diff --git a/app/models/legacy_diff_note.rb b/app/models/legacy_diff_note.rb
index 790dfd4d480..04a651d50ab 100644
--- a/app/models/legacy_diff_note.rb
+++ b/app/models/legacy_diff_note.rb
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class LegacyDiffNote < Note
   end
 
   def diff_line
-    @diff_line ||= diff_file.line_for_line_code(self.line_code)
+    @diff_line ||= diff_file.line_for_line_code(self.line_code) if diff_file
   end
 
   def for_line?(line)
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ class LegacyDiffNote < Note
   def active?
     return @active if defined?(@active)
     return true if for_commit?
-    return true unless self.diff
+    return true unless diff_line
     return false unless noteable
 
     noteable_diff = find_noteable_diff
diff --git a/app/views/notify/note_merge_request_email.html.haml b/app/views/notify/note_merge_request_email.html.haml
index 35c4b862bb7..ea7e3d199fd 100644
--- a/app/views/notify/note_merge_request_email.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/notify/note_merge_request_email.html.haml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-- if @note.diff_note?
+- if @note.diff_note? && @note.diff_file
   %p.details
     New comment on diff for
     = link_to @note.diff_file.file_path, @target_url