diff --git a/range-diff.c b/range-diff.c
index fbb81a92cc0389..56f6870ff91c5b 100644
--- a/range-diff.c
+++ b/range-diff.c
@@ -41,20 +41,12 @@ static int read_patches(const char *range, struct string_list *list,
 	struct child_process cp = CHILD_PROCESS_INIT;
 	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT, contents = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct patch_util *util = NULL;
-	int i, implicit_notes_arg = 1, in_header = 1;
+	int in_header = 1;
 	char *line, *current_filename = NULL;
 	ssize_t len;
 	size_t size;
 	int ret = -1;
 
-	for (i = 0; other_arg && i < other_arg->nr; i++)
-		if (!strcmp(other_arg->v[i], "--notes") ||
-		    starts_with(other_arg->v[i], "--notes=") ||
-		    !strcmp(other_arg->v[i], "--no-notes")) {
-			implicit_notes_arg = 0;
-			break;
-		}
-
 	strvec_pushl(&cp.args, "log", "--no-color", "-p", "--no-merges",
 		     "--reverse", "--date-order", "--decorate=no",
 		     "--no-prefix", "--submodule=short",
@@ -68,9 +60,8 @@ static int read_patches(const char *range, struct string_list *list,
 		     "--output-indicator-context=#",
 		     "--no-abbrev-commit",
 		     "--pretty=medium",
+		     "--show-notes-by-default",
 		     NULL);
-	if (implicit_notes_arg)
-		     strvec_push(&cp.args, "--notes");
 	strvec_push(&cp.args, range);
 	if (other_arg)
 		strvec_pushv(&cp.args, other_arg->v);
diff --git a/revision.c b/revision.c
index 2f4c53ea207b22..49d385257acb27 100644
--- a/revision.c
+++ b/revision.c
@@ -2484,6 +2484,8 @@ static int handle_revision_opt(struct rev_info *revs, int argc, const char **arg
 		revs->break_bar = xstrdup(optarg);
 		revs->track_linear = 1;
 		revs->track_first_time = 1;
+	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--show-notes-by-default")) {
+		revs->show_notes_by_default = 1;
 	} else if (skip_prefix(arg, "--show-notes=", &optarg) ||
 		   skip_prefix(arg, "--notes=", &optarg)) {
 		if (starts_with(arg, "--show-notes=") &&
@@ -3054,6 +3056,11 @@ int setup_revisions(int argc, const char **argv, struct rev_info *revs, struct s
 	if (revs->expand_tabs_in_log < 0)
 		revs->expand_tabs_in_log = revs->expand_tabs_in_log_default;
 
+	if (!revs->show_notes_given && revs->show_notes_by_default) {
+		enable_default_display_notes(&revs->notes_opt, &revs->show_notes);
+		revs->show_notes_given = 1;
+	}
+
 	return left;
 }
 
diff --git a/revision.h b/revision.h
index 82ab400139de30..50091bbd13f07f 100644
--- a/revision.h
+++ b/revision.h
@@ -253,6 +253,7 @@ struct rev_info {
 			shown_dashes:1,
 			show_merge:1,
 			show_notes_given:1,
+			show_notes_by_default:1,
 			show_signature:1,
 			pretty_given:1,
 			abbrev_commit:1,