diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/diff/diff.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/diff/diff.go
index 31c1e60bb7e..75ee84b7d6b 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/diff/diff.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/diff/diff.go
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"regexp"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/jonboulle/clockwork"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -55,7 +57,10 @@ var (
 		Output is always YAML.
 
 		KUBECTL_EXTERNAL_DIFF environment variable can be used to select your own
-		diff command. By default, the "diff" command available in your path will be
+		diff command. Users can use external commands with params too, example:
+		KUBECTL_EXTERNAL_DIFF="colordiff -N -u"
+
+		By default, the "diff" command available in your path will be
 		run with "-u" (unified diff) and "-N" (treat absent files as empty) options.
 
 		Exit status:
@@ -168,7 +173,18 @@ type DiffProgram struct {
 func (d *DiffProgram) getCommand(args ...string) (string, exec.Cmd) {
 	diff := ""
 	if envDiff := os.Getenv("KUBECTL_EXTERNAL_DIFF"); envDiff != "" {
-		diff = envDiff
+		diffCommand := strings.Split(envDiff, " ")
+		diff = diffCommand[0]
+
+		if len(diffCommand) > 1 {
+			// Regex accepts: Alphanumeric (case-insensitive) and dash
+			isValidChar := regexp.MustCompile(`^[a-zA-Z0-9-]+$`).MatchString
+			for i := 1; i < len(diffCommand); i++ {
+				if isValidChar(diffCommand[i]) {
+					args = append(args, diffCommand[i])
+				}
+			}
+		}
 	} else {
 		diff = "diff"
 		args = append([]string{"-u", "-N"}, args...)
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/diff/diff_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/diff/diff_test.go
index 2b833e551db..434415ecf49 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/diff/diff_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/diff/diff_test.go
@@ -52,18 +52,27 @@ func (f *FakeObject) Live() runtime.Object {
 }
 
 func TestDiffProgram(t *testing.T) {
-	os.Setenv("KUBECTL_EXTERNAL_DIFF", "echo")
-	streams, _, stdout, _ := genericclioptions.NewTestIOStreams()
-	diff := DiffProgram{
-		IOStreams: streams,
-		Exec:      exec.New(),
-	}
-	err := diff.Run("one", "two")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	if output := stdout.String(); output != "one two\n" {
-		t.Fatalf(`stdout = %q, expected "one two\n"`, output)
+	externalDiffCommands := [3]string{"diff", "diff -ruN", "diff --report-identical-files"}
+
+	for i, c := range externalDiffCommands {
+		os.Setenv("KUBECTL_EXTERNAL_DIFF", c)
+		streams, _, stdout, _ := genericclioptions.NewTestIOStreams()
+		diff := DiffProgram{
+			IOStreams: streams,
+			Exec:      exec.New(),
+		}
+		err := diff.Run("/dev/zero", "/dev/zero")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		// Testing diff --report-identical-files
+		if i == 2 {
+			output_msg := "Files /dev/zero and /dev/zero are identical\n"
+			if output := stdout.String(); output != output_msg {
+				t.Fatalf(`stdout = %q, expected = %s"`, output, output_msg)
+			}
+		}
 	}
 }