diff --git a/builtin/log.c b/builtin/log.c
index 92dc34dcb0..49aa534f4a 100644
--- a/builtin/log.c
+++ b/builtin/log.c
@@ -1676,16 +1676,16 @@ int cmd_format_patch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		/* nothing to do */
 		return 0;
 	total = nr;
-	if (!keep_subject && auto_number && total > 1)
-		numbered = 1;
-	if (numbered)
-		rev.total = total + start_number - 1;
 	if (cover_letter == -1) {
 		if (config_cover_letter == COVER_AUTO)
 			cover_letter = (total > 1);
 		else
 			cover_letter = (config_cover_letter == COVER_ON);
 	}
+	if (!keep_subject && auto_number && (total > 1 || cover_letter))
+		numbered = 1;
+	if (numbered)
+		rev.total = total + start_number - 1;
 
 	if (!signature) {
 		; /* --no-signature inhibits all signatures */
diff --git a/t/t4021-format-patch-numbered.sh b/t/t4021-format-patch-numbered.sh
index 886494b58f..9be65fd444 100755
--- a/t/t4021-format-patch-numbered.sh
+++ b/t/t4021-format-patch-numbered.sh
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@ test_no_numbered() {
 	test_num_no_numbered $1 2
 }
 
+test_single_cover_letter_numbered() {
+	grep "^Subject: \[PATCH 0/1\]" $1 &&
+	grep "^Subject: \[PATCH 1/1\]" $1
+}
+
 test_single_numbered() {
 	grep "^Subject: \[PATCH 1/1\]" $1
 }
@@ -121,4 +126,16 @@ test_expect_success '--start-number && --numbered' '
 	grep "^Subject: \[PATCH 3/3\]" patch8
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'single patch with cover-letter defaults to numbers' '
+	git format-patch --cover-letter --stdout HEAD~1 >patch9.single &&
+	test_single_cover_letter_numbered patch9.single
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'Use --no-numbered and --cover-letter single patch' '
+	git format-patch --no-numbered --stdout --cover-letter HEAD~1 >patch10 &&
+	test_no_numbered patch10
+'
+
+
+
 test_done