diff --git a/builtin-diff.c b/builtin-diff.c
index dddcf697d7..d75d69bf57 100644
--- a/builtin-diff.c
+++ b/builtin-diff.c
@@ -290,8 +290,9 @@ int cmd_diff(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	/* Otherwise, we are doing the usual "git" diff */
 	rev.diffopt.skip_stat_unmatch = !!diff_auto_refresh_index;
 
-	/* Default to let external be used */
+	/* Default to let external and textconv be used */
 	DIFF_OPT_SET(&rev.diffopt, ALLOW_EXTERNAL);
+	DIFF_OPT_SET(&rev.diffopt, ALLOW_TEXTCONV);
 
 	if (nongit)
 		die("Not a git repository");
@@ -303,7 +304,6 @@ int cmd_diff(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	}
 
 	DIFF_OPT_SET(&rev.diffopt, RECURSIVE);
-	DIFF_OPT_SET(&rev.diffopt, ALLOW_TEXTCONV);
 
 	/*
 	 * If the user asked for our exit code then don't start a
diff --git a/builtin-log.c b/builtin-log.c
index b164717379..840daf9078 100644
--- a/builtin-log.c
+++ b/builtin-log.c
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ static void cmd_log_init(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix,
 	DIFF_OPT_SET(&rev->diffopt, RECURSIVE);
 	rev->show_root_diff = default_show_root;
 	rev->subject_prefix = fmt_patch_subject_prefix;
+	DIFF_OPT_SET(&rev->diffopt, ALLOW_TEXTCONV);
 
 	if (default_date_mode)
 		rev->date_mode = parse_date_format(default_date_mode);
@@ -60,7 +61,6 @@ static void cmd_log_init(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix,
 		} else
 			die("unrecognized argument: %s", arg);
 	}
-	DIFF_OPT_SET(&rev->diffopt, ALLOW_TEXTCONV);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/wt-status.c b/wt-status.c
index 3edae43ce9..96ff2f8f56 100644
--- a/wt-status.c
+++ b/wt-status.c
@@ -279,11 +279,11 @@ static void wt_status_print_verbose(struct wt_status *s)
 	struct rev_info rev;
 
 	init_revisions(&rev, NULL);
+	DIFF_OPT_SET(&rev.diffopt, ALLOW_TEXTCONV);
 	setup_revisions(0, NULL, &rev,
 		s->is_initial ? EMPTY_TREE_SHA1_HEX : s->reference);
 	rev.diffopt.output_format |= DIFF_FORMAT_PATCH;
 	rev.diffopt.detect_rename = 1;
-	DIFF_OPT_SET(&rev.diffopt, ALLOW_TEXTCONV);
 	rev.diffopt.file = s->fp;
 	rev.diffopt.close_file = 0;
 	/*