diff --git a/src/diff.rs b/src/diff.rs
index f4c0614..47deb30 100644
--- a/src/diff.rs
+++ b/src/diff.rs
@@ -70,6 +70,9 @@ pub fn main(opts: Peekable<ArgsOs>) -> ExitCode {
         return ExitCode::from(2);
     }
 
+    // Side-by-side writes its output directly, so its result cannot indicate differences.
+    let side_by_side_differs = params.format == Format::SideBySide && from_content != to_content;
+
     // run diff
     let result: Vec<u8> = match params.format {
         Format::Normal => normal_diff::diff(&from_content, &to_content, &params),
@@ -79,12 +82,14 @@ pub fn main(opts: Peekable<ArgsOs>) -> ExitCode {
             eprintln!("{error}");
             exit(2);
         }),
+        Format::SideBySide if params.brief => Vec::new(),
         Format::SideBySide => {
             let mut output = stdout().lock();
             side_diff::diff(&from_content, &to_content, &mut output, &params)
         }
     };
-    if params.brief && !result.is_empty() {
+    let differs = side_by_side_differs || !result.is_empty();
+    if params.brief && differs {
         println!(
             "Files {} and {} differ",
             params.from.to_string_lossy(),
@@ -93,7 +98,7 @@ pub fn main(opts: Peekable<ArgsOs>) -> ExitCode {
     } else {
         io::stdout().write_all(&result).unwrap();
     }
-    if result.is_empty() {
+    if !differs {
         maybe_report_identical_files();
         ExitCode::SUCCESS
     } else {
diff --git a/tests/integration.rs b/tests/integration.rs
index 12aabb8..8362e05 100644
--- a/tests/integration.rs
+++ b/tests/integration.rs
@@ -119,6 +119,76 @@ mod diff {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn side_by_side_exit_status() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+        let dir = tempdir()?;
+        let left = dir.path().join("left");
+        let right = dir.path().join("right");
+
+        for (left_content, right_content, code) in [
+            (b"alpha\n".as_slice(), b"alpha\n".as_slice(), 0),
+            (b"alpha\n", b"alpha\nbeta\n", 1),
+            (b"alpha\n", b"bravo\n", 1),
+            (b"alpha", b"alpha\n", 1),
+            (b"alpha", b"alpha", 0),
+            (b"\xff\n", b"\xfe\n", 1),
+            (b"", b"alpha\n", 1),
+            (b"alpha\n", b"", 1),
+            (b"", b"", 0),
+        ] {
+            std::fs::write(&left, left_content)?;
+            std::fs::write(&right, right_content)?;
+            for options in [
+                &["-y"][..],
+                &["-y", "-q"],
+                &["-y", "-s"],
+                &["-y", "--width=40"],
+            ] {
+                let mut cmd = cargo_bin_cmd!("diffutils");
+                cmd.arg("diff").args(options).arg(&left).arg(&right);
+                let assertion = cmd
+                    .assert()
+                    .code(predicate::eq(code))
+                    .stderr(predicate::str::is_empty());
+                if options == ["-y", "-q"] {
+                    let expected = if code == 1 {
+                        format!("Files {} and {} differ\n", left.display(), right.display())
+                    } else {
+                        String::new()
+                    };
+                    assertion.stdout(predicate::eq(expected));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        std::fs::write(&left, b"alpha\n")?;
+        for (right_content, identical) in [(b"alpha\n".as_slice(), true), (b"bravo\n", false)] {
+            std::fs::write(&right, right_content)?;
+            let mut cmd = cargo_bin_cmd!("diffutils");
+            cmd.arg("diff").arg("-y").arg("-s").arg(&left).arg(&right);
+            let assertion = cmd.assert();
+            if identical {
+                assertion.stdout(predicate::str::contains(format!(
+                    "Files {} and {} are identical\n",
+                    left.display(),
+                    right.display()
+                )));
+            } else {
+                assertion.stdout(predicate::str::contains("are identical").not());
+            }
+        }
+
+        std::fs::remove_file(&right)?;
+        let mut cmd = cargo_bin_cmd!("diffutils");
+        cmd.arg("diff").arg("-y").arg(&left).arg(&right);
+        cmd.assert()
+            .code(predicate::eq(2))
+            .failure()
+            .stdout(predicate::str::is_empty())
+            .stderr(predicate::str::contains("right"));
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn no_differences_report_identical_files() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
         // same file