diff --git a/gitk-git/gitk b/gitk-git/gitk
index bc9efa18566fb8..ddbe60398f28ec 100755
--- a/gitk-git/gitk
+++ b/gitk-git/gitk
@@ -3806,6 +3806,39 @@ proc external_diff_get_one_file {diffid filename diffdir} {
                "revision $diffid"]
 }
 
+proc check_for_renames_in_diff {filepath} {
+    global ctext
+
+    set renamed_filenames [list {}]
+    set filename [file tail $filepath]
+    set rename_from_text_identifier_length 12
+    set rename_to_text_identifier_length 10
+    set reg_expr_rename_from {^rename from (.*$filename)}
+    set reg_expr_rename_from [subst -nobackslashes -nocommands $reg_expr_rename_from]
+    set rename_from_text_index [$ctext search -elide -regexp -- $reg_expr_rename_from 0.0]
+    if { ($rename_from_text_index != {})} {
+        set reg_expr_rename_to {^rename to (.*)}
+        set rename_to_text_index [$ctext search -elide -regexp -- $reg_expr_rename_to $rename_from_text_index]
+        if { ($rename_from_text_index != {}) && ($rename_to_text_index != {}) } {
+            lappend renamed_filenames [$ctext get "$rename_from_text_index + $rename_from_text_identifier_length chars" "$rename_from_text_index lineend"]
+            lappend renamed_filenames [$ctext get "$rename_to_text_index + $rename_to_text_identifier_length chars" "$rename_to_text_index lineend"]
+        }
+        return $renamed_filenames
+    }
+    set reg_expr_rename_to {^rename to (.*$filename)}
+    set reg_expr_rename_to [subst -nobackslashes -nocommands $reg_expr_rename_to]
+    set rename_to_text_index [$ctext search -elide -regexp -- $reg_expr_rename_to 0.0]
+    if { ($rename_to_text_index != {})} {
+        set reg_expr_rename_from {^rename from (.*)}
+        set rename_from_text_index [$ctext search -backwards -elide -regexp -- $reg_expr_rename_from $rename_to_text_index]
+        if { ($rename_to_text_index != {}) && ($rename_from_text_index != {}) } {
+            lappend renamed_filenames [$ctext get "$rename_from_text_index + $rename_from_text_identifier_length chars" "$rename_from_text_index lineend"]
+            lappend renamed_filenames [$ctext get "$rename_to_text_index + $rename_to_text_identifier_length chars" "$rename_to_text_index lineend"]
+        }
+        return $renamed_filenames
+    }
+}
+
 proc external_diff {} {
     global nullid nullid2
     global flist_menu_file
@@ -3836,8 +3869,16 @@ proc external_diff {} {
     if {$diffdir eq {}} return
 
     # gather files to diff
-    set difffromfile [external_diff_get_one_file $diffidfrom $flist_menu_file $diffdir]
-    set difftofile [external_diff_get_one_file $diffidto $flist_menu_file $diffdir]
+    set renamed_filenames [check_for_renames_in_diff $flist_menu_file]
+    set rename_from_filename [lindex $renamed_filenames 1]
+    set rename_to_filename [lindex $renamed_filenames 2]
+    if { ($rename_from_filename != {}) && ($rename_to_filename != {}) } {
+        set difffromfile [external_diff_get_one_file $diffidfrom $rename_from_filename $diffdir]
+        set difftofile [external_diff_get_one_file $diffidto $rename_to_filename $diffdir]
+    } else {
+        set difffromfile [external_diff_get_one_file $diffidfrom $flist_menu_file $diffdir]
+        set difftofile [external_diff_get_one_file $diffidto $flist_menu_file $diffdir]
+    }
 
     if {$difffromfile ne {} && $difftofile ne {}} {
         set cmd [list [shellsplit $extdifftool] $difffromfile $difftofile]