diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/files_controller.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/files_controller.go
index 0bd59ca16..2e448ae24 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/files_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/files_controller.go
@@ -365,8 +365,7 @@ func (self *FilesController) renderNonTextualConflict(node *filetree.FileNode) {
 func (self *FilesController) renderWorkingTreeDiff(node *filetree.FileNode) {
 	self.c.Helpers().MergeConflicts.ResetMergeState()
 
-	split := self.c.UserConfig().Gui.SplitDiff == "always" || (node.GetHasUnstagedChanges() && node.GetHasStagedChanges())
-	mainShowsStaged := !split && node.GetHasStagedChanges()
+	split, mainShowsStaged := self.diffSplitState(node)
 
 	pathOverrides := self.pathOverridesForDiff(node)
 	cmdObj := self.c.Git().WorkingTree.WorktreeFileDiffCmdObj(node, false, mainShowsStaged, pathOverrides)
@@ -445,6 +444,18 @@ func (self *FilesController) GetOnClickFocusedMainView() func(mainViewName strin
 	}
 }
 
+// diffSplitState reports, for the given file node, how the focused main view lays
+// out its diff: whether it's split into unstaged (Normal) and staged
+// (NormalSecondary) halves, and — when not split — whether the single Normal view
+// shows the staged diff (which happens when the file has only staged changes).
+// GetOnRenderToMain and GetOnStageFocusedMainView share this so the staging
+// direction can't drift from what's on screen.
+func (self *FilesController) diffSplitState(node *filetree.FileNode) (split bool, mainShowsStaged bool) {
+	split = self.c.UserConfig().Gui.SplitDiff == "always" || (node.GetHasUnstagedChanges() && node.GetHasStagedChanges())
+	mainShowsStaged = !split && node.GetHasStagedChanges()
+	return split, mainShowsStaged
+}
+
 // if we are dealing with a status for which there is no key in this map,
 // then we won't optimistically render: we'll just let `git status` tell
 // us what the new status is.