diff --git a/src/configuration/ArcanistSettings.php b/src/configuration/ArcanistSettings.php
--- a/src/configuration/ArcanistSettings.php
+++ b/src/configuration/ArcanistSettings.php
@@ -174,6 +174,14 @@
         'help' => pht(
           'Configured command aliases. Use "arc alias" to define aliases.'),
       ),
+      'arc.diff.svn.use-internal-diff' => array(
+        'type' => 'bool',
+        'help' => pht(
+          'Use subversion\'s internal diff tool for generating diffs. '.
+          'This requires at least subversion version 1.9.'),
+        'default' => false,
+        'example' => 'false',
+      ),
     );
   }
 
diff --git a/src/repository/api/ArcanistSubversionAPI.php b/src/repository/api/ArcanistSubversionAPI.php
--- a/src/repository/api/ArcanistSubversionAPI.php
+++ b/src/repository/api/ArcanistSubversionAPI.php
@@ -292,6 +292,18 @@
     // directory is newly added (see T5555) so we need to filter the results
     // out later as well.
 
+    $svn_internal_diff = 'arc.diff.svn.use-internal-diff';
+    $configmanager = $this->getConfigurationManager();
+    $use_svn_diff = $configmanager->getConfigFromAnySource($svn_internal_diff);
+    if ($use_svn_diff) {
+      return $this->buildLocalFuture(
+        array(
+          'diff --depth empty --internal-diff -x -U%d %s',
+          $this->getDiffLinesOfContext(),
+          $path,
+        ));
+    }
+
     if (phutil_is_windows()) {
       // TODO: Provide a binary_safe_diff script for Windows.
       // TODO: Provide a diff command which can take lines of context somehow.