diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1f28bfd91..acd8e61e0 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 * `jj rebase` now accepts a `--branch/-b <revision>` argument, which can be used
   instead of `-r` or `-s` to specify which commits to rebase. It will rebase the
-  whole branch, relative to the destination.
+  whole branch, relative to the destination. The default mode has changed from
+  `-r @` to `-b @`.
 
 * The new `jj print` command prints the contents of a file in a revision.
 
diff --git a/src/commands.rs b/src/commands.rs
index c63a28476..3183db7bc 100644
--- a/src/commands.rs
+++ b/src/commands.rs
@@ -1389,7 +1389,7 @@ struct MergeArgs {
 /// There are three different ways of specifying which revisions to rebase:
 /// `-b` to rebase a whole branch, `-s` to rebase a revision and its
 /// descendants, and `-r` to rebase a single commit. If none if them is
-/// specified, it defaults to `-r @`.
+/// specified, it defaults to `-b @`.
 ///
 /// With `-b`, it rebases the whole branch containing the specified revision.
 /// Unlike `-s` and `-r`, the `-b` mode takes the destination into account
@@ -3635,13 +3635,13 @@ fn cmd_rebase(ui: &mut Ui, command: &CommandHelper, args: &RebaseArgs) -> Result
         let destination = workspace_command.resolve_single_rev(ui, revision_str)?;
         new_parents.push(destination);
     }
-    if let Some(branch_str) = &args.branch {
-        rebase_branch(ui, &mut workspace_command, &new_parents, branch_str)?;
+    if let Some(rev_str) = &args.revision {
+        rebase_revision(ui, &mut workspace_command, &new_parents, rev_str)?;
     } else if let Some(source_str) = &args.source {
         rebase_descendants(ui, &mut workspace_command, &new_parents, source_str)?;
     } else {
-        let rev_str = args.revision.as_deref().unwrap_or("@");
-        rebase_revision(ui, &mut workspace_command, &new_parents, rev_str)?;
+        let branch_str = args.branch.as_deref().unwrap_or("@");
+        rebase_branch(ui, &mut workspace_command, &new_parents, branch_str)?;
     }
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/tests/test_git_push.rs b/tests/test_git_push.rs
index fab2ee9fb..892329c88 100644
--- a/tests/test_git_push.rs
+++ b/tests/test_git_push.rs
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ fn test_git_push() {
     std::fs::write(workspace_root.join("file"), "second").unwrap();
     test_env.jj_cmd_success(&workspace_root, &["close", "-m", "second"]);
     std::fs::write(workspace_root.join("file"), "third").unwrap();
-    test_env.jj_cmd_success(&workspace_root, &["rebase", "-d", "@--"]);
+    test_env.jj_cmd_success(&workspace_root, &["rebase", "-r", "@", "-d", "@--"]);
     test_env.jj_cmd_success(&workspace_root, &["branch", "my-branch"]);
     test_env.jj_cmd_success(&workspace_root, &["close", "-m", "third"]);
     let stderr = test_env.jj_cmd_failure(&workspace_root, &["git", "push"]);
diff --git a/tests/test_print_command.rs b/tests/test_print_command.rs
index 9201adff4..c0c3ae8cf 100644
--- a/tests/test_print_command.rs
+++ b/tests/test_print_command.rs
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ fn test_print() {
     // Can print a conflict
     test_env.jj_cmd_success(&repo_path, &["new"]);
     std::fs::write(repo_path.join("file1"), "c\n").unwrap();
-    test_env.jj_cmd_success(&repo_path, &["rebase", "-d", "@--"]);
+    test_env.jj_cmd_success(&repo_path, &["rebase", "-r", "@", "-d", "@--"]);
     let stdout = test_env.jj_cmd_success(&repo_path, &["print", "file1"]);
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stdout, @r###"
     <<<<<<<
diff --git a/tests/test_rebase_command.rs b/tests/test_rebase_command.rs
index 3054d8f24..485b6ee11 100644
--- a/tests/test_rebase_command.rs
+++ b/tests/test_rebase_command.rs
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ fn test_rebase_branch_with_merge() {
     "###);
 
     test_env.jj_cmd_success(&repo_path, &["undo"]);
-    let stdout = test_env.jj_cmd_success(&repo_path, &["rebase", "-b", "e", "-d", "b"]);
+    let stdout = test_env.jj_cmd_success(&repo_path, &["rebase", "-d", "b"]);
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stdout, @r###"
     Rebased 4 commits
     Working copy now at: a15dfb947f3f