diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 Changes
 =======
 
+Version 2.3.3.3
+---------------
+
+* Fix a bug where `goldenVsFileDiff` would not create a missing golden file
+
 Version 2.3.3.2
 ---------------
 
diff --git a/Test/Tasty/Golden.hs b/Test/Tasty/Golden.hs
--- a/Test/Tasty/Golden.hs
+++ b/Test/Tasty/Golden.hs
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@
 import System.Exit
 import System.FilePath
 import System.Directory
+import System.PosixCompat.Files
 import Control.Exception
 import Control.Monad
 import qualified Data.Set as Set
@@ -138,7 +139,11 @@
   askOption $ \sizeCutoff ->
   goldenTest
     name
-    (return ())
+    (getFileStatus ref >> return ())
+        -- Use getFileStatus to check if the golden file exists. If the file
+        -- doesn't exist, getFileStatus will throw an isDoesNotExistError that
+        -- runGolden will handle by creating the golden file before proceeding.
+        -- See #32.
     act
     (cmp sizeCutoff)
     upd
diff --git a/Test/Tasty/Golden/Internal.hs b/Test/Tasty/Golden/Internal.hs
--- a/Test/Tasty/Golden/Internal.hs
+++ b/Test/Tasty/Golden/Internal.hs
@@ -56,9 +56,10 @@
   deriving (Eq, Ord, Typeable, Num, Real, Enum, Integral)
 instance IsOption SizeCutoff where
   defaultValue = 1000
+  showDefaultValue = Just . show . getSizeCutoff
   parseValue = fmap SizeCutoff . safeRead . filter (/= '_')
   optionName = return "size-cutoff"
-  optionHelp = return "hide golden test output if it's larger than n bytes (default: 1000)"
+  optionHelp = return "hide golden test output if it's larger than n bytes"
   optionCLParser = mkOptionCLParser $ metavar "n"
 
 instance IsTest Golden where
diff --git a/tasty-golden.cabal b/tasty-golden.cabal
--- a/tasty-golden.cabal
+++ b/tasty-golden.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                tasty-golden
-version:             2.3.3.2
+version:             2.3.3.3
 synopsis:            Golden tests support for tasty
 description:
   This package provides support for «golden testing».
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
 
   build-depends:
     base >= 4.7,
-    tasty >= 1.0.1,
+    tasty >= 1.3,
     bytestring >= 0.9.2.1,
     process,
     mtl,
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@
     containers,
     directory,
     async,
-    text
+    text,
+    unix-compat
 
 Test-suite test
   Default-language:
diff --git a/tests/test.hs b/tests/test.hs
--- a/tests/test.hs
+++ b/tests/test.hs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE CPP #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings #-}
 import Test.Tasty
 import Test.Tasty.HUnit
 import Test.Tasty.Golden
@@ -11,6 +12,14 @@
 touch f = writeFile f ""
 diff ref new = ["diff", "-u", ref, new]
 
+-- Remove a .golden file that a golden test created due to the .golden file not
+-- existing prior to the start of the test.
+postCleanup :: String -> (FilePath -> TestTree) -> TestTree
+postCleanup fileName f =
+  withResource (return ()) (\_ -> removeFile filePath) (\_ -> f filePath)
+  where
+    filePath = "tests/golden" </> fileName <.> "golden"
+
 main = defaultMain $ testGroup "Tests"
   [ testCase "findByExtension" $
     withSystemTempDirectory "golden-test" $ \basedir -> do
@@ -28,6 +37,35 @@
       files <- findByExtension [".c", ".h"] basedir
       sort files @?= (sort . map (basedir </>))
         ["d1/d2/h1.c","d1/g1.c","f1.c","f2.h"]
+  , testGroup "Missing golden files"
+    -- Make sure that each entrypoint to tasty-golden can properly create
+    -- golden files if they are not provided. This serves as a regression test
+    -- for #32.
+    [ postCleanup "goldenVsFile" $ \golden ->
+      goldenVsFile
+        "goldenVsFile without golden file"
+        golden
+        "tests/golden/goldenVsFile.actual"
+        (touch "tests/golden/goldenVsFile.actual")
+    , postCleanup "goldenVsFileDiff" $ \golden ->
+      goldenVsFileDiff
+        "goldenVsFileDiff without golden file"
+        diff
+        golden
+        "tests/golden/goldenVsFileDiff.actual"
+         (touch "tests/golden/goldenVsFileDiff.actual")
+    , postCleanup "goldenVsString" $ \golden ->
+      goldenVsString
+        "goldenVsString without golden file"
+        golden
+        (return "")
+    , postCleanup "goldenVsStringDiff" $ \golden ->
+      goldenVsStringDiff
+        "goldenVsStringDiff without golden file"
+        diff
+        golden
+        (return "")
+    ]
 #ifdef BUILD_EXAMPLE
   , withResource
     (do