diff --git a/mlir/include/mlir/IR/Diagnostics.h b/mlir/include/mlir/IR/Diagnostics.h
--- a/mlir/include/mlir/IR/Diagnostics.h
+++ b/mlir/include/mlir/IR/Diagnostics.h
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 class MLIRContext;
 class Operation;
 class OperationName;
+class OpPrintingFlags;
 class Type;
 class Value;
 
@@ -218,6 +219,8 @@
   Diagnostic &operator<<(Operation *val) {
     return *this << *val;
   }
+  /// Append an operation with the given printing flags.
+  Diagnostic &appendOp(Operation &val, const OpPrintingFlags &flags);
 
   /// Stream in a Value.
   Diagnostic &operator<<(Value val);
diff --git a/mlir/lib/IR/Diagnostics.cpp b/mlir/lib/IR/Diagnostics.cpp
--- a/mlir/lib/IR/Diagnostics.cpp
+++ b/mlir/lib/IR/Diagnostics.cpp
@@ -127,9 +127,13 @@
 
 /// Stream in an Operation.
 Diagnostic &Diagnostic::operator<<(Operation &val) {
+  return appendOp(val, OpPrintingFlags());
+}
+Diagnostic &Diagnostic::appendOp(Operation &val, const OpPrintingFlags &flags) {
   std::string str;
   llvm::raw_string_ostream os(str);
-  val.print(os, OpPrintingFlags().useLocalScope().elideLargeElementsAttrs());
+  val.print(os,
+            OpPrintingFlags(flags).useLocalScope().elideLargeElementsAttrs());
   return *this << os.str();
 }
 
diff --git a/mlir/lib/IR/Operation.cpp b/mlir/lib/IR/Operation.cpp
--- a/mlir/lib/IR/Operation.cpp
+++ b/mlir/lib/IR/Operation.cpp
@@ -276,17 +276,9 @@
 InFlightDiagnostic Operation::emitError(const Twine &message) {
   InFlightDiagnostic diag = mlir::emitError(getLoc(), message);
   if (getContext()->shouldPrintOpOnDiagnostic()) {
-    // Print out the operation explicitly here so that we can print the generic
-    // form.
-    // TODO: It would be nice if we could instead provide the
-    // specific printing flags when adding the operation as an argument to the
-    // diagnostic.
-    std::string printedOp;
-    {
-      llvm::raw_string_ostream os(printedOp);
-      print(os, OpPrintingFlags().printGenericOpForm().useLocalScope());
-    }
-    diag.attachNote(getLoc()) << "see current operation: " << printedOp;
+    diag.attachNote(getLoc())
+        .append("see current operation: ")
+        .appendOp(*this, OpPrintingFlags().printGenericOpForm());
   }
   return diag;
 }