diff --git a/Documentation/diff-options.txt b/Documentation/diff-options.txt
index 7987d72b02..b7af973d9c 100644
--- a/Documentation/diff-options.txt
+++ b/Documentation/diff-options.txt
@@ -73,6 +73,11 @@ ifndef::git-format-patch[]
 	Synonym for `-p --raw`.
 endif::git-format-patch[]
 
+ifdef::git-log[]
+-t::
+	Show the tree objects in the diff output.
+endif::git-log[]
+
 --indent-heuristic::
 	Enable the heuristic that shifts diff hunk boundaries to make patches
 	easier to read. This is the default.
diff --git a/Documentation/git-log.txt b/Documentation/git-log.txt
index 3fd26d5212..27fa0ea26d 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-log.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-log.txt
@@ -114,8 +114,47 @@ include::rev-list-options.txt[]
 
 include::pretty-formats.txt[]
 
-COMMON DIFF OPTIONS
--------------------
+DIFF FORMATTING
+---------------
+
+By default, `git log` does not generate any diff output. The options
+below can be used to show the changes made by each commit.
+
+Note that unless one of `-c`, `--cc`, or `-m` is given, merge commits
+will never show a diff, even if a diff format like `--patch` is
+selected, nor will they match search options like `-S`. The exception is
+when `--first-parent` is in use, in which merges are treated like normal
+single-parent commits (this can be overridden by providing a
+combined-diff option or with `--no-diff-merges`).
+
+-c::
+	With this option, diff output for a merge commit
+	shows the differences from each of the parents to the merge result
+	simultaneously instead of showing pairwise diff between a parent
+	and the result one at a time. Furthermore, it lists only files
+	which were modified from all parents.
+
+--cc::
+	This flag implies the `-c` option and further compresses the
+	patch output by omitting uninteresting hunks whose contents in
+	the parents have only two variants and the merge result picks
+	one of them without modification.
+
+--combined-all-paths::
+	This flag causes combined diffs (used for merge commits) to
+	list the name of the file from all parents.  It thus only has
+	effect when -c or --cc are specified, and is likely only
+	useful if filename changes are detected (i.e. when either
+	rename or copy detection have been requested).
+
+-m::
+--diff-merges::
+	This flag makes the merge commits show the full diff like
+	regular commits; for each merge parent, a separate log entry
+	and diff is generated. An exception is that only diff against
+	the first parent is shown when `--first-parent` option is given;
+	in that case, the output represents the changes the merge
+	brought _into_ the then-current branch.
 
