diff --git a/nomad/structs/diff.go b/nomad/structs/diff.go
index 251ceee5d..812a28e17 100644
--- a/nomad/structs/diff.go
+++ b/nomad/structs/diff.go
@@ -226,12 +226,12 @@ func (tg *TaskGroup) Diff(other *TaskGroup, contextual bool) (*TaskGroupDiff, er
 
 	// ShutdownDelay diff
 	if tg.ShutdownDelay == nil {
-		oldPrimitiveFlat["ShutdownDelay"] = "nil"
+		oldPrimitiveFlat["ShutdownDelay"] = ""
 	} else {
 		oldPrimitiveFlat["ShutdownDelay"] = fmt.Sprintf("%d", *tg.ShutdownDelay)
 	}
 	if other.ShutdownDelay == nil {
-		newPrimitiveFlat["ShutdownDelay"] = "nil"
+		newPrimitiveFlat["ShutdownDelay"] = ""
 	} else {
 		newPrimitiveFlat["ShutdownDelay"] = fmt.Sprintf("%d", *other.ShutdownDelay)
 	}
diff --git a/nomad/structs/diff_test.go b/nomad/structs/diff_test.go
index 06ac79ad1..ed6ea0797 100644
--- a/nomad/structs/diff_test.go
+++ b/nomad/structs/diff_test.go
@@ -3050,6 +3050,42 @@ func TestTaskGroupDiff(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			TestCase: "TaskGroup shutdown_delay removed",
+			Old: &TaskGroup{
+				ShutdownDelay: helper.TimeToPtr(30 * time.Second),
+			},
+			New: &TaskGroup{},
+			Expected: &TaskGroupDiff{
+				Type: DiffTypeEdited,
+				Fields: []*FieldDiff{
+					{
+						Type: DiffTypeDeleted,
+						Name: "ShutdownDelay",
+						Old:  "30000000000",
+						New:  "",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			TestCase: "TaskGroup shutdown_delay added",
+			Old:      &TaskGroup{},
+			New: &TaskGroup{
+				ShutdownDelay: helper.TimeToPtr(30 * time.Second),
+			},
+			Expected: &TaskGroupDiff{
+				Type: DiffTypeEdited,
+				Fields: []*FieldDiff{
+					{
+						Type: DiffTypeAdded,
+						Name: "ShutdownDelay",
+						Old:  "",
+						New:  "30000000000",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for i, c := range cases {