diff --git a/src/ed_diff.rs b/src/ed_diff.rs
index 81ddfb4..0f1ce69 100644
--- a/src/ed_diff.rs
+++ b/src/ed_diff.rs
@@ -123,24 +123,21 @@ pub fn diff(expected: &[u8], actual: &[u8], params: &Params) -> Result<Vec<u8>,
         let _line_number_actual: isize = result.line_number_actual as isize + lines_offset;
         let expected_count: isize = result.expected.len() as isize;
         let actual_count: isize = result.actual.len() as isize;
-        match (expected_count, actual_count) {
-            (0, 0) => unreachable!(),
-            (0, _) => writeln!(&mut output, "{}a", line_number_expected - 1).unwrap(),
-            (_, 0) => writeln!(
-                &mut output,
-                "{},{}d",
-                line_number_expected,
-                expected_count + line_number_expected - 1
-            )
-            .unwrap(),
-            (1, _) => writeln!(&mut output, "{line_number_expected}c").unwrap(),
-            _ => writeln!(
-                &mut output,
-                "{},{}c",
-                line_number_expected,
-                expected_count + line_number_expected - 1
-            )
-            .unwrap(),
+        if expected_count == 0 {
+            writeln!(&mut output, "{}a", line_number_expected - 1).unwrap();
+        } else {
+            let command = if actual_count == 0 { 'd' } else { 'c' };
+            if expected_count > 1 {
+                write!(
+                    &mut output,
+                    "{line_number_expected},{}",
+                    expected_count + line_number_expected - 1
+                )
+                .unwrap();
+            } else {
+                write!(&mut output, "{line_number_expected}").unwrap();
+            }
+            writeln!(&mut output, "{command}").unwrap();
         }
         lines_offset += actual_count - expected_count;
         if actual_count != 0 {
@@ -180,6 +177,47 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(diff, expected.as_bytes());
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_single_line_delete() {
+        let params = Params::default();
+        assert_eq!(
+            diff(
+                b"owl
+", b"", &params
+            )
+            .unwrap(),
+            b"1d
+"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            diff(
+                b"owl
+emu
+",
+                b"owl
+",
+                &params
+            )
+            .unwrap(),
+            b"2d
+"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            diff(
+                b"owl
+emu
+yak
+",
+                b"yak
+",
+                &params
+            )
+            .unwrap(),
+            b"1,2d
+"
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_permutations() {
         let target = "target/ed-diff/";
diff --git a/src/normal_diff.rs b/src/normal_diff.rs
index 652dc84..2bbe1bf 100644
--- a/src/normal_diff.rs
+++ b/src/normal_diff.rs
@@ -116,6 +116,15 @@ fn make_diff(expected: &[u8], actual: &[u8], stop_early: bool) -> Vec<Mismatch>
     results
 }
 
+/// Writes a line range as `start,end`, or just `start` when it spans at most one line.
+fn write_range(output: &mut Vec<u8>, start: usize, count: usize) {
+    if count > 1 {
+        write!(output, "{start},{}", start + count - 1).unwrap();
+    } else {
+        write!(output, "{start}").unwrap();
+    }
+}
+
 #[must_use]
 pub fn diff(expected: &[u8], actual: &[u8], params: &Params) -> Vec<u8> {
     // See https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/manual/html_node/Detailed-Normal.html
@@ -131,62 +140,21 @@ pub fn diff(expected: &[u8], actual: &[u8], params: &Params) -> Vec<u8> {
         let line_number_actual = result.line_number_actual;
         let expected_count = result.expected.len();
         let actual_count = result.actual.len();
-        match (expected_count, actual_count) {
-            (0, 0) => unreachable!(),
-            (0, _) => writeln!(
-                // 'a' stands for "Add lines"
-                &mut output,
-                "{}a{},{}",
-                line_number_expected - 1,
-                line_number_actual,
-                line_number_actual + actual_count - 1
-            )
-            .unwrap(),
-            (_, 0) => writeln!(
-                // 'd' stands for "Delete lines"
-                &mut output,
-                "{},{}d{}",
-                line_number_expected,
-                expected_count + line_number_expected - 1,
-                line_number_actual - 1
-            )
-            .unwrap(),
-            (1, 1) => writeln!(
-                // 'c' stands for "Change lines"
-                // exactly one line replaced by one line
-                &mut output,
-                "{line_number_expected}c{line_number_actual}"
-            )
