diff --git a/hgext/mq.py b/hgext/mq.py
--- a/hgext/mq.py
+++ b/hgext/mq.py
@@ -503,8 +503,11 @@ class queue(object):
         self.guardsdirty = False
         self.activeguards = None
 
-    def diffopts(self, opts=None, patchfn=None):
-        diffopts = patchmod.diffopts(self.ui, opts)
+    def diffopts(self, opts=None, patchfn=None, plain=False):
+        """Return diff options tweaked for this mq use, possibly upgrading to
+        git format, and possibly plain and without lossy options."""
+        diffopts = patchmod.difffeatureopts(self.ui, opts,
+            git=True, whitespace=not plain, formatchanging=not plain)
         if self.gitmode == 'auto':
             diffopts.upgrade = True
         elif self.gitmode == 'keep':
@@ -1177,7 +1180,7 @@ class queue(object):
         date = opts.get('date')
         if date:
             date = util.parsedate(date)
-        diffopts = self.diffopts({'git': opts.get('git')})
+        diffopts = self.diffopts({'git': opts.get('git')}, plain=True)
         if opts.get('checkname', True):
             self.checkpatchname(patchfn)
         inclsubs = checksubstate(repo)
@@ -1642,7 +1645,8 @@ class queue(object):
                 substatestate = repo.dirstate['.hgsubstate']
 
             ph = patchheader(self.join(patchfn), self.plainmode)
-            diffopts = self.diffopts({'git': opts.get('git')}, patchfn)
+            diffopts = self.diffopts({'git': opts.get('git')}, patchfn,
+                                     plain=True)
             if newuser:
                 ph.setuser(newuser)
             if newdate:
diff --git a/tests/test-mq-git.t b/tests/test-mq-git.t
--- a/tests/test-mq-git.t
+++ b/tests/test-mq-git.t
@@ -235,13 +235,35 @@ Test how [diff] configuration influence 
   # Date 0 0
   # Parent  cf0bfe72686a47d8d7d7b4529a3adb8b0b449a9f
   
+  diff -r cf0bfe72686a -r fb9c4422b0f3 a
+  --- a/a
+  +++ b/a
+  @@ -1,1 +1,1 @@
+  -a
+  + a
   $ cat .hg/patches/diff
   # HG changeset patch
   # Date 0 0
   # Parent  fb9c4422b0f37dd576522dd9a3f99b825c177efe
   
-  diff --git b b
-  Binary file b has changed
+  diff --git a/a b/a
+  --- a/a
+  +++ b/a
+  @@ -1,1 +1,1 @@
+  - a
+  +  a
+  diff --git a/b b/b
+  index 78981922613b2afb6025042ff6bd878ac1994e85..f76dd238ade08917e6712764a16a22005a50573d
+  GIT binary patch
+  literal 1
+  Ic${MZ000310RR91
+  
+  diff --git a/c b/c
+  --- a/c
+  +++ b/c
+  @@ -1,1 +1,2 @@
+   a
+  +
 
   $ cd ..