diff --git a/platform/diff-api/src/com/intellij/diff/merge/external/AutomaticExternalMergeTool.java b/platform/diff-api/src/com/intellij/diff/merge/external/AutomaticExternalMergeTool.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..2c1714e91b52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/platform/diff-api/src/com/intellij/diff/merge/external/AutomaticExternalMergeTool.java
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+package com.intellij.diff.merge.external;
+
+import com.intellij.diff.merge.MergeRequest;
+import com.intellij.openapi.extensions.ExtensionPointName;
+import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project;
+import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
+import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
+
+public interface AutomaticExternalMergeTool {
+  ExtensionPointName<AutomaticExternalMergeTool> EP_NAME = ExtensionPointName.create("com.intellij.diff.merge.external.AutomaticExternalMergeTool");
+
+  boolean canShow(@NotNull MergeRequest request);
+  void show(@Nullable Project project, @NotNull MergeRequest request);
+}
diff --git a/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/DiffManagerImpl.java b/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/DiffManagerImpl.java
index cdbbea370e10..21a60828b956 100644
--- a/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/DiffManagerImpl.java
+++ b/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/DiffManagerImpl.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import com.intellij.diff.editor.ChainDiffVirtualFile;
 import com.intellij.diff.impl.DiffRequestPanelImpl;
 import com.intellij.diff.impl.DiffWindow;
 import com.intellij.diff.merge.*;
+import com.intellij.diff.merge.external.AutomaticExternalMergeTool;
 import com.intellij.diff.requests.DiffRequest;
 import com.intellij.diff.tools.binary.BinaryDiffTool;
 import com.intellij.diff.tools.dir.DirDiffTool;
@@ -124,6 +125,13 @@ public class DiffManagerImpl extends DiffManagerEx {
   @Override
   @CalledInAwt
   public void showMerge(@Nullable Project project, @NotNull MergeRequest request) {
+    // plugin may provide a better tool for this MergeRequest
+    AutomaticExternalMergeTool tool = AutomaticExternalMergeTool.EP_NAME.findFirstSafe(mergeTool -> mergeTool.canShow(request));
+    if (tool!=null) {
+      tool.show(project, request);
+      return;
+    }
+
     if (ExternalMergeTool.isDefault()) {
       ExternalMergeTool.show(project, request);
       return;
diff --git a/platform/platform-resources/src/META-INF/PlatformExtensionPoints.xml b/platform/platform-resources/src/META-INF/PlatformExtensionPoints.xml
index 858e7ec70d84..992a7bb1781e 100644
--- a/platform/platform-resources/src/META-INF/PlatformExtensionPoints.xml
+++ b/platform/platform-resources/src/META-INF/PlatformExtensionPoints.xml
@@ -282,6 +282,7 @@
     <extensionPoint name="diff.DiffExtension" interface="com.intellij.diff.DiffExtension" dynamic="true"/>
     <extensionPoint name="diff.lang.DiffIgnoredRangeProvider" interface="com.intellij.diff.lang.DiffIgnoredRangeProvider" dynamic="true"/>
     <extensionPoint name="diff.impl.DiffToolSubstitutor" interface="com.intellij.diff.impl.DiffToolSubstitutor" dynamic="true"/>
+    <extensionPoint name="diff.tools.external.AutomaticExternalMergeTool" interface="com.intellij.diff.merge.external.AutomaticExternalMergeTool" dynamic="true"/>
     <extensionPoint name="testStatusListener" interface="com.intellij.execution.testframework.TestStatusListener"/>
 
     <extensionPoint name="diff.actions.ShowDiffAction.ExtensionProvider"