diff --git a/contrib/git-jump/README b/contrib/git-jump/README
index 3211841305fcb3..420b20b6a2c29e 100644
--- a/contrib/git-jump/README
+++ b/contrib/git-jump/README
@@ -55,6 +55,10 @@ To use it, just drop git-jump in your PATH, and then invoke it like
 this:
 
 --------------------------------------------------
+# pick a mode automatically: "merge" if there are unmerged paths,
+# "diff" if the worktree has unstaged changes, otherwise show usage
+git jump
+
 # jump to changes not yet staged for commit
 git jump diff
 
diff --git a/contrib/git-jump/git-jump b/contrib/git-jump/git-jump
index 8d1d5d79a69854..ac0ad2f0371e23 100755
--- a/contrib/git-jump/git-jump
+++ b/contrib/git-jump/git-jump
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 usage() {
 	cat <<\EOF
-usage: git jump [--stdout] <mode> [<args>]
+usage: git jump [--stdout] [<mode>] [<args>]
 
 Jump to interesting elements in an editor.
 The <mode> parameter is one of:
@@ -99,8 +99,18 @@ while test $# -gt 0; do
 	shift
 done
 if test $# -lt 1; then
-	usage >&2
-	exit 1
+	if test "$(git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree 2>/dev/null)" != "true"; then
+		usage >&2
+		exit 1
+	fi
+	if test -n "$(git ls-files -u)"; then
+		set -- merge
+	elif ! git diff --quiet; then
+		set -- diff
+	else
+		usage >&2
+		exit 1
+	fi
 fi
 mode=$1; shift
 type "mode_$mode" >/dev/null 2>&1 || { usage >&2; exit 1; }