diff --git a/cmd/lazysecrets/list.go b/cmd/lazysecrets/list.go
index 9f5f7c6..1d43850 100644
--- a/cmd/lazysecrets/list.go
+++ b/cmd/lazysecrets/list.go
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ func listCmd(providers []provider.Provider, st *store.Store, cachePath string, t
 	iconsOn := fs.Bool("icons", withIcons, "put the provider's Nerd Font icon before names (text)")
 	stars := fs.Bool("stars", true, "put ★ before starred names, in the theme's favouriteColor (text)")
 	recent := fs.Bool("recent", withRecent, "put ◷ before names used lately, in mutedColor (text; default ui.recentIcon)")
-	notes := fs.Bool("notes", true, "put a note icon (✎ without --icons) before names with a note, in mutedColor (text; the note is printed either way)")
+	notes := fs.Bool("notes", true, "start a note with a note icon (✎ without --icons) (text; the note is printed either way)")
 	expiry := fs.Bool("expiry", true, "mark and say which have expired (✗ expired) or expire within ui.expiryWarningDays (⚠ expires in 12d) (text)")
 	kinds := fs.String("kind", "", "only these kinds, comma-separated: "+strings.Join(listing.Kinds, ", ")+" (vault: also scopes and repo files)")
 	showErrors := fs.Bool("errors", true, "list the lists that can't be read, with why (text: ✗ lines; json: \"error\")")
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ func listCmd(providers []provider.Provider, st *store.Store, cachePath string, t
 		return fmt.Errorf("--color: %q is not always or never", *color)
 	}
 	now := time.Now()
-	m := marks{theme: theme, icons: icons.None, stars: *stars, recent: *recent, notes: *notes, expiry: *expiry,
+	m := marks{theme: theme, icons: icons.None, stars: *stars, recent: *recent, expiry: *expiry,
 		color: *color == "always", warn: expiryWarn, now: now}
 	if *iconsOn {
 		m.icons = icons.NerdFont
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func listCmd(providers []provider.Provider, st *store.Store, cachePath string, t
 			if status == "" && *expiry {
 				status = expiryOf(e, theme, expiryWarn, now, colored)
 			}
-			note := renderer(colored)(theme.Muted, e.Note)
+			note := noteOf(e, theme, m.icons, *notes, colored)
 			// A tab or line break in a name would break the line up.
 			_, err := fmt.Fprintf(out, "%s\t%s\t%s\t%s\t%s\t%s\t%s\n", e.Kind, mark, oneLine.Replace(name), oneLine.Replace(status),
 				oneLine.Replace(note), e.Account, e.Link)
@@ -152,6 +152,19 @@ func listCmd(providers []provider.Provider, st *store.Store, cachePath string, t
 
 var oneLine = strings.NewReplacer("\t", " ", "\r\n", " ", "\n", " ", "\r", " ")
 
+// noteOf is the entry's note, muted, after a note icon (✎ without Nerd
+// Font icons) with icon; or "".
+func noteOf(e listing.Entry, theme styles.Styles, iconSet icons.Set, icon, color bool) string {
+	if e.Note == "" {
+		return ""
+	}
+	note := e.Note
+	if icon {
+		note = cmp.Or(iconSet.Note, "✎") + " " + note
+	}
+	return renderer(color)(theme.Muted, note)
+}
+
 // expiryOf says that a secret, key or certificate has expired, in red,
 // or when it will if that's within warn (expires in 12d), in yellow, or
 // is "". Its mark (✗, ⚠) is before the name.
@@ -195,16 +208,15 @@ func nameOf(e listing.Entry, theme styles.Styles, color bool) string {
 // marks says what goes before the name, in a field of its own so a
 // search leaves it out: ✗ in red when something's wrong (it couldn't be
 // read, or has expired) or ⚠ when it expires within warn; ★ for a starred
-// entry and ◷ for one used lately, as the TUI marks them; a note icon
-// (✎ without Nerd Font icons) for one with a note; then the provider's
-// icon. The marks are right-aligned in room for every kind
+// entry and ◷ for one used lately, as the TUI marks them; then the
+// provider's icon. The marks are right-aligned in room for every kind
 // turned on, so they sit by the icon and names line up.
 type marks struct {
-	theme                               styles.Styles
-	icons                               icons.Set
-	stars, recent, notes, expiry, color bool
-	warn                                time.Duration // ui.expiryWarningDays
-	now                                 time.Time
+	theme                        styles.Styles
+	icons                        icons.Set
+	stars, recent, expiry, color bool
+	warn                         time.Duration // ui.expiryWarningDays
+	now                          time.Time
 }
 
 func (m marks) of(e listing.Entry) string {
@@ -232,9 +244,6 @@ func (m marks) of(e listing.Entry) string {
 	if m.recent {
 		mark(e.Recent, m.theme.Muted, "◷")
 	}
-	if m.notes {
-		mark(e.Note != "", m.theme.Muted, cmp.Or(m.icons.Note, "✎"))
-	}
 	pad := strings.Repeat("  ", room-len(parts)) // each mark and its space
 	kind := provider.Kind("")
 	for _, k := range []provider.Kind{provider.KindAzure, provider.KindDatabricks, provider.KindRepo} {
diff --git a/cmd/lazysecrets/list_test.go b/cmd/lazysecrets/list_test.go
index ba322c2..5b2ce20 100644
--- a/cmd/lazysecrets/list_test.go
+++ b/cmd/lazysecrets/list_test.go
@@ -87,25 +87,20 @@ func TestListExpiry(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestListNoteMark(t *testing.T) {
-	az := icons.NerdFont.Azure
-	m := marks{icons: icons.NerdFont, stars: true, notes: true}
-	for _, c := range []struct {
-		e    listing.Entry
-		want string
-	}{
-		{listing.Entry{Provider: "azure", Note: "rotate in May"}, "    " + icons.NerdFont.Note + " " + az},
-		{listing.Entry{Provider: "azure", Note: "x", Starred: true}, "  ★ " + icons.NerdFont.Note + " " + az},
-		{listing.Entry{Provider: "azure"}, "      " + az},
-	} {
-		if got := m.of(c.e); got != c.want {
-			t.Errorf("%+v: %q, want %q", c.e, got, c.want)
-		}
+func TestListNotes(t *testing.T) {
+	e := listing.Entry{Note: "rotate in May"}
+	if got := noteOf(e, styles.Default(), icons.NerdFont, true, false); got != icons.NerdFont.Note+" rotate in May" {
+		t.Errorf("icons: %q", got)
 	}
-	m.icons = icons.None // without Nerd Font icons
-	if got := m.of(listing.Entry{Provider: "azure", Note: "x"}); got != "    ✎" {
+	if got := noteOf(e, styles.Default(), icons.None, true, false); got != "✎ rotate in May" {
 		t.Errorf("no icons: %q", got)
 	}
+	if got := noteOf(e, styles.Default(), icons.NerdFont, false, false); got != "rotate in May" {
+		t.Errorf("--notes=false: %q", got)
+	}
+	if got := noteOf(listing.Entry{}, styles.Default(), icons.NerdFont, true, true); got != "" {
+		t.Errorf("no note: %q", got)
+	}
 }
 
 func TestListStatusMark(t *testing.T) {