diff --git a/Documentation/git-grep.txt b/Documentation/git-grep.txt
index a3049af1a3..84fe236a8e 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-grep.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-grep.txt
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ SYNOPSIS
 	   [(-O | --open-files-in-pager) [<pager>]]
 	   [-z | --null]
 	   [ -o | --only-matching ] [-c | --count] [--all-match] [-q | --quiet]
-	   [--max-depth <depth>]
+	   [--max-depth <depth>] [--[no-]recursive]
 	   [--color[=<when>] | --no-color]
 	   [--break] [--heading] [-p | --show-function]
 	   [-A <post-context>] [-B <pre-context>] [-C <context>]
@@ -119,11 +119,18 @@ OPTIONS
 
 --max-depth <depth>::
 	For each <pathspec> given on command line, descend at most <depth>
-	levels of directories. A negative value means no limit.
+	levels of directories. A value of -1 means no limit.
 	This option is ignored if <pathspec> contains active wildcards.
 	In other words if "a*" matches a directory named "a*",
 	"*" is matched literally so --max-depth is still effective.
 
+-r::
+--recursive::
+	Same as `--max-depth=-1`; this is the default.
+
+--no-recursive::
+	Same as `--max-depth=0`.
+
 -w::
 --word-regexp::
 	Match the pattern only at word boundary (either begin at the
diff --git a/builtin/grep.c b/builtin/grep.c
index 0c3527242e..d8508ddf79 100644
--- a/builtin/grep.c
+++ b/builtin/grep.c
@@ -812,6 +812,8 @@ int cmd_grep(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			GREP_BINARY_NOMATCH),
 		OPT_BOOL(0, "textconv", &opt.allow_textconv,
 			 N_("process binary files with textconv filters")),
+		OPT_SET_INT('r', "recursive", &opt.max_depth,
+			    N_("search in subdirectories (default)"), -1),
 		{ OPTION_INTEGER, 0, "max-depth", &opt.max_depth, N_("depth"),
 			N_("descend at most <depth> levels"), PARSE_OPT_NONEG,
 			NULL, 1 },
diff --git a/t/t7810-grep.sh b/t/t7810-grep.sh
index be5c1bd553..43aa4161cf 100755
--- a/t/t7810-grep.sh
+++ b/t/t7810-grep.sh
@@ -309,6 +309,8 @@ do
 			echo ${HC}v:1:vvv
 		} >expected &&
 		git grep --max-depth -1 -n -e vvv $H >actual &&
+		test_cmp expected actual &&
+		git grep --recursive -n -e vvv $H >actual &&
 		test_cmp expected actual
 	'
 
@@ -317,6 +319,8 @@ do
 			echo ${HC}v:1:vvv
 		} >expected &&
 		git grep --max-depth 0 -n -e vvv $H >actual &&
+		test_cmp expected actual &&
+		git grep --no-recursive -n -e vvv $H >actual &&
 		test_cmp expected actual
 	'
 
@@ -327,6 +331,8 @@ do
 			echo ${HC}v:1:vvv
 		} >expected &&
 		git grep --max-depth 0 -n -e vvv $H -- "*" >actual &&
+		test_cmp expected actual &&
+		git grep --no-recursive -n -e vvv $H -- "*" >actual &&
 		test_cmp expected actual
 	'
 
@@ -344,6 +350,8 @@ do
 			echo ${HC}t/v:1:vvv
 		} >expected &&
 		git grep --max-depth 0 -n -e vvv $H -- t >actual &&
+		test_cmp expected actual &&
+		git grep --no-recursive -n -e vvv $H -- t >actual &&
 		test_cmp expected actual
 	'
 
@@ -353,6 +361,8 @@ do
 			echo ${HC}v:1:vvv
 		} >expected &&
 		git grep --max-depth 0 -n -e vvv $H -- . t >actual &&
+		test_cmp expected actual &&
+		git grep --no-recursive -n -e vvv $H -- . t >actual &&
 		test_cmp expected actual
 	'
 
@@ -362,6 +372,8 @@ do
 			echo ${HC}v:1:vvv
 		} >expected &&
 		git grep --max-depth 0 -n -e vvv $H -- t . >actual &&
+		test_cmp expected actual &&
+		git grep --no-recursive -n -e vvv $H -- t . >actual &&
 		test_cmp expected actual
 	'
 	test_expect_success "grep $L with grep.extendedRegexp=false" '