diff --git a/diff-no-index.c b/diff-no-index.c
index f320424f05fe0f..a9151cc27a0448 100644
--- a/diff-no-index.c
+++ b/diff-no-index.c
@@ -188,6 +188,8 @@ static int queue_diff(struct diff_options *o, const struct git_hash_algo *algop,
 			mode1 = 0;
 		}
 		/* emit that file */
+		if (o->flags.reverse_diff)
+			SWAP(d1, d2);
 		diff_queue(&diff_queued_diff, d1, d2);
 
 		/* and then let the entire directory be created or deleted */
diff --git a/t/t4053-diff-no-index.sh b/t/t4053-diff-no-index.sh
index 8e0394cf5afd95..c3c703f4f4eb0e 100755
--- a/t/t4053-diff-no-index.sh
+++ b/t/t4053-diff-no-index.sh
@@ -120,6 +120,24 @@ test_expect_success 'turning a file into a directory' '
 	)
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'reverse diff when turning a file into a directory' '
+	(
+		cd non/git &&
+		printf "A\td/sub\nD\te/sub/file\n" >expect &&
+		test_expect_code 1 git diff --no-index -R --name-status d e >actual &&
+		test_cmp expect actual
+	)
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'reverse diff when turning a directory into a file' '
+	(
+		cd non/git &&
+		printf "D\td/sub\nA\te/sub/file\n" >expect &&
+		test_expect_code 1 git diff --no-index -R --name-status e d >actual &&
+		test_cmp expect actual
+	)
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'diff from repo subdir shows real paths (explicit)' '
 	echo "diff --git a/../../non/git/a b/../../non/git/b" >expect &&
 	test_expect_code 1 \