diff --git a/Documentation/config.txt b/Documentation/config.txt
index e97faccb7d..6570aeea2a 100644
--- a/Documentation/config.txt
+++ b/Documentation/config.txt
@@ -905,11 +905,12 @@ color.ui::
 	as `color.diff` and `color.grep` that control the use of color
 	per command family. Its scope will expand as more commands learn
 	configuration to set a default for the `--color` option.  Set it
-	to `always` if you want all output not intended for machine
-	consumption to use color, to `true` or `auto` if you want such
-	output to use color when written to the terminal, or to `false` or
-	`never` if you prefer Git commands not to use color unless enabled
-	explicitly with some other configuration or the `--color` option.
+	to `false` or `never` if you prefer Git commands not to use
+	color unless enabled explicitly with some other configuration
+	or the `--color` option. Set it to `always` if you want all
+	output not intended for machine consumption to use color, to
+	`true` or `auto` (this is the default since Git 1.8.4) if you
+	want such output to use color when written to the terminal.
 
 column.ui::
 	Specify whether supported commands should output in columns.
diff --git a/builtin/config.c b/builtin/config.c
index 057bb6127d..753449fe5c 100644
--- a/builtin/config.c
+++ b/builtin/config.c
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ static int get_colorbool(int print)
 
 	if (get_colorbool_found < 0)
 		/* default value if none found in config */
-		get_colorbool_found = 0;
+		get_colorbool_found = GIT_COLOR_AUTO;
 
 	get_colorbool_found = want_color(get_colorbool_found);
 
diff --git a/color.c b/color.c
index e8e26818b3..f672885b71 100644
--- a/color.c
+++ b/color.c
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #include "cache.h"
 #include "color.h"
 
-static int git_use_color_default = 0;
+static int git_use_color_default = GIT_COLOR_AUTO;
 int color_stdout_is_tty = -1;
 
 /*