diff --git a/forwardport/changelog/2022-06/conflict-diff3.md b/forwardport/changelog/2022-06/conflict-diff3.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7dc4b4c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/forwardport/changelog/2022-06/conflict-diff3.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+IMP: use the `diff3` conflict style, should make forward port conflicts clearer and easier to fix
diff --git a/forwardport/models/project.py b/forwardport/models/project.py
index af22ef46..f9653cbb 100644
--- a/forwardport/models/project.py
+++ b/forwardport/models/project.py
@@ -870,7 +870,7 @@ This PR targets %s and is part of the forward-port chain. Further PRs will be cr
             # switch back to the PR branch
             conf.checkout(fp_branch_name)
             # cherry-pick the squashed commit to generate the conflict
-            conf.with_params('merge.renamelimit=0')\
+            conf.with_params('merge.renamelimit=0', 'merge.conflictstyle=diff3')\
                 .with_config(check=False)\
                 .cherry_pick(squashed, no_commit=True)
             status = conf.stdout().status(short=True, untracked_files='no').stdout.decode()
diff --git a/forwardport/tests/test_conflicts.py b/forwardport/tests/test_conflicts.py
index ea6c2844..0dd1c1c5 100644
--- a/forwardport/tests/test_conflicts.py
+++ b/forwardport/tests/test_conflicts.py
@@ -60,9 +60,10 @@ def test_conflict(env, config, make_repo, users):
         'g': 'a',
         'h': re_matches(r'''<<<\x3c<<< HEAD
 a
+|||||||| parent of [\da-f]{7,}.*
 =======
 xxx
->>>\x3e>>> [0-9a-f]{7,}.*
+>>>\x3e>>> [\da-f]{7,}.*
 '''),
     }
     prb = prod.get_pr(prb_id.number)
@@ -323,9 +324,10 @@ def test_multiple_commits_different_authorship(env, config, make_repo, users, ro
 
     assert re.match(r'''<<<\x3c<<< HEAD
 b
+|||||||| parent of [\da-f]{7,}.*
 =======
 2
->>>\x3e>>> [0-9a-f]{7,}.*
+>>>\x3e>>> [\da-f]{7,}.*
 ''', prod.read_tree(c)['g'])
 
     # I'd like to fix the conflict so everything is clean and proper *but*
diff --git a/forwardport/tests/test_updates.py b/forwardport/tests/test_updates.py
index 4f689246..cc7de7c2 100644
--- a/forwardport/tests/test_updates.py
+++ b/forwardport/tests/test_updates.py
@@ -374,9 +374,10 @@ def test_subsequent_conflict(env, make_repo, config, users):
         'g': 'a',
         'h': re_matches(r'''<<<\x3c<<< HEAD
 a
+|||||||| parent of [\da-f]{7,}.*
 =======
 conflict!
->>>\x3e>>> [0-9a-f]{7,}.*
+>>>\x3e>>> [\da-f]{7,}.*
 '''),
         'x': '0',
     }