diff --git a/t/t4024-diff-optimize-common.sh b/t/t4024-diff-optimize-common.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..20fe87b7dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t4024-diff-optimize-common.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description='common tail optimization'
+
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+z=zzzzzzzz ;# 8
+z="$z$z$z$z$z$z$z$z" ;# 64
+z="$z$z$z$z$z$z$z$z" ;# 512
+z="$z$z$z$z" ;# 2048
+z2047=$(expr "$z" : '.\(.*\)') ; #2047
+
+test_expect_success setup '
+
+	echo "a$z2047" >file-a &&
+	echo "b" >file-b &&
+	echo "$z2047" >>file-b &&
+	echo "c$z2047" | tr -d "\012" >file-c &&
+	echo "d" >file-d &&
+	echo "$z2047" | tr -d "\012" >>file-d &&
+
+	git add file-a file-b file-c file-d &&
+
+	echo "A$z2047" >file-a &&
+	echo "B" >file-b &&
+	echo "$z2047" >>file-b &&
+	echo "C$z2047" | tr -d "\012" >file-c &&
+	echo "D" >file-d &&
+	echo "$z2047" | tr -d "\012" >>file-d
+
+'
+
+cat >expect <<\EOF
+diff --git a/file-a b/file-a
+--- a/file-a
++++ b/file-a
+@@ -1 +1 @@
+-aZ
++AZ
+diff --git a/file-b b/file-b
+--- a/file-b
++++ b/file-b
+@@ -1 +1 @@
+-b
++B
+diff --git a/file-c b/file-c
+--- a/file-c
++++ b/file-c
+@@ -1 +1 @@
+-cZ
+\ No newline at end of file
++CZ
+\ No newline at end of file
+diff --git a/file-d b/file-d
+--- a/file-d
++++ b/file-d
+@@ -1 +1 @@
+-d
++D
+EOF
+
+test_expect_success 'diff -U0' '
+
+	git diff -U0 | sed -e "/^index/d" -e "s/$z2047/Z/g" >actual &&
+	diff -u expect actual
+
+'
+
+test_done
diff --git a/xdiff-interface.c b/xdiff-interface.c
index 98b02eda35..9ee877c6f4 100644
--- a/xdiff-interface.c
+++ b/xdiff-interface.c
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ static void trim_common_tail(mmfile_t *a, mmfile_t *b, long ctx)
 		bp -= blk;
 	}
 
-	while (recovered < trimmed && ctx)
+	while (recovered < trimmed && 0 <= ctx)
 		if (ap[recovered++] == '\n')
 			ctx--;
 	a->size -= (trimmed - recovered);