 :git-log: 1
 include::diff-options.txt[]
diff --git a/Documentation/rev-list-options.txt b/Documentation/rev-list-options.txt
index d3117ce51b..002379056a 100644
--- a/Documentation/rev-list-options.txt
+++ b/Documentation/rev-list-options.txt
@@ -1116,48 +1116,3 @@ ifdef::git-rev-list[]
 	by a tab.
 endif::git-rev-list[]
 endif::git-shortlog[]
-
-ifndef::git-shortlog[]
-ifndef::git-rev-list[]
-Diff Formatting
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
-Listed below are options that control the formatting of diff output.
-Some of them are specific to linkgit:git-rev-list[1], however other diff
-options may be given. See linkgit:git-diff-files[1] for more options.
-
--c::
-	With this option, diff output for a merge commit
-	shows the differences from each of the parents to the merge result
-	simultaneously instead of showing pairwise diff between a parent
-	and the result one at a time. Furthermore, it lists only files
-	which were modified from all parents.
-
---cc::
-	This flag implies the `-c` option and further compresses the
-	patch output by omitting uninteresting hunks whose contents in
-	the parents have only two variants and the merge result picks
-	one of them without modification.
-
---combined-all-paths::
-	This flag causes combined diffs (used for merge commits) to
-	list the name of the file from all parents.  It thus only has
-	effect when -c or --cc are specified, and is likely only
-	useful if filename changes are detected (i.e. when either
-	rename or copy detection have been requested).
-
--m::
-	This flag makes the merge commits show the full diff like
-	regular commits; for each merge parent, a separate log entry
-	and diff is generated. An exception is that only diff against
-	the first parent is shown when `--first-parent` option is given;
-	in that case, the output represents the changes the merge
-	brought _into_ the then-current branch.
-
--r::
-	Show recursive diffs.
-
--t::
-	Show the tree objects in the diff output. This implies `-r`.
-endif::git-rev-list[]
-endif::git-shortlog[]
diff --git a/builtin/log.c b/builtin/log.c
index 33528fefa9..b58f8da09e 100644
--- a/builtin/log.c
+++ b/builtin/log.c
@@ -599,8 +599,8 @@ static int show_tree_object(const struct object_id *oid,
 static void show_setup_revisions_tweak(struct rev_info *rev,
 				       struct setup_revision_opt *opt)
 {
-	if (rev->ignore_merges) {
-		/* There was no "-m" on the command line */
+	if (rev->ignore_merges < 0) {
+		/* There was no "-m" variant on the command line */
 		rev->ignore_merges = 0;
 		if (!rev->first_parent_only && !rev->combine_merges) {
 			/* No "--first-parent", "-c", or "--cc" */
@@ -732,8 +732,7 @@ static void log_setup_revisions_tweak(struct rev_info *rev,
 	if (!rev->diffopt.output_format && rev->combine_merges)
 		rev->diffopt.output_format = DIFF_FORMAT_PATCH;
 
-	/* Turn -m on when --cc/-c was given */
-	if (rev->combine_merges)
+	if (rev->first_parent_only && rev->ignore_merges < 0)
 		rev->ignore_merges = 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/revision.c b/revision.c
index dc86ec8732..97ae8f16a8 100644
--- a/revision.c
+++ b/revision.c
@@ -1815,7 +1815,7 @@ void repo_init_revisions(struct repository *r,
 
 	revs->repo = r;
 	revs->abbrev = DEFAULT_ABBREV;
-	revs->ignore_merges = 1;
+	revs->ignore_merges = -1;
 	revs->simplify_history = 1;
 	revs->pruning.repo = r;
 	revs->pruning.flags.recursive = 1;
@@ -2343,8 +2343,10 @@ static int handle_revision_opt(struct rev_info *revs, int argc, const char **arg
 		revs->diff = 1;
 		revs->diffopt.flags.recursive = 1;
 		revs->diffopt.flags.tree_in_recursive = 1;
-	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "-m")) {
+	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "-m") || !strcmp(arg, "--diff-merges")) {
 		revs->ignore_merges = 0;
+	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--no-diff-merges")) {
+		revs->ignore_merges = 1;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "-c")) {
 		revs->diff = 1;
 		revs->dense_combined_merges = 0;
@@ -2854,8 +2856,10 @@ int setup_revisions(int argc, const char **argv, struct rev_info *revs, struct s
 			copy_pathspec(&revs->diffopt.pathspec,
 				      &revs->prune_data);
 	}
-	if (revs->combine_merges)
+	if (revs->combine_merges && revs->ignore_merges < 0)
 		revs->ignore_merges = 0;
+	if (revs->ignore_merges < 0)
+		revs->ignore_merges = 1;
 	if (revs->combined_all_paths && !revs->combine_merges)
 		die("--combined-all-paths makes no sense without -c or --cc");
 
diff --git a/revision.h b/revision.h
index 889216c2d8..c1e5bcf139 100644
--- a/revision.h
+++ b/revision.h
@@ -190,11 +190,11 @@ struct rev_info {
 			show_root_diff:1,
 			no_commit_id:1,
 			verbose_header:1,
-			ignore_merges:1,
 			combine_merges:1,
 			combined_all_paths:1,
 			dense_combined_merges:1,
 			always_show_header:1;
+	int             ignore_merges:2;
 
