diff --git a/team/bundles/org.eclipse.compare/.settings/.api_filters b/team/bundles/org.eclipse.compare/.settings/.api_filters
index e4b95513f05..0eba7365ef7 100644
--- a/team/bundles/org.eclipse.compare/.settings/.api_filters
+++ b/team/bundles/org.eclipse.compare/.settings/.api_filters
@@ -8,4 +8,12 @@
             </message_arguments>
         </filter>
     </resource>
+    <resource path="compare/org/eclipse/compare/CompareConfiguration.java" type="org.eclipse.compare.CompareConfiguration">
+        <filter id="336658481">
+            <message_arguments>
+                <message_argument value="org.eclipse.compare.CompareConfiguration"/>
+                <message_argument value="CONTENT_TYPE"/>
+            </message_arguments>
+        </filter>
+    </resource>
 </component>
diff --git a/team/bundles/org.eclipse.compare/compare/org/eclipse/compare/CompareConfiguration.java b/team/bundles/org.eclipse.compare/compare/org/eclipse/compare/CompareConfiguration.java
index 82d924c1aed..882a159a15e 100644
--- a/team/bundles/org.eclipse.compare/compare/org/eclipse/compare/CompareConfiguration.java
+++ b/team/bundles/org.eclipse.compare/compare/org/eclipse/compare/CompareConfiguration.java
@@ -79,6 +79,14 @@ public class CompareConfiguration {
 	 */
 	public static final String MIRRORED = "MIRRORED"; //$NON-NLS-1$
 
+	/**
+	 * (Optional) id of the common content type for compare input detected by the
+	 * compare editor
+	 *
+	 * @since 3.11
+	 */
+	public static final String CONTENT_TYPE = "CONTENT_TYPE"; //$NON-NLS-1$
+
 	private static ImageDescriptor[] fgImages= new ImageDescriptor[32];
 
 	static {
diff --git a/team/bundles/org.eclipse.compare/compare/org/eclipse/compare/internal/CompareUIPlugin.java b/team/bundles/org.eclipse.compare/compare/org/eclipse/compare/internal/CompareUIPlugin.java
index e6000e118ed..86c92651ba0 100644
--- a/team/bundles/org.eclipse.compare/compare/org/eclipse/compare/internal/CompareUIPlugin.java
+++ b/team/bundles/org.eclipse.compare/compare/org/eclipse/compare/internal/CompareUIPlugin.java
@@ -1030,8 +1030,11 @@ public ViewerDescriptor[] findContentViewerDescriptor(Viewer oldViewer, Object i
 		if (ctype != null) {
 			initializeRegistries();
 			List<ViewerDescriptor> list = fContentMergeViewers.searchAll(ctype);
-			if (list != null)
+			if (list != null) {
 				result.addAll(list);
+			}
+			// Add a hint for the viewers which content type we have detected
+			cc.setProperty(CompareConfiguration.CONTENT_TYPE, ctype.getId());
 		}
 
 		String[] types= getTypes(input);