diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7efedbe834..da451f8bca 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -813,6 +813,7 @@ LIB_OBJS += xdiff-interface.o
 LIB_OBJS += zlib.o
 
 BUILTIN_OBJS += builtin/add.o
+BUILTIN_OBJS += builtin/am.o
 BUILTIN_OBJS += builtin/annotate.o
 BUILTIN_OBJS += builtin/apply.o
 BUILTIN_OBJS += builtin/archive.o
diff --git a/builtin.h b/builtin.h
index 839483de6e..79aaf0afe8 100644
--- a/builtin.h
+++ b/builtin.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ extern int textconv_object(const char *path, unsigned mode, const unsigned char
 extern int is_builtin(const char *s);
 
 extern int cmd_add(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix);
+extern int cmd_am(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix);
 extern int cmd_annotate(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix);
 extern int cmd_apply(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix);
 extern int cmd_archive(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix);
diff --git a/builtin/am.c b/builtin/am.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fd32caf107
--- /dev/null
+++ b/builtin/am.c
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+/*
+ * Builtin "git am"
+ *
+ * Based on git-am.sh by Junio C Hamano.
+ */
+#include "cache.h"
+#include "builtin.h"
+#include "exec_cmd.h"
+
+int cmd_am(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
+{
+
+	/*
+	 * NEEDSWORK: Once all the features of git-am.sh have been
+	 * re-implemented in builtin/am.c, this preamble can be removed.
+	 */
+	if (!getenv("_GIT_USE_BUILTIN_AM")) {
+		const char *path = mkpath("%s/git-am", git_exec_path());
+
+		if (sane_execvp(path, (char **)argv) < 0)
+			die_errno("could not exec %s", path);
+	} else {
+		prefix = setup_git_directory();
+		trace_repo_setup(prefix);
+		setup_work_tree();
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/git.c b/git.c
index 55c327c7b3..38d9ad531e 100644
--- a/git.c
+++ b/git.c
@@ -370,6 +370,12 @@ static int run_builtin(struct cmd_struct *p, int argc, const char **argv)
 
 static struct cmd_struct commands[] = {
 	{ "add", cmd_add, RUN_SETUP | NEED_WORK_TREE },
+	/*
+	 * NEEDSWORK: Once the redirection to git-am.sh in builtin/am.c has
+	 * been removed, this entry should be changed to
+	 * RUN_SETUP | NEED_WORK_TREE
+	 */
+	{ "am", cmd_am },
 	{ "annotate", cmd_annotate, RUN_SETUP },
 	{ "apply", cmd_apply, RUN_SETUP_GENTLY },
 	{ "archive", cmd_archive },