 	/* Format info */
 	int		show_notes;
diff --git a/t/t4013-diff-various.sh b/t/t4013-diff-various.sh
index 3f60f7d96c..2a57f9033e 100755
--- a/t/t4013-diff-various.sh
+++ b/t/t4013-diff-various.sh
@@ -297,6 +297,7 @@ log --root --patch-with-stat --summary master
 log --root -c --patch-with-stat --summary master
 # improved by Timo's patch
 log --root --cc --patch-with-stat --summary master
+log --no-diff-merges -p --first-parent master
 log -p --first-parent master
 log -m -p --first-parent master
 log -m -p master
diff --git a/t/t4013/diff.log_--no-diff-merges_-p_--first-parent_master b/t/t4013/diff.log_--no-diff-merges_-p_--first-parent_master
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..597002232e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t4013/diff.log_--no-diff-merges_-p_--first-parent_master
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+$ git log --no-diff-merges -p --first-parent master
+commit 59d314ad6f356dd08601a4cd5e530381da3e3c64
+Merge: 9a6d494 c7a2ab9
+Author: A U Thor <author@example.com>
+Date:   Mon Jun 26 00:04:00 2006 +0000
+
+    Merge branch 'side'
+
+commit 9a6d4949b6b76956d9d5e26f2791ec2ceff5fdc0
+Author: A U Thor <author@example.com>
+Date:   Mon Jun 26 00:02:00 2006 +0000
+
+    Third
+
+diff --git a/dir/sub b/dir/sub
+index 8422d40..cead32e 100644
+--- a/dir/sub
++++ b/dir/sub
+@@ -2,3 +2,5 @@ A
+ B
+ C
+ D
++E
++F
+diff --git a/file1 b/file1
+new file mode 100644
+index 0000000..b1e6722
+--- /dev/null
++++ b/file1
+@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
++A
++B
++C
+
+commit 1bde4ae5f36c8d9abe3a0fce0c6aab3c4a12fe44
+Author: A U Thor <author@example.com>
+Date:   Mon Jun 26 00:01:00 2006 +0000
+
+    Second
+    
+    This is the second commit.
+
+diff --git a/dir/sub b/dir/sub
+index 35d242b..8422d40 100644
+--- a/dir/sub
++++ b/dir/sub
+@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
+ A
+ B
++C
++D
+diff --git a/file0 b/file0
+index 01e79c3..b414108 100644
+--- a/file0
++++ b/file0
+@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+ 1
+ 2
+ 3
++4
++5
++6
+diff --git a/file2 b/file2
+deleted file mode 100644
+index 01e79c3..0000000
+--- a/file2
++++ /dev/null
+@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
+-1
+-2
+-3
+
+commit 444ac553ac7612cc88969031b02b3767fb8a353a
+Author: A U Thor <author@example.com>
+Date:   Mon Jun 26 00:00:00 2006 +0000
+
+    Initial
+$
diff --git a/t/t4013/diff.log_-p_--first-parent_master b/t/t4013/diff.log_-p_--first-parent_master
index 3fc896d424..28840ebea1 100644
--- a/t/t4013/diff.log_-p_--first-parent_master
+++ b/t/t4013/diff.log_-p_--first-parent_master
@@ -6,6 +6,28 @@ Date:   Mon Jun 26 00:04:00 2006 +0000
 
     Merge branch 'side'
 
+diff --git a/dir/sub b/dir/sub
+index cead32e..992913c 100644
+--- a/dir/sub
++++ b/dir/sub
+@@ -4,3 +4,5 @@ C
+ D
+ E
+ F
++1
++2
+diff --git a/file0 b/file0
+index b414108..10a8a9f 100644
+--- a/file0
++++ b/file0
+@@ -4,3 +4,6 @@
+ 4
+ 5
+ 6
++A
++B
++C
+
 commit 9a6d4949b6b76956d9d5e26f2791ec2ceff5fdc0
 Author: A U Thor <author@example.com>
 Date:   Mon Jun 26 00:02:00 2006 +0000