diff --git a/mergetools/vimdiff b/mergetools/vimdiff
index 461a89b6f9..b045b10fd7 100644
--- a/mergetools/vimdiff
+++ b/mergetools/vimdiff
@@ -228,14 +228,14 @@ gen_cmd_aux () {
 
 	elif ! test -z "$index_horizontal_split"
 	then
-		before="split"
+		before="leftabove split"
 		after="wincmd j"
 		index=$index_horizontal_split
 		terminate="true"
 
 	elif ! test -z "$index_vertical_split"
 	then
-		before="vertical split"
+		before="leftabove vertical split"
 		after="wincmd l"
 		index=$index_vertical_split
 		terminate="true"
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ gen_cmd () {
 	#
 	#     gen_cmd "@LOCAL , REMOTE"
 	#     |
-	#     `-> FINAL_CMD    == "-c \"echo | vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | 3b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
+	#     `-> FINAL_CMD    == "-c \"echo | leftabove vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | 3b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
 	#         FINAL_TARGET == "LOCAL"
 
 	LAYOUT=$1
@@ -555,22 +555,22 @@ run_unit_tests () {
 	TEST_CASE_15="  ((  (LOCAL , BASE , REMOTE) / MERGED))   +(BASE)   , LOCAL+ BASE , REMOTE+ (((LOCAL / BASE / REMOTE)) ,    MERGED   )  "
 	TEST_CASE_16="LOCAL,BASE,REMOTE / MERGED + BASE,LOCAL + BASE,REMOTE + (LOCAL / BASE / REMOTE),MERGED"
 
-	EXPECTED_CMD_01="-c \"echo | split | vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 4b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
-	EXPECTED_CMD_02="-c \"echo | vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | 3b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
-	EXPECTED_CMD_03="-c \"echo | vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | vertical split | 4b | wincmd l | 3b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
+	EXPECTED_CMD_01="-c \"echo | leftabove split | leftabove vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 4b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
+	EXPECTED_CMD_02="-c \"echo | leftabove vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | 3b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
+	EXPECTED_CMD_03="-c \"echo | leftabove vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | leftabove vertical split | 4b | wincmd l | 3b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
 	EXPECTED_CMD_04="-c \"echo | 4b | bufdo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
-	EXPECTED_CMD_05="-c \"echo | split | 1b | wincmd j | split | 4b | wincmd j | 3b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
-	EXPECTED_CMD_06="-c \"echo | vertical split | split | 1b | wincmd j | 3b | wincmd l | 4b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
-	EXPECTED_CMD_07="-c \"echo | vertical split | 4b | wincmd l | split | 1b | wincmd j | 3b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
-	EXPECTED_CMD_08="-c \"echo | split | vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 4b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
-	EXPECTED_CMD_09="-c \"echo | split | 4b | wincmd j | vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | 3b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
-	EXPECTED_CMD_10="-c \"echo | vertical split | split | 1b | wincmd j | split | 2b | wincmd j | 3b | wincmd l | 4b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
-	EXPECTED_CMD_11="-c \"echo | -tabnew | split | vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 4b | tabnext | -tabnew | vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 1b | tabnext | -tabnew | vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | tabnext | vertical split | split | 1b | wincmd j | split | 2b | wincmd j | 3b | wincmd l | 4b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
-	EXPECTED_CMD_12="-c \"echo | vertical split | split | vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 2b | wincmd l | 4b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
-	EXPECTED_CMD_13="-c \"echo | vertical split | split | vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 2b | wincmd l | vertical split | split | 1b | wincmd j | 3b | wincmd l | 4b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
-	EXPECTED_CMD_14="-c \"echo | -tabnew | vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | tabnext | vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 1b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
-	EXPECTED_CMD_15="-c \"echo | -tabnew | split | vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 4b | tabnext | -tabnew | vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 1b | tabnext | -tabnew | vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | tabnext | vertical split | split | 1b | wincmd j | split | 2b | wincmd j | 3b | wincmd l | 4b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
-	EXPECTED_CMD_16="-c \"echo | -tabnew | split | vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 4b | tabnext | -tabnew | vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 1b | tabnext | -tabnew | vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | tabnext | vertical split | split | 1b | wincmd j | split | 2b | wincmd j | 3b | wincmd l | 4b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
+	EXPECTED_CMD_05="-c \"echo | leftabove split | 1b | wincmd j | leftabove split | 4b | wincmd j | 3b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
+	EXPECTED_CMD_06="-c \"echo | leftabove vertical split | leftabove split | 1b | wincmd j | 3b | wincmd l | 4b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
+	EXPECTED_CMD_07="-c \"echo | leftabove vertical split | 4b | wincmd l | leftabove split | 1b | wincmd j | 3b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
+	EXPECTED_CMD_08="-c \"echo | leftabove split | leftabove vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 4b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
+	EXPECTED_CMD_09="-c \"echo | leftabove split | 4b | wincmd j | leftabove vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | 3b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
+	EXPECTED_CMD_10="-c \"echo | leftabove vertical split | leftabove split | 1b | wincmd j | leftabove split | 2b | wincmd j | 3b | wincmd l | 4b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
+	EXPECTED_CMD_11="-c \"echo | -tabnew | leftabove split | leftabove vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 4b | tabnext | -tabnew | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 1b | tabnext | -tabnew | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | tabnext | leftabove vertical split | leftabove split | 1b | wincmd j | leftabove split | 2b | wincmd j | 3b | wincmd l | 4b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
+	EXPECTED_CMD_12="-c \"echo | leftabove vertical split | leftabove split | leftabove vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 2b | wincmd l | 4b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
+	EXPECTED_CMD_13="-c \"echo | leftabove vertical split | leftabove split | leftabove vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 2b | wincmd l | leftabove vertical split | leftabove split | 1b | wincmd j | 3b | wincmd l | 4b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
+	EXPECTED_CMD_14="-c \"echo | -tabnew | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | tabnext | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 1b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
+	EXPECTED_CMD_15="-c \"echo | -tabnew | leftabove split | leftabove vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 4b | tabnext | -tabnew | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 1b | tabnext | -tabnew | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | tabnext | leftabove vertical split | leftabove split | 1b | wincmd j | leftabove split | 2b | wincmd j | 3b | wincmd l | 4b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
+	EXPECTED_CMD_16="-c \"echo | -tabnew | leftabove split | leftabove vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 4b | tabnext | -tabnew | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 1b | tabnext | -tabnew | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | tabnext | leftabove vertical split | leftabove split | 1b | wincmd j | leftabove split | 2b | wincmd j | 3b | wincmd l | 4b | tabdo windo diffthis\" -c \"tabfirst\""
 
 	EXPECTED_TARGET_01="MERGED"
 	EXPECTED_TARGET_02="LOCAL"