diff --git a/builtin/log.c b/builtin/log.c
index 4225615e7f..b6d43a4a47 100644
--- a/builtin/log.c
+++ b/builtin/log.c
@@ -868,7 +868,12 @@ static int git_format_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 	}
 	if (!strcmp(var, "format.notes")) {
 		int b = git_parse_maybe_bool(value);
-		show_notes = set_display_notes(&notes_opt, b, b < 0 ? value : NULL);
+		if (b < 0)
+			enable_ref_display_notes(&notes_opt, &show_notes, value);
+		else if (b)
+			enable_default_display_notes(&notes_opt, &show_notes);
+		else
+			disable_display_notes(&notes_opt, &show_notes);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
diff --git a/notes.c b/notes.c
index c93feff4ab..3133bb181f 100644
--- a/notes.c
+++ b/notes.c
@@ -1045,28 +1045,31 @@ void init_display_notes(struct display_notes_opt *opt)
 	opt->use_default_notes = -1;
 }
 
-int set_display_notes(struct display_notes_opt *opt, int show_notes, const char *opt_ref)
+void enable_default_display_notes(struct display_notes_opt *opt, int *show_notes)
 {
-	if (show_notes) {
-		if (opt_ref) {
-			struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
-			strbuf_addstr(&buf, opt_ref);
-			expand_notes_ref(&buf);
-			string_list_append(&opt->extra_notes_refs,
-					   strbuf_detach(&buf, NULL));
-		} else {
-			opt->use_default_notes = 1;
-		}
-	} else {
-		opt->use_default_notes = -1;
-		/* we have been strdup'ing ourselves, so trick
-		 * string_list into free()ing strings */
-		opt->extra_notes_refs.strdup_strings = 1;
-		string_list_clear(&opt->extra_notes_refs, 0);
-		opt->extra_notes_refs.strdup_strings = 0;
-	}
+	opt->use_default_notes = 1;
+	*show_notes = 1;
+}
 
-	return !!show_notes;
+void enable_ref_display_notes(struct display_notes_opt *opt, int *show_notes,
+		const char *ref) {
+	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
+	strbuf_addstr(&buf, ref);
+	expand_notes_ref(&buf);
+	string_list_append(&opt->extra_notes_refs,
+			strbuf_detach(&buf, NULL));
+	*show_notes = 1;
+}
+
+void disable_display_notes(struct display_notes_opt *opt, int *show_notes)
+{
+	opt->use_default_notes = -1;
+	/* we have been strdup'ing ourselves, so trick
+	 * string_list into free()ing strings */
+	opt->extra_notes_refs.strdup_strings = 1;
+	string_list_clear(&opt->extra_notes_refs, 0);
+	opt->extra_notes_refs.strdup_strings = 0;
+	*show_notes = 0;
 }
 
 void load_display_notes(struct display_notes_opt *opt)
diff --git a/notes.h b/notes.h
index a476bfa066..3e78448181 100644
--- a/notes.h
+++ b/notes.h
@@ -266,14 +266,19 @@ struct display_notes_opt {
 void init_display_notes(struct display_notes_opt *opt);
 
 /*
- * Set a display_notes_opt to a given state. 'show_notes' is a boolean
- * representing whether or not to show notes. 'opt_ref' points to a
- * string for the notes ref, or is NULL if the default notes should be
- * used.
+ * This family of functions enables or disables the display of notes. In
+ * particular, 'enable_default_display_notes' will display the default notes,
+ * 'enable_default_display_notes' will display the notes ref 'ref' and
+ * 'disable_display_notes' will disable notes, including those added by previous
+ * invocations of the 'enable_*_display_notes' functions.
  *
- * Return 'show_notes' normalized to 1 or 0.
+ * 'show_notes' is a points to a boolean which will be set to 1 if notes are
+ * displayed, else 0. It must not be NULL.
  */
-int set_display_notes(struct display_notes_opt *opt, int show_notes, const char *opt_ref);
+void enable_default_display_notes(struct display_notes_opt *opt, int *show_notes);
+void enable_ref_display_notes(struct display_notes_opt *opt, int *show_notes,
+		const char *ref);
+void disable_display_notes(struct display_notes_opt *opt, int *show_notes);
 
 /*
  * Load the notes machinery for displaying several notes trees.
diff --git a/revision.c b/revision.c
index c2d8d24939..1b12ed742b 100644
--- a/revision.c
+++ b/revision.c
@@ -2172,7 +2172,7 @@ static int handle_revision_opt(struct rev_info *revs, int argc, const char **arg
 			die("'%s': not a non-negative integer", arg);
 		revs->expand_tabs_in_log = val;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--show-notes") || !strcmp(arg, "--notes")) {
-		revs->show_notes = set_display_notes(&revs->notes_opt, 1, NULL);
+		enable_default_display_notes(&revs->notes_opt, &revs->show_notes);
 		revs->show_notes_given = 1;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--show-signature")) {
 		revs->show_signature = 1;
@@ -2191,10 +2191,10 @@ static int handle_revision_opt(struct rev_info *revs, int argc, const char **arg
 		if (starts_with(arg, "--show-notes=") &&
 		    revs->notes_opt.use_default_notes < 0)
 			revs->notes_opt.use_default_notes = 1;
-		revs->show_notes = set_display_notes(&revs->notes_opt, 1, optarg);
+		enable_ref_display_notes(&revs->notes_opt, &revs->show_notes, optarg);
 		revs->show_notes_given = 1;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--no-notes")) {
-		revs->show_notes = set_display_notes(&revs->notes_opt, 0, NULL);
+		disable_display_notes(&revs->notes_opt, &revs->show_notes);
 		revs->show_notes_given = 1;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--standard-notes")) {
 		revs->show_notes_given = 1;
diff --git a/revision.h b/revision.h
index 4134dc6029..72520780f4 100644
--- a/revision.h
+++ b/revision.h
@@ -177,10 +177,10 @@ struct rev_info {
 			always_show_header:1;
 
 	/* Format info */
+	int		show_notes;
 	unsigned int	shown_one:1,
 			shown_dashes:1,
 			show_merge:1,
-			show_notes:1,
 			show_notes_given:1,
 			show_signature:1,
 			pretty_given:1,