diff --git a/Documentation/pretty-formats.txt b/Documentation/pretty-formats.txt
index dc865cbb27..671cebd95c 100644
--- a/Documentation/pretty-formats.txt
+++ b/Documentation/pretty-formats.txt
@@ -139,7 +139,9 @@ The placeholders are:
 - '%f': sanitized subject line, suitable for a filename
 - '%b': body
 - '%B': raw body (unwrapped subject and body)
+ifndef::git-rev-list[]
 - '%N': commit notes
+endif::git-rev-list[]
 - '%GG': raw verification message from GPG for a signed commit
 - '%G?': show "G" for a Good signature, "B" for a Bad signature, "U" for a good,
   untrusted signature and "N" for no signature
diff --git a/Documentation/pretty-options.txt b/Documentation/pretty-options.txt
index 642af6e426..8d6c5cec4c 100644
--- a/Documentation/pretty-options.txt
+++ b/Documentation/pretty-options.txt
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ people using 80-column terminals.
 	verbatim; this means that invalid sequences in the original
 	commit may be copied to the output.
 
+ifndef::git-rev-list[]
 --notes[=<ref>]::
 	Show the notes (see linkgit:git-notes[1]) that annotate the
 	commit, when showing the commit log message.  This is the default
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@ being displayed. Examples: "--notes=foo" will show only notes from
 --[no-]standard-notes::
 	These options are deprecated. Use the above --notes/--no-notes
 	options instead.
+endif::git-rev-list[]
 
 --show-signature::
 	Check the validity of a signed commit object by passing the signature
diff --git a/Documentation/rev-list-options.txt b/Documentation/rev-list-options.txt
index a9b808fab3..f1c52208f0 100644
--- a/Documentation/rev-list-options.txt
+++ b/Documentation/rev-list-options.txt
@@ -58,9 +58,11 @@ endif::git-rev-list[]
 	more than one `--grep=<pattern>`, commits whose message
 	matches any of the given patterns are chosen (but see
 	`--all-match`).
+ifndef::git-rev-list[]
 +
 When `--show-notes` is in effect, the message from the notes is
 matched as if it were part of the log message.
+endif::git-rev-list[]
 
 --all-match::
 	Limit the commits output to ones that match all given `--grep`,
diff --git a/builtin/rev-list.c b/builtin/rev-list.c
index c0b4b53652..d80d1ed359 100644
--- a/builtin/rev-list.c
+++ b/builtin/rev-list.c
@@ -350,6 +350,9 @@ int cmd_rev_list(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	    revs.diff)
 		usage(rev_list_usage);
 
+	if (revs.show_notes)
+		die(_("rev-list does not support display of notes"));
+
 	save_commit_buffer = (revs.verbose_header ||
 			      revs.grep_filter.pattern_list ||
 			      revs.grep_filter.header_list);