Abstract Hybrid composites combining brittle and ductile reinforcing fibres can be designed to have pseudo-ductile behaviour by controlling their failure mechanisms. The recently developed carbon-fibre/self-reinforced polypropylene (SRPP) hybrids have demonstrated a unique combination of stiffness (7 GPa), toughness (>6% strain) and density (±1000 kg/m³). Here, the influence of a circular notch on their failure mechanisms is investigated. Discontinuous carbon-fibre/polypropylene composites retained 69% of the gross strength and 83% of the net strength. The strength retention of SRPP was highly influenced by the processing parameters, and a notch-insensitive composite could be produced. Pseudo-ductility was obtained even with the notched hybrids. Hybrids that do not achieve the optimal ductility, still exhibit high gross and net strength retentions and can be classified as notch-insensitive. These results illustrate the significant potential of this new hybrid composite for applications with notches or holes.