diff --git a/Documentation/git-notes.txt b/Documentation/git-notes.txt
index 310f0a5e8c..851518d531 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-notes.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-notes.txt
@@ -9,10 +9,10 @@ SYNOPSIS
 --------
 [verse]
 'git notes' [list [<object>]]
-'git notes' add [-f] [-F <file> | -m <msg> | (-c | -C) <object>] [<object>]
+'git notes' add [-f] [--allow-empty] [-F <file> | -m <msg> | (-c | -C) <object>] [<object>]
 'git notes' copy [-f] ( --stdin | <from-object> <to-object> )
-'git notes' append [-F <file> | -m <msg> | (-c | -C) <object>] [<object>]
-'git notes' edit [<object>]
+'git notes' append [--allow-empty] [-F <file> | -m <msg> | (-c | -C) <object>] [<object>]
+'git notes' edit [--allow-empty] [<object>]
 'git notes' show [<object>]
 'git notes' merge [-v | -q] [-s <strategy> ] <notes-ref>
 'git notes' merge --commit [-v | -q]
@@ -155,6 +155,10 @@ OPTIONS
 	Like '-C', but with '-c' the editor is invoked, so that
 	the user can further edit the note message.
 
+--allow-empty::
+	Allow an empty note object to be stored. The default behavior is
+	to automatically remove empty notes.
+
 --ref <ref>::
 	Manipulate the notes tree in <ref>.  This overrides
 	'GIT_NOTES_REF' and the "core.notesRef" configuration.  The ref
@@ -287,7 +291,7 @@ arbitrary files using 'git hash-object':
 ------------
 $ cc *.c
 $ blob=$(git hash-object -w a.out)
-$ git notes --ref=built add -C "$blob" HEAD
+$ git notes --ref=built add --allow-empty -C "$blob" HEAD
 ------------
 
 (You cannot simply use `git notes --ref=built add -F a.out HEAD`
diff --git a/builtin/notes.c b/builtin/notes.c
index ed32d634fc..a9f37d0456 100644
--- a/builtin/notes.c
+++ b/builtin/notes.c
@@ -22,10 +22,10 @@
 
 static const char * const git_notes_usage[] = {
 	N_("git notes [--ref <notes_ref>] [list [<object>]]"),
-	N_("git notes [--ref <notes_ref>] add [-f] [-m <msg> | -F <file> | (-c | -C) <object>] [<object>]"),
+	N_("git notes [--ref <notes_ref>] add [-f] [--allow-empty] [-m <msg> | -F <file> | (-c | -C) <object>] [<object>]"),
 	N_("git notes [--ref <notes_ref>] copy [-f] <from-object> <to-object>"),
-	N_("git notes [--ref <notes_ref>] append [-m <msg> | -F <file> | (-c | -C) <object>] [<object>]"),
-	N_("git notes [--ref <notes_ref>] edit [<object>]"),
+	N_("git notes [--ref <notes_ref>] append [--allow-empty] [-m <msg> | -F <file> | (-c | -C) <object>] [<object>]"),
+	N_("git notes [--ref <notes_ref>] edit [--allow-empty] [<object>]"),
 	N_("git notes [--ref <notes_ref>] show [<object>]"),
 	N_("git notes [--ref <notes_ref>] merge [-v | -q] [-s <strategy> ] <notes_ref>"),
 	N_("git notes merge --commit [-v | -q]"),
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ static int append_edit(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix);
 
 static int add(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
-	int force = 0;
+	int force = 0, allow_empty = 0;
 	const char *object_ref;
 	struct notes_tree *t;
 	unsigned char object[20], new_note[20];
@@ -400,6 +400,8 @@ static int add(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		{ OPTION_CALLBACK, 'C', "reuse-message", &d, N_("object"),
 			N_("reuse specified note object"), PARSE_OPT_NONEG,
 			parse_reuse_arg},
+		OPT_BOOL(0, "allow-empty", &allow_empty,
+			N_("allow storing empty note")),
 		OPT__FORCE(&force, N_("replace existing notes")),
 		OPT_END()
 	};
@@ -445,7 +447,7 @@ static int add(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	}
 
 	prepare_note_data(object, &d, note);
-	if (d.buf.len) {
+	if (d.buf.len || allow_empty) {
 		write_note_data(&d, new_note);
 		if (add_note(t, object, new_note, combine_notes_overwrite))
 			die("BUG: combine_notes_overwrite failed");
@@ -540,6 +542,7 @@ out:
 
 static int append_edit(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
+	int allow_empty = 0;
 	const char *object_ref;
 	struct notes_tree *t;
 	unsigned char object[20], new_note[20];
@@ -560,6 +563,8 @@ static int append_edit(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		{ OPTION_CALLBACK, 'C', "reuse-message", &d, N_("object"),
 			N_("reuse specified note object"), PARSE_OPT_NONEG,
 			parse_reuse_arg},
+		OPT_BOOL(0, "allow-empty", &allow_empty,
+			N_("allow storing empty note")),
 		OPT_END()
 	};
 	int edit = !strcmp(argv[0], "edit");
@@ -602,7 +607,7 @@ static int append_edit(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		free(prev_buf);
 	}
 
-	if (d.buf.len) {
+	if (d.buf.len || allow_empty) {
 		write_note_data(&d, new_note);
 		if (add_note(t, object, new_note, combine_notes_overwrite))
 			die("BUG: combine_notes_overwrite failed");
diff --git a/t/t3301-notes.sh b/t/t3301-notes.sh
index f74b3fa335..70ec5c395f 100755
--- a/t/t3301-notes.sh
+++ b/t/t3301-notes.sh
@@ -1242,7 +1242,8 @@ test_expect_success 'git notes get-ref (--ref)' '
 test_expect_success 'setup testing of empty notes' '
 	test_unconfig core.notesRef &&
 	test_commit 16th &&
-	empty_blob=$(git hash-object -w /dev/null)
+	empty_blob=$(git hash-object -w /dev/null) &&
+	echo "$empty_blob" >expect_empty
 '
 
 while read cmd
@@ -1252,6 +1253,13 @@ do
 		MSG= git notes $cmd &&
 		test_must_fail git notes list HEAD
 	"
+
+	test_expect_success "'git notes $cmd --allow-empty' stores empty note" "
+		test_might_fail git notes remove HEAD &&
+		MSG= git notes $cmd --allow-empty &&
+		git notes list HEAD >actual &&
+		test_cmp expect_empty actual
+	"
 done <<\EOF
 add
 add -F /dev/null