diff --git a/log-tree.c b/log-tree.c
index 109c212224..923a299e70 100644
--- a/log-tree.c
+++ b/log-tree.c
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ void add_name_decoration(enum decoration_type type, const char *name, struct obj
 
 const struct name_decoration *get_name_decoration(const struct object *obj)
 {
+	load_ref_decorations(NULL, DECORATE_SHORT_REFS);
 	return lookup_decoration(&name_decoration, obj);
 }
 
diff --git a/pretty.c b/pretty.c
index e4ed14effe..b32f036953 100644
--- a/pretty.c
+++ b/pretty.c
@@ -1239,11 +1239,9 @@ static size_t format_commit_one(struct strbuf *sb, /* in UTF-8 */
 		strbuf_addstr(sb, get_revision_mark(NULL, commit));
 		return 1;
 	case 'd':
-		load_ref_decorations(NULL, DECORATE_SHORT_REFS);
 		format_decorations(sb, commit, c->auto_color);
 		return 1;
 	case 'D':
-		load_ref_decorations(NULL, DECORATE_SHORT_REFS);
 		format_decorations_extended(sb, commit, c->auto_color, "", ", ", "");
 		return 1;
 	case 'S':		/* tag/branch like --source */
diff --git a/revision.c b/revision.c
index a2406c4519..442a705ad0 100644
--- a/revision.c
+++ b/revision.c
@@ -2061,7 +2061,6 @@ static int handle_revision_opt(struct rev_info *revs, int argc, const char **arg
 		revs->simplify_by_decoration = 1;
 		revs->limited = 1;
 		revs->prune = 1;
-		load_ref_decorations(NULL, DECORATE_SHORT_REFS);
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--date-order")) {
 		revs->sort_order = REV_SORT_BY_COMMIT_DATE;
 		revs->topo_order = 1;
diff --git a/t/t4202-log.sh b/t/t4202-log.sh
index e88ccb04a9..e803ba402e 100755
--- a/t/t4202-log.sh
+++ b/t/t4202-log.sh
@@ -837,6 +837,21 @@ test_expect_success 'decorate-refs and decorate-refs-exclude' '
 	test_cmp expect.decorate actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'decorate-refs-exclude and simplify-by-decoration' '
+	cat >expect.decorate <<-\EOF &&
+	Merge-tag-reach (HEAD -> master)
+	reach (tag: reach, reach)
+	seventh (tag: seventh)
+	Merge-branch-tangle
+	Merge-branch-side-early-part-into-tangle (tangle)
+	tangle-a (tag: tangle-a)
+	EOF
+	git log -n6 --decorate=short --pretty="tformat:%f%d" \
+		--decorate-refs-exclude="*octopus*" \
+		--simplify-by-decoration >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect.decorate actual
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'log.decorate config parsing' '
 	git log --oneline --decorate=full >expect.full &&
 	git log --oneline --decorate=short >expect.short &&