diff --git a/builtin/repo.c b/builtin/repo.c
index 0dd41b1778..1cd12e7eea 100644
--- a/builtin/repo.c
+++ b/builtin/repo.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ static const char *const repo_usage[] = {
 typedef int get_value_fn(struct repository *repo, struct strbuf *buf);
 
 enum output_format {
+	FORMAT_DEFAULT,
 	FORMAT_TABLE,
 	FORMAT_KEYVALUE,
 	FORMAT_NUL_TERMINATED,
@@ -159,6 +160,8 @@ static int parse_format_cb(const struct option *opt,
 		*format = FORMAT_KEYVALUE;
 	else if (!strcmp(arg, "table"))
 		*format = FORMAT_TABLE;
+	else if (!strcmp(arg, "default"))
+		*format = FORMAT_DEFAULT;
 	else
 		die(_("invalid format '%s'"), arg);
 
@@ -168,7 +171,7 @@ static int parse_format_cb(const struct option *opt,
 static int cmd_repo_info(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix,
 			 struct repository *repo)
 {
-	enum output_format format = FORMAT_KEYVALUE;
+	enum output_format format = FORMAT_DEFAULT;
 	int all_keys = 0;
 	struct option options[] = {
 		OPT_CALLBACK_F(0, "format", &format, N_("format"),
@@ -183,6 +186,10 @@ static int cmd_repo_info(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix,
 	};
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, options, repo_usage, 0);
+
+	if (format == FORMAT_DEFAULT)
+		format = FORMAT_KEYVALUE;
+
 	if (format != FORMAT_KEYVALUE && format != FORMAT_NUL_TERMINATED)
 		die(_("unsupported output format"));