diff --git a/admin/tool/capability/classes/settings_form.php b/admin/tool/capability/classes/settings_form.php
index cf5fa3e8197..1bdf548dd04 100644
--- a/admin/tool/capability/classes/settings_form.php
+++ b/admin/tool/capability/classes/settings_form.php
@@ -60,6 +60,11 @@ class tool_capability_settings_form extends moodleform {
         $form->addElement('select', 'roles', get_string('roleslabel', 'tool_capability'), $roles, $attributes);
         $form->setType('roles', PARAM_TEXT);
 
+        $form->addElement('checkbox', 'onlydiff',
+                get_string('filters', 'tool_capability'),
+                get_string('onlydiff', 'tool_capability'));
+        $form->setType('onlydiff', PARAM_BOOL);
+
         $form->addElement('submit', 'submitbutton', get_string('getreport', 'tool_capability'));
     }
 
diff --git a/admin/tool/capability/index.php b/admin/tool/capability/index.php
index 57f071678c8..32ef291501e 100644
--- a/admin/tool/capability/index.php
+++ b/admin/tool/capability/index.php
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ $capabilities = array();
 $rolestoshow = array();
 $roleids = array('0');
 $cleanedroleids = array();
+$onlydiff = false;
 if ($data = $form->get_data()) {
 
     $roleids = array();
@@ -90,6 +91,10 @@ if ($data = $form->get_data()) {
             }
         }
     }
+
+    if (isset($data->onlydiff)) {
+        $onlydiff = $data->onlydiff;
+    }
 }
 
 \tool_capability\event\report_viewed::create()->trigger();
@@ -103,7 +108,7 @@ $form->display();
 // If we have a capability, generate the report.
 if (count($capabilities) && count($rolestoshow)) {
     /* @var tool_capability_renderer $renderer */
-    echo $renderer->capability_comparison_table($capabilities, $context->id, $rolestoshow);
+    echo $renderer->capability_comparison_table($capabilities, $context->id, $rolestoshow, $onlydiff);
 }
 
 // Footer.
diff --git a/admin/tool/capability/lang/en/tool_capability.php b/admin/tool/capability/lang/en/tool_capability.php
index b44db226de1..05a45340f56 100644
--- a/admin/tool/capability/lang/en/tool_capability.php
+++ b/admin/tool/capability/lang/en/tool_capability.php
@@ -22,15 +22,18 @@
  * @license    http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
  */
 
+$string['onlydiff'] = 'Show differences only';
 $string['capabilitylabel'] = 'Capability:';
 $string['capabilityreport'] = 'Capability overview';
 $string['eventreportviewed'] = 'Report viewed';
+$string['filters'] = 'Filter results';
 $string['forroles'] = 'For roles {$a}';
 $string['getreport'] = 'Get the overview';
 $string['changeoverrides'] = 'Change overrides in this context';
 $string['changeroles'] = 'Change role definitions';
 $string['intro'] = 'This report shows, for a particular capability, what permission that capability has in the definition of every role (or a selection of roles), and everywhere in the site where that capability is overridden.';
 $string['pluginname'] = 'Capability overview';
+$string['nodifferences'] = 'There are no differences to show between selected roles in this context';
 $string['reportforcapability'] = 'Report for capability \'{$a}\'';
 $string['reportsettings'] = 'Report settings';
 $string['roleslabel'] = 'Roles:';
diff --git a/admin/tool/capability/renderer.php b/admin/tool/capability/renderer.php
index 30a9628b90b..d083f280860 100644
--- a/admin/tool/capability/renderer.php
+++ b/admin/tool/capability/renderer.php
@@ -72,9 +72,10 @@ class tool_capability_renderer extends plugin_renderer_base {
      * @param array $capabilities An array of capabilities to show comparison for.
      * @param int $contextid The context we are displaying for.
      * @param array $roles An array of roles to show comparison for.
+     * @param bool $onlydiff show only different permissions
      * @return string
      */
-    public function capability_comparison_table(array $capabilities, $contextid, array $roles) {
+    public function capability_comparison_table(array $capabilities, $contextid, array $roles, $onlydiff=false) {
 
         $strpermissions = $this->get_permission_strings();
         $permissionclasses = $this->get_permission_classes();
@@ -99,18 +100,23 @@ class tool_capability_renderer extends plugin_renderer_base {
 
             $row = new html_table_row(array($captitle));
 
+            $permissiontypes = array();
             foreach ($roles as $role) {
                 if (isset($contexts[$contextid]->rolecapabilities[$role->id])) {
                     $permission = $contexts[$contextid]->rolecapabilities[$role->id];
                 } else {
                     $permission = CAP_INHERIT;
                 }
+                if (!in_array($permission, $permissiontypes)) {
+                    $permissiontypes[] = $permission;
+                }
                 $cell = new html_table_cell($strpermissions[$permission]);
                 $cell->attributes['class'] = $permissionclasses[$permission];
                 $row->cells[] = $cell;
             }
-
-            $table->data[] = $row;
+            if (!$onlydiff || count($permissiontypes) > 1) {
+                $table->data[] = $row;
+            }
         }
 
         // Start the list item, and print the context name as a link to the place to make changes.
@@ -125,11 +131,15 @@ class tool_capability_renderer extends plugin_renderer_base {
         $title = get_string('permissionsincontext', 'core_role', $context->get_context_name());
 
         $html = $this->output->heading(html_writer::link($url, $title), 3);
-        $html .= html_writer::table($table);
+        if (!empty($table->data)) {
+            $html .= html_writer::table($table);
+        } else {
+            $html .= html_writer::tag('p', get_string('nodifferences', 'tool_capability'));
+        }
         // If there are any child contexts, print them recursively.
         if (!empty($contexts[$contextid]->children)) {
             foreach ($contexts[$contextid]->children as $childcontextid) {
-                $html .= $this->capability_comparison_table($capabilities, $childcontextid, $roles, true);
+                $html .= $this->capability_comparison_table($capabilities, $childcontextid, $roles, $onlydiff);
             }
         }
         return $html;