diff --git a/mergetools/vimdiff b/mergetools/vimdiff
index 64a8fe170d..8029be0975 100644
--- a/mergetools/vimdiff
+++ b/mergetools/vimdiff
@@ -144,11 +144,10 @@ gen_cmd_aux () {
 
 	# Step 2:
 	#
-	# Search for all valid separators ("+", "/" or ",") which are *not*
+	# Search for all valid separators ("/" or ",") which are *not*
 	# inside parenthesis. Save the index at which each of them makes the
 	# first appearance.
 
-	index_new_tab=""
 	index_horizontal_split=""
 	index_vertical_split=""
 
@@ -182,14 +181,7 @@ gen_cmd_aux () {
 		then
 			current=$c
 
-			if test "$current" = "+"
-			then
-				if test -z "$index_new_tab"
-				then
-					index_new_tab=$i
-				fi
-
-			elif test "$current" = "/"
+			if test "$current" = "/"
 			then
 				if test -z "$index_horizontal_split"
 				then
@@ -219,14 +211,7 @@ gen_cmd_aux () {
 
 	terminate="false"
 
-	if ! test -z "$index_new_tab"
-	then
-		before="-tabnew | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis'"
-		after="tabnext"
-		index=$index_new_tab
-		terminate="true"
-
-	elif ! test -z "$index_horizontal_split"
+	if ! test -z "$index_horizontal_split"
 	then
 		before="leftabove split"
 		after="wincmd j"
@@ -333,7 +318,15 @@ gen_cmd () {
 
 	# Obtain the first part of vim "-c" option to obtain the desired layout
 
-	CMD=$(gen_cmd_aux "$LAYOUT")
+	CMD=
+	oldIFS=$IFS
+	IFS=+
+	for tab in $LAYOUT
+	do
+		test -n "$CMD" && CMD="$CMD | tabnew | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis'"
+		CMD=$(gen_cmd_aux "$tab" "$CMD")
+	done
+	IFS=$oldIFS
 
 
 	# Add an extra "-c" option to move to the first tab (notice that we
@@ -554,12 +547,12 @@ run_unit_tests () {
 	EXPECTED_CMD_08="-c \"set hidden diffopt-=hiddenoff | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove split | leftabove vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 4b\" -c \"tabfirst\""
 	EXPECTED_CMD_09="-c \"set hidden diffopt-=hiddenoff | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove split | 4b | wincmd j | leftabove vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | 3b\" -c \"tabfirst\""
 	EXPECTED_CMD_10="-c \"set hidden diffopt-=hiddenoff | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove vertical split | leftabove split | 1b | wincmd j | leftabove split | 2b | wincmd j | 3b | wincmd l | 4b\" -c \"tabfirst\""
-	EXPECTED_CMD_11="-c \"set hidden diffopt-=hiddenoff | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | -tabnew | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove split | leftabove vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 4b | tabnext | -tabnew | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 1b | tabnext | -tabnew | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | tabnext | leftabove vertical split | leftabove split | 1b | wincmd j | leftabove split | 2b | wincmd j | 3b | wincmd l | 4b\" -c \"tabfirst\""
+	EXPECTED_CMD_11="-c \"set hidden diffopt-=hiddenoff | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove split | leftabove vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 4b | tabnew | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 1b | tabnew | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | tabnew | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove vertical split | leftabove split | 1b | wincmd j | leftabove split | 2b | wincmd j | 3b | wincmd l | 4b\" -c \"tabfirst\""
 	EXPECTED_CMD_12="-c \"set hidden diffopt-=hiddenoff | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove vertical split | leftabove split | leftabove vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 2b | wincmd l | 4b\" -c \"tabfirst\""
 	EXPECTED_CMD_13="-c \"set hidden diffopt-=hiddenoff | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove vertical split | leftabove split | leftabove vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 2b | wincmd l | leftabove vertical split | leftabove split | 1b | wincmd j | 3b | wincmd l | 4b\" -c \"tabfirst\""
-	EXPECTED_CMD_14="-c \"set hidden diffopt-=hiddenoff | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | -tabnew | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | tabnext | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 1b\" -c \"tabfirst\""
-	EXPECTED_CMD_15="-c \"set hidden diffopt-=hiddenoff | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | -tabnew | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove split | leftabove vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 4b | tabnext | -tabnew | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 1b | tabnext | -tabnew | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | tabnext | leftabove vertical split | leftabove split | 1b | wincmd j | leftabove split | 2b | wincmd j | 3b | wincmd l | 4b\" -c \"tabfirst\""
-	EXPECTED_CMD_16="-c \"set hidden diffopt-=hiddenoff | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | -tabnew | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove split | leftabove vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 4b | tabnext | -tabnew | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 1b | tabnext | -tabnew | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | tabnext | leftabove vertical split | leftabove split | 1b | wincmd j | leftabove split | 2b | wincmd j | 3b | wincmd l | 4b\" -c \"tabfirst\""
+	EXPECTED_CMD_14="-c \"set hidden diffopt-=hiddenoff | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | tabnew | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 1b\" -c \"tabfirst\""
+	EXPECTED_CMD_15="-c \"set hidden diffopt-=hiddenoff | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove split | leftabove vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 4b | tabnew | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 1b | tabnew | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | tabnew | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove vertical split | leftabove split | 1b | wincmd j | leftabove split | 2b | wincmd j | 3b | wincmd l | 4b\" -c \"tabfirst\""
+	EXPECTED_CMD_16="-c \"set hidden diffopt-=hiddenoff | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove split | leftabove vertical split | 1b | wincmd l | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | wincmd j | 4b | tabnew | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 1b | tabnew | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove vertical split | 2b | wincmd l | 3b | tabnew | silent execute 'bufdo diffthis' | leftabove vertical split | leftabove split | 1b | wincmd j | leftabove split | 2b | wincmd j | 3b | wincmd l | 4b\" -c \"tabfirst\""
 
 	EXPECTED_TARGET_01="MERGED"
 	EXPECTED_TARGET_02="LOCAL"
