diff --git a/notes.c b/notes.c
index 50a4672d7c..023adce982 100644
--- a/notes.c
+++ b/notes.c
@@ -331,6 +331,8 @@ static void load_subtree(struct leaf_node *subtree, struct int_node *node,
 			hashcpy(l->key_sha1, commit_sha1);
 			hashcpy(l->val_sha1, entry.sha1);
 			if (len < 20) {
+				if (!S_ISDIR(entry.mode))
+					continue; /* entry cannot be subtree */
 				l->key_sha1[19] = (unsigned char) len;
 				type = PTR_TYPE_SUBTREE;
 			}
diff --git a/t/t3304-notes-mixed.sh b/t/t3304-notes-mixed.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..256687ffb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t3304-notes-mixed.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,172 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description='Test notes trees that also contain non-notes'
+
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+number_of_commits=100
+
+start_note_commit () {
+	test_tick &&
+	cat <<INPUT_END
+commit refs/notes/commits
+committer $GIT_COMMITTER_NAME <$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL> $GIT_COMMITTER_DATE
+data <<COMMIT
+notes
+COMMIT
+
+from refs/notes/commits^0
+deleteall
+INPUT_END
+
+}
+
+verify_notes () {
+	git log | grep "^    " > output &&
+	i=$number_of_commits &&
+	while [ $i -gt 0 ]; do
+		echo "    commit #$i" &&
+		echo "    note for commit #$i" &&
+		i=$(($i-1));
+	done > expect &&
+	test_cmp expect output
+}
+
+test_expect_success "setup: create a couple of commits" '
+
+	test_tick &&
+	cat <<INPUT_END >input &&
+commit refs/heads/master
+committer $GIT_COMMITTER_NAME <$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL> $GIT_COMMITTER_DATE
+data <<COMMIT
+commit #1
+COMMIT
+
+M 644 inline file
+data <<EOF
+file in commit #1
+EOF
+
+INPUT_END
+
+	test_tick &&
+	cat <<INPUT_END >>input &&
+commit refs/heads/master
+committer $GIT_COMMITTER_NAME <$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL> $GIT_COMMITTER_DATE
+data <<COMMIT
+commit #2
+COMMIT
+
+M 644 inline file
+data <<EOF
+file in commit #2
+EOF
+
+INPUT_END
+	git fast-import --quiet <input
+'
+
+test_expect_success "create a notes tree with both notes and non-notes" '
+
+	commit1=$(git rev-parse refs/heads/master^) &&
+	commit2=$(git rev-parse refs/heads/master) &&
+	test_tick &&
+	cat <<INPUT_END >input &&
+commit refs/notes/commits
+committer $GIT_COMMITTER_NAME <$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL> $GIT_COMMITTER_DATE
+data <<COMMIT
+notes commit #1
+COMMIT
+
+N inline $commit1
+data <<EOF
+note for commit #1
+EOF
+
+N inline $commit2
+data <<EOF
+note for commit #2
+EOF
+
+INPUT_END
+	test_tick &&
+	cat <<INPUT_END >>input &&
+commit refs/notes/commits
+committer $GIT_COMMITTER_NAME <$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL> $GIT_COMMITTER_DATE
+data <<COMMIT
+notes commit #2
+COMMIT
+
+M 644 inline foobar/non-note.txt
+data <<EOF
+A non-note in a notes tree
+EOF
+
+N inline $commit2
+data <<EOF
+edited note for commit #2
+EOF
+
+INPUT_END
+	test_tick &&
+	cat <<INPUT_END >>input &&
+commit refs/notes/commits
+committer $GIT_COMMITTER_NAME <$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL> $GIT_COMMITTER_DATE
+data <<COMMIT
+notes commit #3
+COMMIT
+
+N inline $commit1
+data <<EOF
+edited note for commit #1
+EOF
+
+M 644 inline deadbeef
+data <<EOF
+non-note with SHA1-like name
+EOF
+
+M 644 inline de/adbeef
+data <<EOF
+another non-note with SHA1-like name
+EOF
+
+INPUT_END
+	git fast-import --quiet <input &&
+	git config core.notesRef refs/notes/commits
+'
+
+cat >expect <<EXPECT_END
+    commit #2
+    edited note for commit #2
+    commit #1
+    edited note for commit #1
+EXPECT_END
+
+test_expect_success "verify contents of notes" '
+
+	git log | grep "^    " > actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+cat >expect_nn1 <<EXPECT_END
+A non-note in a notes tree
+EXPECT_END
+cat >expect_nn2 <<EXPECT_END
+non-note with SHA1-like name
+EXPECT_END
+cat >expect_nn3 <<EXPECT_END
+another non-note with SHA1-like name
+EXPECT_END
+
+test_expect_success "verify contents of non-notes" '
+
+	git cat-file -p refs/notes/commits:foobar/non-note.txt > actual_nn1 &&
+	test_cmp expect_nn1 actual_nn1 &&
+	git cat-file -p refs/notes/commits:deadbeef > actual_nn2 &&
+	test_cmp expect_nn2 actual_nn2 &&
+	git cat-file -p refs/notes/commits:de/adbeef > actual_nn3 &&
+	test_cmp expect_nn3 actual_nn3
+'
+
+test_done