diff --git a/nomad/structs/diff.go b/nomad/structs/diff.go
index 0c2d943c7..1d057b824 100644
--- a/nomad/structs/diff.go
+++ b/nomad/structs/diff.go
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ func (j *Job) Diff(other *Job, contextual bool) (*JobDiff, error) {
 	diff.Fields = fieldDiffs(oldPrimitiveFlat, newPrimitiveFlat, false)
 
 	// Datacenters diff
-	if setDiff := stringSetDiff(j.Datacenters, other.Datacenters, "Datacenters", false); setDiff != nil {
+	if setDiff := stringSetDiff(j.Datacenters, other.Datacenters, "Datacenters", contextual); setDiff != nil && setDiff.Type != DiffTypeNone {
 		diff.Objects = append(diff.Objects, setDiff)
 	}
 
diff --git a/nomad/structs/diff_test.go b/nomad/structs/diff_test.go
index 10c589e31..1b8f7a946 100644
--- a/nomad/structs/diff_test.go
+++ b/nomad/structs/diff_test.go
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ func TestJobDiff(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			// Datacenter contextual
+			// Datacenter contextual no change
 			Contextual: true,
 			Old: &Job{
 				Datacenters: []string{"foo", "bar"},
@@ -409,6 +409,45 @@ func TestJobDiff(t *testing.T) {
 				Type: DiffTypeNone,
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			// Datacenter contextual
+			Contextual: true,
+			Old: &Job{
+				Datacenters: []string{"foo", "bar"},
+			},
+			New: &Job{
+				Datacenters: []string{"foo", "bar", "baz"},
+			},
+			Expected: &JobDiff{
+				Type: DiffTypeEdited,
+				Objects: []*ObjectDiff{
+					{
+						Type: DiffTypeAdded,
+						Name: "Datacenters",
+						Fields: []*FieldDiff{
+							{
+								Type: DiffTypeAdded,
+								Name: "Datacenters",
+								Old:  "",
+								New:  "baz",
+							},
+							{
+								Type: DiffTypeNone,
+								Name: "Datacenters",
+								Old:  "bar",
+								New:  "bar",
+							},
+							{
+								Type: DiffTypeNone,
+								Name: "Datacenters",
+								Old:  "foo",
+								New:  "foo",
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			// Update strategy edited
 			Old: &Job{