diff --git a/Documentation/asciidoc.conf b/Documentation/asciidoc.conf
index 10c1a151a4..40d43b78ee 100644
--- a/Documentation/asciidoc.conf
+++ b/Documentation/asciidoc.conf
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 # the command.
 
 [attributes]
+asterisk=*
 plus=+
 caret=^
 startsb=[
diff --git a/Documentation/config.txt b/Documentation/config.txt
index 6966384cef..561ff645f9 100644
--- a/Documentation/config.txt
+++ b/Documentation/config.txt
@@ -945,9 +945,17 @@ pack.indexVersion::
 	legacy pack index used by Git versions prior to 1.5.2, and 2 for
 	the new pack index with capabilities for packs larger than 4 GB
 	as well as proper protection against the repacking of corrupted
-	packs.  Version 2 is selected and this config option ignored
-	whenever the corresponding pack is larger than 2 GB.  Otherwise
-	the default is 1.
+	packs.  Version 2 is the default.  Note that version 2 is enforced
+	and this config option ignored whenever the corresponding pack is
+	larger than 2 GB.
++
+If you have an old git that does not understand the version 2 `{asterisk}.idx` file,
+cloning or fetching over a non native protocol (e.g. "http" and "rsync")
+that will copy both `{asterisk}.pack` file and corresponding `{asterisk}.idx` file from the
+other side may give you a repository that cannot be accessed with your
+older version of git. If the `{asterisk}.pack` file is smaller than 2 GB, however,
+you can use linkgit:git-index-pack[1] on the *.pack file to regenerate
+the `{asterisk}.idx` file.
 
 pack.packSizeLimit::
 	The default maximum size of a pack.  This setting only affects
@@ -1004,8 +1012,12 @@ remotes.<group>::
 	<group>".  See linkgit:git-remote[1].
 
 repack.usedeltabaseoffset::
-	Allow linkgit:git-repack[1] to create packs that uses
-	delta-base offset.  Defaults to false.
+	By default, linkgit:git-repack[1] creates packs that use
+	delta-base offset. If you need to share your repository with
+	git older than version 1.4.4, either directly or via a dumb
+	protocol such as http, then you need to set this option to
+	"false" and repack. Access from old git versions over the
+	native protocol are unaffected by this option.
 
 showbranch.default::
 	The default set of branches for linkgit:git-show-branch[1].
diff --git a/git-repack.sh b/git-repack.sh
index 072d1b40f7..8c3bc134ad 100755
--- a/git-repack.sh
+++ b/git-repack.sh
@@ -44,11 +44,7 @@ do
 	shift
 done
 
-# Later we will default repack.UseDeltaBaseOffset to true
-default_dbo=false
-
-case "`git config --bool repack.usedeltabaseoffset ||
-       echo $default_dbo`" in
+case "`git config --bool repack.usedeltabaseoffset || echo true`" in
 true)
 	extra="$extra --delta-base-offset" ;;
 esac
diff --git a/pack-write.c b/pack-write.c
index f52cabe838..a8f0269936 100644
--- a/pack-write.c
+++ b/pack-write.c
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #include "pack.h"
 #include "csum-file.h"
 
-uint32_t pack_idx_default_version = 1;
+uint32_t pack_idx_default_version = 2;
 uint32_t pack_idx_off32_limit = 0x7fffffff;
 
 static int sha1_compare(const void *_a, const void *_b)