diff --git a/builtin/log.c b/builtin/log.c
index f75d87e8d7..a924f56299 100644
--- a/builtin/log.c
+++ b/builtin/log.c
@@ -245,8 +245,22 @@ static void cmd_log_init_finish(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix,
 			rev->abbrev_commit = 0;
 	}
 
-	if (rev->commit_format == CMIT_FMT_USERFORMAT && !w.decorate)
-		decoration_style = 0;
+	if (rev->commit_format == CMIT_FMT_USERFORMAT) {
+		if (!w.decorate) {
+			/*
+			 * Disable decoration loading if the format will not
+			 * show them anyway.
+			 */
+			decoration_style = 0;
+		} else if (!decoration_style) {
+			/*
+			 * If we are going to show them, make sure we do load
+			 * them here, but taking care not to override a
+			 * specific style set by config or --decorate.
+			 */
+			decoration_style = DECORATE_SHORT_REFS;
+		}
+	}
 
 	if (decoration_style) {
 		const struct string_list *config_exclude =
diff --git a/t/t4202-log.sh b/t/t4202-log.sh
index 7884e3d46b..5f0ae7a785 100755
--- a/t/t4202-log.sh
+++ b/t/t4202-log.sh
@@ -952,6 +952,28 @@ test_expect_success 'decorate-refs-exclude and simplify-by-decoration' '
 	test_cmp expect.decorate actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'decorate-refs with implied decorate from format' '
+	cat >expect <<-\EOF &&
+	side-2 (tag: side-2)
+	side-1
+	EOF
+	git log --no-walk --format="%s%d" \
+		--decorate-refs="*side-2" side-1 side-2 \
+		>actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'implied decorate does not override option' '
+	cat >expect <<-\EOF &&
+	side-2 (tag: refs/tags/side-2, refs/heads/side)
+	side-1 (tag: refs/tags/side-1)
+	EOF
+	git log --no-walk --format="%s%d" \
+		--decorate=full side-1 side-2 \
+		>actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'log.decorate config parsing' '
 	git log --oneline --decorate=full >expect.full &&
 	git log --oneline --decorate=short >expect.short &&