diff --git a/Documentation/config/log.txt b/Documentation/config/log.txt
index 208d5fdcaa..456eb07800 100644
--- a/Documentation/config/log.txt
+++ b/Documentation/config/log.txt
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ log.excludeDecoration::
 	the config option can be overridden by the `--decorate-refs`
 	option.
 
+log.diffMerges::
+	Set default diff format to be used for merge commits. See
+	`--diff-merges` in linkgit:git-log[1] for details.
+	Defaults to `separate`.
+
 log.follow::
 	If `true`, `git log` will act as if the `--follow` option was used when
 	a single <path> is given.  This has the same limitations as `--follow`,
diff --git a/Documentation/diff-options.txt b/Documentation/diff-options.txt
index aa2b5c11f2..6d968b9012 100644
--- a/Documentation/diff-options.txt
+++ b/Documentation/diff-options.txt
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ endif::git-diff[]
 endif::git-format-patch[]
 
 ifdef::git-log[]
---diff-merges=(off|none|first-parent|1|separate|m|combined|c|dense-combined|cc)::
+--diff-merges=(off|none|on|first-parent|1|separate|m|combined|c|dense-combined|cc)::
 --no-diff-merges::
 	Specify diff format to be used for merge commits. Default is
 	{diff-merges-default} unless `--first-parent` is in use, in which case
@@ -45,17 +45,24 @@ ifdef::git-log[]
 	Disable output of diffs for merge commits. Useful to override
 	implied value.
 +
+--diff-merges=on:::
+--diff-merges=m:::
+-m:::
+	This option makes diff output for merge commits to be shown in
+	the default format. `-m` will produce the output only if `-p`
+	is given as well. The default format could be changed using
+	`log.diffMerges` configuration parameter, which default value
+	is `separate`.
++
 --diff-merges=first-parent:::
 --diff-merges=1:::
 	This option makes merge commits show the full diff with
 	respect to the first parent only.
 +
 --diff-merges=separate:::
---diff-merges=m:::
--m:::
 	This makes merge commits show the full diff with respect to
 	each of the parents. Separate log entry and diff is generated
-	for each parent. `-m` doesn't produce any output without `-p`.
+	for each parent.
 +
 --diff-merges=combined:::
 --diff-merges=c:::
diff --git a/builtin/log.c b/builtin/log.c
index 8acd285daf..6102893fcc 100644
--- a/builtin/log.c
+++ b/builtin/log.c
@@ -481,6 +481,8 @@ static int git_log_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 			decoration_style = 0; /* maybe warn? */
 		return 0;
 	}
+	if (!strcmp(var, "log.diffmerges"))
+		return diff_merges_config(value);
 	if (!strcmp(var, "log.showroot")) {
 		default_show_root = git_config_bool(var, value);
 		return 0;
diff --git a/diff-merges.c b/diff-merges.c
index 146bb50316..f3a9daed7e 100644
--- a/diff-merges.c
+++ b/diff-merges.c
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@
 
 #include "revision.h"
 
+typedef void (*diff_merges_setup_func_t)(struct rev_info *);
+static void set_separate(struct rev_info *revs);
+
+static diff_merges_setup_func_t set_to_default = set_separate;
+
 static void suppress(struct rev_info *revs)
 {
 	revs->separate_merges = 0;
@@ -29,10 +34,10 @@ static void set_m(struct rev_info *revs)
 {
 	/*
 	 * To "diff-index", "-m" means "match missing", and to the "log"
-	 * family of commands, it means "show full diff for merges". Set
+	 * family of commands, it means "show default diff for merges". Set
 	 * both fields appropriately.
 	 */
-	set_separate(revs);
+	set_to_default(revs);
 	revs->match_missing = 1;
 }
 
@@ -50,33 +55,52 @@ static void set_dense_combined(struct rev_info *revs)
 	revs->dense_combined_merges = 1;
 }
 
+static diff_merges_setup_func_t func_by_opt(const char *optarg)
+{
+	if (!strcmp(optarg, "off") || !strcmp(optarg, "none"))
+		return suppress;
+	if (!strcmp(optarg, "1") || !strcmp(optarg, "first-parent"))
+		return set_first_parent;
+	else if (!strcmp(optarg, "separate"))
+		return set_separate;
+	else if (!strcmp(optarg, "c") || !strcmp(optarg, "combined"))
+		return set_combined;
+	else if (!strcmp(optarg, "cc") || !strcmp(optarg, "dense-combined"))
+		return set_dense_combined;
+	else if (!strcmp(optarg, "m") || !strcmp(optarg, "on"))
+		return set_to_default;
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 static void set_diff_merges(struct rev_info *revs, const char *optarg)
 {
-	if (!strcmp(optarg, "off") || !strcmp(optarg, "none")) {
-		suppress(revs);
-		/* Return early to leave revs->merges_need_diff unset */
-		return;
-	}
+	diff_merges_setup_func_t func = func_by_opt(optarg);
 
