diff --git a/Documentation/git-notes.txt b/Documentation/git-notes.txt
index e2e1c4c88d..8bbffdf648 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-notes.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-notes.txt
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ SYNOPSIS
 'git notes' merge [-v | -q] [-s <strategy> ] <notes_ref>
 'git notes' merge --commit [-v | -q]
 'git notes' merge --abort [-v | -q]
-'git notes' remove [<object>...]
+'git notes' remove [--ignore-missing] [<object>...]
 'git notes' prune [-n | -v]
 'git notes' get-ref
 
@@ -155,6 +155,10 @@ OPTIONS
 	'GIT_NOTES_REF' and the "core.notesRef" configuration.  The ref
 	is taken to be in `refs/notes/` if it is not qualified.
 
+--ignore-missing::
+	Do not consider it an error to request removing notes from an
+	object that does not have notes attached to it.
+
 -n::
 --dry-run::
 	Do not remove anything; just report the object names whose notes
diff --git a/builtin/notes.c b/builtin/notes.c
index 30cee0fd3c..541f776ebb 100644
--- a/builtin/notes.c
+++ b/builtin/notes.c
@@ -953,7 +953,9 @@ static int merge(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	return result < 0; /* return non-zero on conflicts */
 }
 
-static int remove_one_note(struct notes_tree *t, const char *name)
+#define MISSING_OK 1
+
+static int remove_one_note(struct notes_tree *t, const char *name, unsigned flag)
 {
 	int status;
 	unsigned char sha1[20];
@@ -964,12 +966,16 @@ static int remove_one_note(struct notes_tree *t, const char *name)
 		fprintf(stderr, _("Object %s has no note\n"), name);
 	else
 		fprintf(stderr, _("Removing note for object %s\n"), name);
-	return status;
+	return (flag & MISSING_OK) ? 0 : status;
 }
 
 static int remove_cmd(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
+	unsigned flag = 0;
 	struct option options[] = {
+		OPT_BIT(0, "ignore-missing", &flag,
+			"attempt to remove non-existent note is not an error",
+			MISSING_OK),
 		OPT_END()
 	};
 	struct notes_tree *t;
@@ -981,10 +987,10 @@ static int remove_cmd(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	t = init_notes_check("remove");
 
 	if (!argc) {
-		retval = remove_one_note(t, "HEAD");
+		retval = remove_one_note(t, "HEAD", flag);
 	} else {
 		while (*argv) {
-			retval |= remove_one_note(t, *argv);
+			retval |= remove_one_note(t, *argv, flag);
 			argv++;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/t/t3301-notes.sh b/t/t3301-notes.sh
index f49879e034..e820a6bc70 100755
--- a/t/t3301-notes.sh
+++ b/t/t3301-notes.sh
@@ -455,6 +455,26 @@ test_expect_success 'removing is atomic' '
 	test "$before" = "$after"
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'removing with --ignore-missing' '
+	before=$(git rev-parse --verify refs/notes/commits) &&
+	test_when_finished "git update-ref refs/notes/commits $before" &&
+
+	# We have only two -- add another and make sure it stays
+	git notes add -m "extra" &&
+	git notes list HEAD >after-removal-expect &&
+	git notes remove --ignore-missing HEAD^^ HEAD^^^ HEAD^ &&
+	git notes list | sed -e "s/ .*//" >actual &&
+	test_cmp after-removal-expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'removing with --ignore-missing but bogus ref' '
+	before=$(git rev-parse --verify refs/notes/commits) &&
+	test_when_finished "git update-ref refs/notes/commits $before" &&
+	test_must_fail git notes remove --ignore-missing HEAD^^ HEAD^^^ NO-SUCH-COMMIT &&
+	after=$(git rev-parse --verify refs/notes/commits) &&
+	test "$before" = "$after"
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'list notes with "git notes list"' '
 	git notes list > output &&
 	test_cmp expect output