diff --git a/src/commands/schema/diff.ts b/src/commands/schema/diff.ts
index 0d5e3881..761467d9 100644
--- a/src/commands/schema/diff.ts
+++ b/src/commands/schema/diff.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,19 @@
 import SchemaCommand from "../../lib/schema-command";
-import { colorParam, hasColor } from "../../lib/color";
+import { bold, colorParam, hasColor, reset } from "../../lib/color";
+import { Flags } from "@oclif/core";
 
 export default class DiffSchemaCommand extends SchemaCommand {
   static flags = {
     ...SchemaCommand.flags,
+    active: Flags.boolean({
+      description:
+        "Compare the local schema to the active schema instead of the staged schema.",
+      default: false,
+    }),
   };
 
-  static description = "Print the diff between local and remote schema.";
+  static description =
+    "Print the diff between local schema and staged remote schema.";
   static examples = [
     "$ fauna schema diff",
     "$ fauna schema diff --dir schemas/myschema",
@@ -15,18 +22,48 @@ export default class DiffSchemaCommand extends SchemaCommand {
   async run() {
     const fps = this.gatherRelativeFSLFilePaths();
     const files = this.read(fps);
+    const { url, secret } = await this.fetchsetup();
+
+    let version: string | undefined = undefined;
+    let status: string = "";
+
+    try {
+      const res = await fetch(new URL(`/schema/1/staged/status`, url), {
+        method: "GET",
+        headers: { AUTHORIZATION: `Bearer ${secret}` },
+        // https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/46221
+        // https://github.com/microsoft/TypeScript-DOM-lib-generator/issues/1483
+        // @ts-expect-error-next-line
+        duplex: "half",
+      });
+
+      const json = await res.json();
+      if (json.error) {
+        this.error(json.error.message);
+      }
+
+      version = json.version;
+      status = json.status;
+
+      if (json.status === "none" && this.flags?.active) {
+        this.error(
+          "There is no staged schema, so passing `--active` does nothing"
+        );
+      }
+    } catch (err) {
+      this.error(err);
+    }
+
     try {
-      const { url, secret } = await this.fetchsetup();
       const params = new URLSearchParams({
         ...(hasColor() ? { color: colorParam() } : {}),
-        force: "true",
+        staged: this.flags?.active ? "false" : "true",
+        ...(version !== undefined ? { version } : { force: "true" }),
       });
       const res = await fetch(new URL(`/schema/1/validate?${params}`, url), {
         method: "POST",
         headers: { AUTHORIZATION: `Bearer ${secret}` },
         body: this.body(files),
-        // https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/46221
-        // https://github.com/microsoft/TypeScript-DOM-lib-generator/issues/1483
         // @ts-expect-error-next-line
         duplex: "half",
       });
@@ -34,6 +71,22 @@ export default class DiffSchemaCommand extends SchemaCommand {
       if (json.error) {
         this.error(json.error.message);
       }
+
+      if (status !== "none") {
+        if (this.flags?.active) {
+          this.log(
+            `Differences between the ${bold()}local${reset()} schema and the ${bold()}remote, active${reset()} schema:`
+          );
+        } else {
+          this.log(
+            `Differences between the ${bold()}local${reset()} schema and the ${bold()}remote, staged${reset()} schema:`
+          );
+        }
+      } else {
+        this.log(
+          `Differences between the ${bold()}local${reset()} schema and the ${bold()}remote${reset()} schema:`
+        );
+      }
       this.log(json.diff ? json.diff : "No schema differences");
     } catch (err) {
       this.error(err);
diff --git a/src/lib/color.ts b/src/lib/color.ts
index 941570ad..bd82c290 100644
--- a/src/lib/color.ts
+++ b/src/lib/color.ts
@@ -26,3 +26,14 @@ export const colorParam = (): string => {
 export const hasColor = (): boolean => {
   return colorEnabled ?? false;
 };
+
+export const reset = (): string => esc(`\u001b[0m`);
+export const bold = (): string => esc(`\u001b[1m`);
+
+const esc = (str: string): string => {
+  if (hasColor()) {
+    return str;
+  } else {
+    return "";
+  }
+};
diff --git a/test/commands/schema.test.ts b/test/commands/schema.test.ts
index ed1ecb35..dadd0013 100644
--- a/test/commands/schema.test.ts
+++ b/test/commands/schema.test.ts
@@ -50,13 +50,76 @@ describe("fauna schema diff test", () => {
       .persist()
       .post("/", matchFqlReq(query.Now()))
       .reply(200, new Date())
-      .post("/schema/1/validate?force=true")
+      .get("/schema/1/staged/status")
+      .reply(200, { status: "none", version: 0 })
+      .post("/schema/1/validate?staged=true&version=0")
       .reply(200, diff);
 
     const { stdout } = await runCommand(
       withOpts(["schema diff", "--dir=test/testdata"])
     );
 
+    expect(stdout).to.contain(
+      `Differences between the local schema and the remote schema:`
+    );
+    expect(stdout).to.contain(`${diff.diff}`);
+  });
+
+  it("runs schema diff when there's a staged schema", async () => {
+    nock(getEndpoint(), { allowUnmocked: false })
+      .persist()
+      .post("/", matchFqlReq(query.Now()))
+      .reply(200, new Date())
+      .get("/schema/1/staged/status")
+      .reply(200, { status: "ready", version: 0 })
+      .post("/schema/1/validate?staged=true&version=0")
+      .reply(200, diff);
+
+    const { stdout } = await runCommand(
+      withOpts(["schema diff", "--dir=test/testdata"])
+    );
+
+    expect(stdout).to.contain(
+      `Differences between the local schema and the remote, staged schema:`
+    );
+    expect(stdout).to.contain(`${diff.diff}`);
+  });
+
+  it("runs schema diff --active with no staged schema", async () => {
+    nock(getEndpoint(), { allowUnmocked: false })
+      .persist()
+      .post("/", matchFqlReq(query.Now()))
+      .reply(200, new Date())
+      .get("/schema/1/staged/status")
+      .reply(200, { status: "none", version: 0 })
+      .post("/schema/1/validate?staged=true&version=0")
+      .reply(200, diff);
+
+    const { error } = await runCommand(
+      withOpts(["schema diff", "--dir=test/testdata", "--active"])
+    );
+    expect(error?.message).to.equal(
+      "There is no staged schema, so passing `--active` does nothing"
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("runs schema diff --active", async () => {
+    nock(getEndpoint(), { allowUnmocked: false })
+      .persist()
+      .post("/", matchFqlReq(query.Now()))
+      .reply(200, new Date())
+      .get("/schema/1/staged/status")
+      .reply(200, { status: "ready", version: 0 })
+      .post("/schema/1/validate?staged=false&version=0")
+      .reply(200, diff);
+
+    const { stdout } = await runCommand(
+      withOpts(["schema diff", "--dir=test/testdata", "--active"])
+    );
+
+    expect(stdout).to.contain(
+      `Differences between the local schema and the remote, active schema:`
+    );
     expect(stdout).to.contain(`${diff.diff}`);
   });
 });