diff --git a/Documentation/config.txt b/Documentation/config.txt
index 6b3ac5aa90..290cb48eb9 100644
--- a/Documentation/config.txt
+++ b/Documentation/config.txt
@@ -635,7 +635,7 @@ diff.renames::
 	will enable basic rename detection.  If set to "copies" or
 	"copy", it will detect copies, as well.
 
-diff.suppress-blank-empty::
+diff.suppressBlankEmpty::
 	A boolean to inhibit the standard behavior of printing a space
 	before each empty output line. Defaults to false.
 
diff --git a/diff.c b/diff.c
index d23548292a..0731313160 100644
--- a/diff.c
+++ b/diff.c
@@ -118,7 +118,9 @@ int git_diff_basic_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 	}
 
 	/* like GNU diff's --suppress-blank-empty option  */
-	if (!strcmp(var, "diff.suppress-blank-empty")) {
+	if (!strcmp(var, "diff.suppressblankempty") ||
+			/* for backwards compatibility */
+			!strcmp(var, "diff.suppress-blank-empty")) {
 		diff_suppress_blank_empty = git_config_bool(var, value);
 		return 0;
 	}
diff --git a/t/t4029-diff-trailing-space.sh b/t/t4029-diff-trailing-space.sh
index 4ca65e0332..9ddbbcde57 100755
--- a/t/t4029-diff-trailing-space.sh
+++ b/t/t4029-diff-trailing-space.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #
 # Copyright (c) Jim Meyering
 #
-test_description='diff honors config option, diff.suppress-blank-empty'
+test_description='diff honors config option, diff.suppressBlankEmpty'
 
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
@@ -24,14 +24,14 @@ test_expect_success \
      git add f &&
      git commit -q -m. f &&
      printf "\ny\n" > f &&
-     git config --bool diff.suppress-blank-empty true &&
+     git config --bool diff.suppressBlankEmpty true &&
      git diff f > actual &&
      test_cmp exp actual &&
      perl -i.bak -p -e "s/^\$/ /" exp &&
-     git config --bool diff.suppress-blank-empty false &&
+     git config --bool diff.suppressBlankEmpty false &&
      git diff f > actual &&
      test_cmp exp actual &&
-     git config --bool --unset diff.suppress-blank-empty &&
+     git config --bool --unset diff.suppressBlankEmpty &&
      git diff f > actual &&
      test_cmp exp actual
      '