diff --git a/cmd/snapshot_diff.go b/cmd/snapshot_diff.go
index ccbea32e..992cf80a 100644
--- a/cmd/snapshot_diff.go
+++ b/cmd/snapshot_diff.go
@@ -60,10 +60,10 @@ func aptlySnapshotDiff(cmd *commander.Command, args []string) error {
 				verA = "-"
 				verB = pdiff.Right.Version
 				pkg = pdiff.Right.Name
-				arch = pdiff.Right.Architecture
+				arch = pdiff.Right.IndexArchitecture()
 			} else {
 				pkg = pdiff.Left.Name
-				arch = pdiff.Left.Architecture
+				arch = pdiff.Left.IndexArchitecture()
 				verA = pdiff.Left.Version
 				if pdiff.Right == nil {
 					verB = "-"
diff --git a/deb/list_test.go b/deb/list_test.go
index 0b4505d6..869dc67f 100644
--- a/deb/list_test.go
+++ b/deb/list_test.go
@@ -706,3 +706,12 @@ func (s *PackageListSuite) TestArchitectureVariantIndexArchitectures(c *C) {
 	sort.Strings(base)
 	c.Check(base, DeepEquals, []string{"amd64", "i386"})
 }
+
+func (s *PackageListSuite) TestArchitectureVariantFullNames(c *C) {
+	for _, variant := range []string{"", "amd64v3"} {
+		c.Assert(s.list.Add(&Package{Name: "3cpio", Version: "0.14.0-1ubuntu1", Architecture: "amd64", ArchitectureVariant: variant}), IsNil)
+	}
+	names := s.list.FullNames()
+	sort.Strings(names)
+	c.Check(names, DeepEquals, []string{"3cpio_0.14.0-1ubuntu1_amd64", "3cpio_0.14.0-1ubuntu1_amd64v3"})
+}
diff --git a/deb/package.go b/deb/package.go
index 17caf4c4..27b51a10 100644
--- a/deb/package.go
+++ b/deb/package.go
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ func (p *Package) ShortKey(prefix string) []byte {
 
 // String creates readable representation
 func (p *Package) String() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s_%s_%s", p.Name, p.Version, p.Architecture)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s_%s_%s", p.Name, p.Version, p.IndexArchitecture())
 }
 
 // ExtendedStanza returns package stanza enhanced with aptly-specific fields
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@ func (p *Package) GetName() string {
 
 // GetFullName returns the package full name
 func (p *Package) GetFullName() string {
-	return strings.Join([]string{p.Name, p.Version, p.Architecture}, "_")
+	return strings.Join([]string{p.Name, p.Version, p.IndexArchitecture()}, "_")
 }
 
 // GetVersion returns package version
diff --git a/deb/package_test.go b/deb/package_test.go
index a2ba093d..55523d1f 100644
--- a/deb/package_test.go
+++ b/deb/package_test.go
@@ -603,3 +603,16 @@ func (s *PackageSuite) TestArchitectureVariantMatchesIndexArchitecture(c *C) {
 	c.Check(p.MatchesArchitecture("amd64"), Equals, true)
 	c.Check(p.MatchesArchitecture("amd64v3"), Equals, false)
 }
+
+func (s *PackageSuite) TestArchitectureVariantDisplayNames(c *C) {
+	for _, variant := range []string{"", "amd64v3"} {
+		p := &Package{Name: "3cpio", Version: "0.14.0-1ubuntu1", Architecture: "amd64", ArchitectureVariant: variant}
+		expected := "3cpio_0.14.0-1ubuntu1_amd64"
+		if variant != "" {
+			expected = "3cpio_0.14.0-1ubuntu1_amd64v3"
+		}
+		c.Check(p.String(), Equals, expected)
+		c.Check(p.GetFullName(), Equals, expected)
+		c.Check(p.GetArchitecture(), Equals, "amd64")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/system/t05_snapshot/diff.py b/system/t05_snapshot/diff.py
index c1980749..e23448b3 100644
--- a/system/t05_snapshot/diff.py
+++ b/system/t05_snapshot/diff.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import re
+import tempfile
+from pathlib import Path
 from lib import BaseTest
 
 
@@ -80,3 +82,58 @@ class DiffSnapshot6Test(BaseTest):
         "aptly snapshot create snap2 from mirror wheezy-main",
     ]
     runCmd = "aptly snapshot diff snap1 snap2"
+
+
+class DiffSnapshotArchitectureVariantTest(BaseTest):
+    """
+    snapshot diff: display base and variant architectures independently
+    """
+    runCmd = "aptly snapshot diff variant-empty variant-normal"
+
+    def prepare_fixture(self):
+        super().prepare_fixture()
+        self.run_cmd("aptly repo create variant-display")
+        self.run_cmd("aptly snapshot create variant-empty empty")
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(prefix="aptly-diff-variant-") as tmp:
+            for arch in ("amd64", "amd64v3"):
+                package_dir = Path(tmp) / arch
+                control_dir = package_dir / "DEBIAN"
+                control_dir.mkdir(parents=True)
+                control = (
+                    "Package: 3cpio\n"
+                    "Version: 0.14.0-1ubuntu1\n"
+                    "Architecture: amd64\n"
+                    "Maintainer: Aptly Test <test@example.com>\n"
+                    "Description: Snapshot diff display fixture\n"
+                )
+                if arch == "amd64v3":
+                    control += "Architecture-Variant: amd64v3\n"
+                (control_dir / "control").write_text(control)
+                package_file = str(Path(tmp) / (
+                    "3cpio_0.14.0-1ubuntu1_" + arch + ".deb"))
+                self.run_cmd(["dpkg-deb", "--build", str(package_dir), package_file])
+                self.run_cmd(["aptly", "repo", "add", "variant-display", package_file])
+                snapshot = "variant-normal" if arch == "amd64" else "variant-both"
+                self.run_cmd([
+                    "aptly", "snapshot", "create", snapshot,
+                    "from", "repo", "variant-display",
+                ])
+
+    def check(self):
+        def check_row(output, expected):
+            lines = output.strip().splitlines()
+            self.check_equal(len(lines), 2)
+            self.check_equal(" ".join(lines[0].split()),
+                             "Arch | Package | Version in A | Version in B")
+            self.check_equal(" ".join(lines[1].split()), expected)
+
+        check_row(self.output, "+ amd64 | 3cpio | - | 0.14.0-1ubuntu1")
+        for left, right, expected in (
+            ("variant-normal", "variant-both",
+             "+ amd64v3 | 3cpio | - | 0.14.0-1ubuntu1"),
+            ("variant-both", "variant-normal",
+             "- amd64v3 | 3cpio | 0.14.0-1ubuntu1 | -"),
+            ("variant-normal", "variant-empty",
+             "- amd64 | 3cpio | 0.14.0-1ubuntu1 | -"),
+        ):
+            check_row(self.run_cmd(["aptly", "snapshot", "diff", left, right]), expected)