diff --git a/dvc/command/diff.py b/dvc/command/diff.py
index c754c1c586..53f4398399 100644
--- a/dvc/command/diff.py
+++ b/dvc/command/diff.py
@@ -97,20 +97,15 @@ def run(self):
         try:
             diff = self.repo.diff(self.args.a_rev, self.args.b_rev)
 
-            if not any(diff.values()):
-                return 0
-
             if not self.args.show_hash:
                 for _, entries in diff.items():
                     for entry in entries:
                         del entry["hash"]
 
             if self.args.show_json:
-                res = json.dumps(diff)
-            else:
-                res = self._format(diff)
-
-            logger.info(res)
+                logger.info(json.dumps(diff))
+            elif diff:
+                logger.info(self._format(diff))
 
         except DvcException:
             logger.exception("failed to get diff")
diff --git a/dvc/repo/diff.py b/dvc/repo/diff.py
index 5a83ed8008..bdc886c542 100644
--- a/dvc/repo/diff.py
+++ b/dvc/repo/diff.py
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ def _exists(output):
     deleted = sorted(set(old) - set(new))
     modified = sorted(set(old) & set(new))
 
-    return {
+    ret = {
         "added": [{"path": path, "hash": new[path]} for path in added],
         "deleted": [{"path": path, "hash": old[path]} for path in deleted],
         "modified": [
@@ -80,3 +80,5 @@ def _exists(output):
             if old[path] != new[path]
         ],
     }
+
+    return ret if any(ret.values()) else {}
diff --git a/tests/func/test_diff.py b/tests/func/test_diff.py
index 707b4936bd..69a06eb32c 100644
--- a/tests/func/test_diff.py
+++ b/tests/func/test_diff.py
@@ -209,3 +209,8 @@ def test_diff_dirty(tmp_dir, scm, dvc):
             }
         ],
     }
+
+
+def test_no_changes(tmp_dir, scm, dvc):
+    tmp_dir.dvc_gen("file", "first", commit="add a file")
+    assert dvc.diff() == {}
diff --git a/tests/unit/command/test_diff.py b/tests/unit/command/test_diff.py
index c70feac7e9..72358dcff3 100644
--- a/tests/unit/command/test_diff.py
+++ b/tests/unit/command/test_diff.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import collections
 import os
+import logging
 
 from dvc.cli import parse_args
 
@@ -86,3 +87,26 @@ def test_show_json_and_hash(mocker, caplog):
     assert '"added": [{"path": "file", "hash": "00000000"}]' in caplog.text
     assert '"deleted": []' in caplog.text
     assert '"modified": []' in caplog.text
+
+
+def test_no_changes(mocker, caplog):
+    args = parse_args(["diff", "--show-json"])
+    cmd = args.func(args)
+    mocker.patch("dvc.repo.Repo.diff", return_value={})
+
+    def info():
+        return [
+            msg
+            for name, level, msg in caplog.record_tuples
+            if name.startswith("dvc") and level == logging.INFO
+        ]
+
+    assert 0 == cmd.run()
+    assert ["{}"] == info()
+
+    caplog.clear()
+
+    args = parse_args(["diff"])
+    cmd = args.func(args)
+    assert 0 == cmd.run()
+    assert not info()
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_plot.py b/tests/unit/test_plot.py
index fcf2ce30b1..2cdf0383d5 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_plot.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_plot.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+from collections import OrderedDict
+
 import pytest
 
 from dvc.repo.plot.data import _apply_path, _lists, _find_data
@@ -26,7 +28,7 @@ def test_parse_json(path, expected_result):
         ({}, []),
         ({"x": ["a", "b", "c"]}, [["a", "b", "c"]]),
         (
-            {"x": {"y": ["a", "b"]}, "z": {"w": ["c", "d"]}},
+            OrderedDict([("x", {"y": ["a", "b"]}), ("z", {"w": ["c", "d"]})]),
             [["a", "b"], ["c", "d"]],
         ),
     ],