-            .unwrap(),
-            (1, _) => writeln!(
-                // one line replaced by multiple lines
-                &mut output,
-                "{}c{},{}",
-                line_number_expected,
-                line_number_actual,
-                actual_count + line_number_actual - 1
-            )
-            .unwrap(),
-            (_, 1) => writeln!(
-                // multiple lines replaced by one line
-                &mut output,
-                "{},{}c{}",
-                line_number_expected,
-                expected_count + line_number_expected - 1,
-                line_number_actual
-            )
-            .unwrap(),
-            _ => writeln!(
-                // general case: multiple lines replaced by multiple lines
-                &mut output,
-                "{},{}c{},{}",
-                line_number_expected,
-                expected_count + line_number_expected - 1,
-                line_number_actual,
-                actual_count + line_number_actual - 1
-            )
-            .unwrap(),
-        }
+        // 'a' stands for "Add lines", 'd' for "Delete lines", 'c' for "Change lines"
+        let (command, expected_start) = match (expected_count, actual_count) {
+            (0, _) => ('a', line_number_expected - 1),
+            (_, 0) => ('d', line_number_expected),
+            _ => ('c', line_number_expected),
+        };
+        let actual_start = if actual_count == 0 {
+            line_number_actual - 1
+        } else {
+            line_number_actual
+        };
+        write_range(&mut output, expected_start, expected_count);
+        write!(&mut output, "{command}").unwrap();
+        write_range(&mut output, actual_start, actual_count);
+        writeln!(&mut output).unwrap();
         for expected in &result.expected {
             write!(&mut output, "< ").unwrap();
             do_write_line(&mut output, expected, params.expand_tabs, params.tabsize).unwrap();
@@ -228,6 +196,18 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(diff, expected);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_single_line_ranges() {
+        let params = Params::default();
+        assert_eq!(diff(b"", b"pear\n", &params), b"0a1\n> pear\n");
+        assert_eq!(diff(b"plum\n", b"", &params), b"1d0\n< plum\n");
+        assert_eq!(diff(b"fig\nlime\n", b"fig\n", &params), b"2d1\n< lime\n");
+        assert_eq!(
+            diff(b"fig\n", b"fig\nlime\nsloe\n", &params),
+            b"1a2,3\n> lime\n> sloe\n"
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_permutations() {
         let target = "target/normal-diff/";
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_diff.rs b/tests/by-util/test_diff.rs
index fbdd494..bd408c9 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_diff.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_diff.rs
@@ -288,3 +288,51 @@ fn sdiff_gutter_marker_column() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
 
     Ok(())
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn normal_format_single_line_ranges() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+    let tmp_dir = tempdir()?;
+    let old = tmp_dir.path().join("old");
+    let new = tmp_dir.path().join("new");
+    std::fs::write(&old, "north\neast\nsouth\nwest\n")?;
+    std::fs::write(&new, "north\nsouth\nwest\nup\ndown\n")?;
+
+    let mut cmd = cargo_bin_cmd!("diffutils");
+    cmd.arg("diff").arg(&old).arg(&new);
+    cmd.assert()
+        .code(predicate::eq(1))
+        .stdout("2d1\n< east\n4a4,5\n> up\n> down\n");
+
+    let mut cmd = cargo_bin_cmd!("diffutils");
+    cmd.arg("diff").arg("/dev/null").arg(&old);
+    if cfg!(unix) {
+        cmd.assert()
+            .code(predicate::eq(1))
+            .stdout("0a1,4\n> north\n> east\n> south\n> west\n");
+    }
+
+    std::fs::write(&new, "north\neast\nsouth\nwest\nup\n")?;
+    let mut cmd = cargo_bin_cmd!("diffutils");
+    cmd.arg("diff").arg(&old).arg(&new);
+    cmd.assert().code(predicate::eq(1)).stdout("4a5\n> up\n");
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn ed_format_single_line_deletions() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+    let tmp_dir = tempdir()?;
+    let old = tmp_dir.path().join("old");
+    let new = tmp_dir.path().join("new");
+    std::fs::write(&old, "red\norange\nyellow\ngreen\nblue\n")?;
+    std::fs::write(&new, "red\norange\nyellow\nblue\n")?;
+
+    let mut cmd = cargo_bin_cmd!("diffutils");
+    cmd.arg("diff").arg("-e").arg(&old).arg(&new);
+    cmd.assert().code(predicate::eq(1)).stdout("4d\n");
+
+    std::fs::write(&new, "red\nblue\n")?;
+    let mut cmd = cargo_bin_cmd!("diffutils");
+    cmd.arg("diff").arg("-e").arg(&old).arg(&new);
+    cmd.assert().code(predicate::eq(1)).stdout("2,4d\n");
+    Ok(())
+}