diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/git.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/git.py
index cc9b5e57b..72db4c114 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/git.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/git.py
@@ -54,6 +54,16 @@ def _commit_file_to_git(repo_dir: Path, file_path: Path, commit_message: str) ->
             f"Failed to add {file_path} to git repository {repo_dir}:\n{shlex.join(cmd)}\n exited with {e.returncode}"
         ) from e
 
+    # check if there is a diff
+    cmd = nix_shell(
+        ["git"],
+        ["git", "-C", str(repo_dir), "diff", "--cached", "--exit-code"],
+    )
+    result = subprocess.run(cmd, cwd=repo_dir)
+    # if there is no diff, return
+    if result.returncode == 0:
+        return
+
     # commit only that file
     cmd = nix_shell(
         ["git"],
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_git.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_git.py
index fc69c7ba5..6a9676fc1 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_git.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_git.py
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ def test_commit_file_outside_git_raises_error(git_repo: Path) -> None:
         # commit the file
         with pytest.raises(ClanError):
             git.commit_file(Path(tmp.name), git_repo, "test commit")
+            # this should not fail but skip the commit
+            git.commit_file(Path(tmp.name), git_repo, "test commit")
 
 
 def test_commit_file_not_existing_raises_error(git_repo: Path) -> None: