diff --git a/Documentation/git-rebase.txt b/Documentation/git-rebase.txt
index 9a295bcee4..4e57a87624 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-rebase.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-rebase.txt
@@ -529,20 +529,24 @@ See also INCOMPATIBLE OPTIONS below.
 
 -r::
 --rebase-merges[=(rebase-cousins|no-rebase-cousins)]::
+--no-rebase-merges::
 	By default, a rebase will simply drop merge commits from the todo
 	list, and put the rebased commits into a single, linear branch.
 	With `--rebase-merges`, the rebase will instead try to preserve
 	the branching structure within the commits that are to be rebased,
 	by recreating the merge commits. Any resolved merge conflicts or
 	manual amendments in these merge commits will have to be
-	resolved/re-applied manually.
+	resolved/re-applied manually. `--no-rebase-merges` can be used to
+	countermand a previous `--rebase-merges`.
 +
-By default, or when `no-rebase-cousins` was specified, commits which do not
-have `<upstream>` as direct ancestor will keep their original branch point,
-i.e. commits that would be excluded by linkgit:git-log[1]'s
-`--ancestry-path` option will keep their original ancestry by default. If
-the `rebase-cousins` mode is turned on, such commits are instead rebased
-onto `<upstream>` (or `<onto>`, if specified).
+When rebasing merges, there are two modes: `rebase-cousins` and
+`no-rebase-cousins`. If the mode is not specified, it defaults to
+`no-rebase-cousins`. In `no-rebase-cousins` mode, commits which do not have
+`<upstream>` as direct ancestor will keep their original branch point, i.e.
+commits that would be excluded by linkgit:git-log[1]'s `--ancestry-path`
+option will keep their original ancestry by default. In `rebase-cousins` mode,
+such commits are instead rebased onto `<upstream>` (or `<onto>`, if
+specified).
 +
 It is currently only possible to recreate the merge commits using the
 `ort` merge strategy; different merge strategies can be used only via
diff --git a/t/t3430-rebase-merges.sh b/t/t3430-rebase-merges.sh
index fa2a06c19f..d46d9545f2 100755
--- a/t/t3430-rebase-merges.sh
+++ b/t/t3430-rebase-merges.sh
@@ -250,6 +250,16 @@ test_expect_success 'with a branch tip that was cherry-picked already' '
 	EOF
 '
 
+test_expect_success '--no-rebase-merges countermands --rebase-merges' '
+	git checkout -b no-rebase-merges E &&
+	git rebase --rebase-merges --no-rebase-merges C &&
+	test_cmp_graph C.. <<-\EOF
+	* B
+	* D
+	o C
+	EOF
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'do not rebase cousins unless asked for' '
 	git checkout -b cousins main &&
 	before="$(git rev-parse --verify HEAD)" &&