diff --git a/Documentation/git-notes.txt b/Documentation/git-notes.txt
index f56a5a9197..ced2e8280e 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-notes.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-notes.txt
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ SYNOPSIS
 [verse]
 'git notes' [list [<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' copy [-f] ( --stdin | <from-object> [<to-object>] )
 'git notes' append [--allow-empty] [-F <file> | -m <msg> | (-c | -C) <object>] [<object>]
 'git notes' edit [--allow-empty] [<object>]
 'git notes' show [<object>]
@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ add::
 	subcommand).
 
 copy::
-	Copy the notes for the first object onto the second object.
-	Abort if the second object already has notes, or if the first
+	Copy the notes for the first object onto the second object (defaults to
+	HEAD). Abort if the second object already has notes, or if the first
 	object has none (use -f to overwrite existing notes to the
 	second object). This subcommand is equivalent to:
 	`git notes add [-f] -C $(git notes list <from-object>) <to-object>`
diff --git a/builtin/notes.c b/builtin/notes.c
index 02e97f55c5..95456f3165 100644
--- a/builtin/notes.c
+++ b/builtin/notes.c
@@ -513,7 +513,7 @@ static int copy(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (argc < 2) {
+	if (argc < 1) {
 		error(_("too few parameters"));
 		usage_with_options(git_notes_copy_usage, options);
 	}
diff --git a/t/t3301-notes.sh b/t/t3301-notes.sh
index d3fa298c6a..d66a5f6faa 100755
--- a/t/t3301-notes.sh
+++ b/t/t3301-notes.sh
@@ -864,6 +864,24 @@ test_expect_success 'append to note from other note with "git notes append -c"'
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'copy note with "git notes copy"' '
+	commit=$(git rev-parse 4th) &&
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+		commit $commit
+		Author: A U Thor <author@example.com>
+		Date:   Thu Apr 7 15:16:13 2005 -0700
+
+		${indent}4th
+
+		Notes:
+		${indent}This is a blob object
+	EOF
+	git notes copy 8th 4th &&
+	git log 3rd..4th >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+	test "$(git note list 4th)" = "$(git note list 8th)"
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'copy note with "git notes copy" with default' '
 	test_commit 11th &&
 	commit=$(git rev-parse HEAD) &&
 	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
@@ -878,7 +896,7 @@ test_expect_success 'copy note with "git notes copy"' '
 		${indent}
 		${indent}yet another note
 	EOF
-	git notes copy HEAD^ HEAD &&
+	git notes copy HEAD^ &&
 	git log -1 >actual &&
 	test_cmp expect actual &&
 	test "$(git notes list HEAD)" = "$(git notes list HEAD^)"
@@ -892,6 +910,24 @@ test_expect_success 'prevent overwrite with "git notes copy"' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'allow overwrite with "git notes copy -f"' '
+	commit=$(git rev-parse HEAD) &&
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+		commit $commit
+		Author: A U Thor <author@example.com>
+		Date:   Thu Apr 7 15:23:13 2005 -0700
+
+		${indent}11th
+
+		Notes:
+		${indent}This is a blob object
+	EOF
+	git notes copy -f HEAD~3 HEAD &&
+	git log -1 >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+	test "$(git notes list HEAD)" = "$(git notes list HEAD~3)"
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'allow overwrite with "git notes copy -f" with default' '
 	commit=$(git rev-parse HEAD) &&
 	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
 		commit $commit
@@ -905,7 +941,7 @@ test_expect_success 'allow overwrite with "git notes copy -f"' '
 		${indent}
 		${indent}yet another note
 	EOF
-	git notes copy -f HEAD~2 HEAD &&
+	git notes copy -f HEAD~2 &&
 	git log -1 >actual &&
 	test_cmp expect actual &&
 	test "$(git notes list HEAD)" = "$(git notes list HEAD~2)"
@@ -1167,8 +1203,10 @@ test_expect_success 'GIT_NOTES_REWRITE_REF overrides config' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'git notes copy diagnoses too many or too few parameters' '
-	test_must_fail git notes copy &&
-	test_must_fail git notes copy one two three
+	test_must_fail git notes copy 2>error &&
+	test_i18ngrep "too few parameters" error &&
+	test_must_fail git notes copy one two three 2>error &&
+	test_i18ngrep "too many parameters" error
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'git notes get-ref expands refs/heads/master to refs/notes/refs/heads/master' '