diff --ignore-new-file -ur diffutils-2.7/diff.c diffutils-2.7-new/diff.c
--- diffutils-2.7/diff.c	Thu Sep 22 11:47:00 1994
+++ diffutils-2.7-new/diff.c	Fri Feb  8 17:15:33 2002
@@ -221,6 +221,7 @@
   {"horizon-lines", 1, 0, 140},
   {"help", 0, 0, 141},
   {"binary", 0, 0, 142},
+  {"ignore-new-file", 0, 0, 143 },
   {0, 0, 0, 0}
 };
 
@@ -560,6 +561,10 @@
 #endif
 	  break;
 
+        case 143:
+            ignore_new_file_flag = 1;
+            break;
+
 	default:
 	  try_help (0);
 	}
@@ -569,6 +574,12 @@
   if (argc - optind != 2)
     try_help (argc - optind < 2 ? "missing operand" : "extra operand");
 
+  if(ignore_new_file_flag && (entire_new_file_flag
+                              || unidirectional_new_file_flag))
+  {
+      fatal ("conflicting treatment of absent files");
+  }
+
 
   {
     /*
@@ -730,6 +741,7 @@
 "-r  --recursive  Recursively compare any subdirectories found.",
 "-N  --new-file  Treat absent files as empty.",
 "-P  --unidirectional-new-file  Treat absent first files as empty.",
+"--ignore-new-file Ignore absent files.",
 "-s  --report-identical-files  Report when two files are the same.",
 "-x PAT  --exclude=PAT  Exclude files that match PAT.",
 "-X FILE  --exclude-from=FILE  Exclude files that match any pattern in FILE.",
@@ -853,9 +865,12 @@
 	 || (unidirectional_new_file_flag && name1 != 0)
 	 || entire_new_file_flag))
     {
-      char const *name = name0 == 0 ? name1 : name0;
-      char const *dir = name0 == 0 ? dir1 : dir0;
-      message ("Only in %s: %s\n", dir, name);
+        if(!ignore_new_file_flag)
+        {
+            char const *name = name0 == 0 ? name1 : name0;
+            char const *dir = name0 == 0 ? dir1 : dir0;
+            message ("Only in %s: %s\n", dir, name);
+        }
       /* Return 1 so that diff_dirs will return 1 ("some files differ").  */
       return 1;
     }
@@ -1011,10 +1026,13 @@
 	    val = diff_dirs (inf, compare_files, depth);
 	  else
 	    {
-	      char const *dir = (inf[0].desc == -1) ? dir1 : dir0;
-	      /* See Posix.2 section 4.17.6.1.1 for this format.  */
-	      message ("Only in %s: %s\n", dir, name0);
-	      val = 1;
+                if(!ignore_new_file_flag)
+                {
+                    char const *dir = (inf[0].desc == -1) ? dir1 : dir0;
+                    /* See Posix.2 section 4.17.6.1.1 for this format.  */
+                    message ("Only in %s: %s\n", dir, name0);
+                }
+                val = 1;
 	    }
 	}
       else
diff --ignore-new-file -ur diffutils-2.7/diff.h diffutils-2.7-new/diff.h
--- diffutils-2.7/diff.h	Thu Sep 22 11:47:00 1994
+++ diffutils-2.7-new/diff.h	Fri Feb  8 17:06:29 2002
@@ -134,6 +134,11 @@
    Then `patch' would create the file with appropriate contents.  */
 EXTERN int	unidirectional_new_file_flag;
 
+/* If a file is new (appears in only one dir)
+   just ignore it.
+   Then `patch' wouldn't do anything with the appropriate contents. */
+EXTERN int      ignore_new_file_flag;
+
 /* Pipe each file's output through pr (-l).  */
 EXTERN int	paginate_flag;