityThreshold }));
+	}
+
 	getMergeBase(ref1: string, ref2: string, ...refs: string[]): Promise<string | undefined> {
 		return this.run(Operation.MergeBase, () => this.repository.getMergeBase(ref1, ref2, ...refs));
 	}