diff --git a/README.mkd b/README.mkd
index 0a151cc..cefb9bc 100644
--- a/README.mkd
+++ b/README.mkd
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ else
 endif
 ```
 
-GitGutter will preserve non-gitgutter signs by default.  If you don't want gitgutter to worry about this (e.g. if you use a NeoVim with an expanding sign column):
+GitGutter can preserve or ignore non-gitgutter signs.  On Vim and Neovim < 0.4.0, gitgutter will default to preserving other signs; on Neovim >= 0.4.0 gitgutter defaults to ignoring them.  You can control this with:
 
 ```viml
 let g:gitgutter_sign_allow_clobber = 1
diff --git a/doc/gitgutter.txt b/doc/gitgutter.txt
index bab6188..b5ed29a 100644
--- a/doc/gitgutter.txt
+++ b/doc/gitgutter.txt
@@ -377,10 +377,11 @@ the number of changed lines exceeds this value, the plugin removes all signs
 and displays a warning message.
 
                                                *g:gitgutter_sign_allow_clobber*
-Default: 0
+Default: 0 (Vim, Neovim < 0.4.0)
+         1 (Neovim >= 0.4.0)
 
-Determines whether gitgutter preserves non-gitgutter signs (the default). When
-1, gitgutter will not preserve non-gitgutter signs.
+Determines whether gitgutter preserves non-gitgutter signs. When 1, gitgutter
+will not preserve non-gitgutter signs.
 
                                           *g:gitgutter_sign_added*
                                           *g:gitgutter_sign_modified*
diff --git a/plugin/gitgutter.vim b/plugin/gitgutter.vim
index 5251145..591c4db 100644
--- a/plugin/gitgutter.vim
+++ b/plugin/gitgutter.vim
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ call s:set('g:gitgutter_max_signs',                 500)
 call s:set('g:gitgutter_signs',                       1)
 call s:set('g:gitgutter_highlight_lines',             0)
 call s:set('g:gitgutter_highlight_linenrs',           0)
+if has('nvim-0.4.0') && !exists('g:gitgutter_sign_allow_clobber')
+  let g:gitgutter_sign_allow_clobber = 1
+endif
 call s:set('g:gitgutter_sign_allow_clobber',          0)
 call s:set('g:gitgutter_sign_column_always',          0)
 if g:gitgutter_sign_column_always && exists('&signcolumn')