-	if (!strcmp(optarg, "1") || !strcmp(optarg, "first-parent"))
-		set_first_parent(revs);
-	else if (!strcmp(optarg, "m") || !strcmp(optarg, "separate"))
-		set_separate(revs);
-	else if (!strcmp(optarg, "c") || !strcmp(optarg, "combined"))
-		set_combined(revs);
-	else if (!strcmp(optarg, "cc") || !strcmp(optarg, "dense-combined"))
-		set_dense_combined(revs);
-	else
+	if (!func)
 		die(_("unknown value for --diff-merges: %s"), optarg);
 
-	/* The flag is cleared by set_xxx() functions, so don't move this up */
-	revs->merges_need_diff = 1;
+	func(revs);
+
+	/* NOTE: the merges_need_diff flag is cleared by func() call */
+	if (func != suppress)
+		revs->merges_need_diff = 1;
 }
 
 /*
  * Public functions. They are in the order they are called.
  */
 
+int diff_merges_config(const char *value)
+{
+	diff_merges_setup_func_t func = func_by_opt(value);
+
+	if (!func)
+		return -1;
+
+	set_to_default = func;
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int diff_merges_parse_opts(struct rev_info *revs, const char **argv)
 {
 	int argcount = 1;
diff --git a/diff-merges.h b/diff-merges.h
index 659467c99a..09d9a6c9a4 100644
--- a/diff-merges.h
+++ b/diff-merges.h
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 
 struct rev_info;
 
+int diff_merges_config(const char *value);
+
 int diff_merges_parse_opts(struct rev_info *revs, const char **argv);
 
 void diff_merges_suppress(struct rev_info *revs);
diff --git a/t/t4013-diff-various.sh b/t/t4013-diff-various.sh
index 6cca8b84a6..87def81699 100755
--- a/t/t4013-diff-various.sh
+++ b/t/t4013-diff-various.sh
@@ -452,6 +452,37 @@ diff-tree --stat --compact-summary initial mode
 diff-tree -R --stat --compact-summary initial mode
 EOF
 
+test_expect_success 'log --diff-merges=on matches --diff-merges=separate' '
+	git log -p --diff-merges=separate master >result &&
+	process_diffs result >expected &&
+	git log -p --diff-merges=on master >result &&
+	process_diffs result >actual &&
+	test_cmp expected actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'deny wrong log.diffMerges config' '
+	test_config log.diffMerges wrong-value &&
+	test_expect_code 128 git log
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git config log.diffMerges first-parent' '
+	git log -p --diff-merges=first-parent master >result &&
+	process_diffs result >expected &&
+	test_config log.diffMerges first-parent &&
+	git log -p --diff-merges=on master >result &&
+	process_diffs result >actual &&
+	test_cmp expected actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git config log.diffMerges first-parent vs -m' '
+	git log -p --diff-merges=first-parent master >result &&
+	process_diffs result >expected &&
+	test_config log.diffMerges first-parent &&
+	git log -p -m master >result &&
+	process_diffs result >actual &&
+	test_cmp expected actual
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'log -S requires an argument' '
 	test_must_fail git log -S
 '
diff --git a/t/t9902-completion.sh b/t/t9902-completion.sh
index 04ce884ef5..4d732d6d4f 100755
--- a/t/t9902-completion.sh
+++ b/t/t9902-completion.sh
@@ -2306,6 +2306,7 @@ test_expect_success 'git config - variable name' '
 	test_completion "git config log.d" <<-\EOF
 	log.date Z
 	log.decorate Z
+	log.diffMerges Z
 	EOF
 '
 
@@ -2327,6 +2328,7 @@ test_expect_success 'git -c - variable name' '
 	test_completion "git -c log.d" <<-\EOF
 	log.date=Z
 	log.decorate=Z
+	log.diffMerges=Z
 	EOF
 '
 
@@ -2348,6 +2350,7 @@ test_expect_success 'git clone --config= - variable name' '
 	test_completion "git clone --config=log.d" <<-\EOF
 	log.date=Z
 	log.decorate=Z
+	log.diffMerges=Z
 	EOF
 '