diff --git a/builtin/credential-cache.c b/builtin/credential-cache.c
index 9b3f7099059..76a6ba37223 100644
--- a/builtin/credential-cache.c
+++ b/builtin/credential-cache.c
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 static int send_request(const char *socket, const struct strbuf *out)
 {
 	int got_data = 0;
-	int fd = unix_stream_connect(socket);
+	int fd = unix_stream_connect(socket, 0);
 
 	if (fd < 0)
 		return -1;
diff --git a/unix-socket.c b/unix-socket.c
index 012becd93d5..e0be1badb58 100644
--- a/unix-socket.c
+++ b/unix-socket.c
@@ -30,16 +30,23 @@ static void unix_sockaddr_cleanup(struct unix_sockaddr_context *ctx)
 }
 
 static int unix_sockaddr_init(struct sockaddr_un *sa, const char *path,
-			      struct unix_sockaddr_context *ctx)
+			      struct unix_sockaddr_context *ctx,
+			      int disallow_chdir)
 {
 	int size = strlen(path) + 1;
 
 	ctx->orig_dir = NULL;
 	if (size > sizeof(sa->sun_path)) {
-		const char *slash = find_last_dir_sep(path);
+		const char *slash;
 		const char *dir;
 		struct strbuf cwd = STRBUF_INIT;
 
+		if (disallow_chdir) {
+			errno = ENAMETOOLONG;
+			return -1;
+		}
+
+		slash = find_last_dir_sep(path);
 		if (!slash) {
 			errno = ENAMETOOLONG;
 			return -1;
@@ -65,13 +72,13 @@ static int unix_sockaddr_init(struct sockaddr_un *sa, const char *path,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int unix_stream_connect(const char *path)
+int unix_stream_connect(const char *path, int disallow_chdir)
 {
 	int fd = -1, saved_errno;
 	struct sockaddr_un sa;
 	struct unix_sockaddr_context ctx;
 
-	if (unix_sockaddr_init(&sa, path, &ctx) < 0)
+	if (unix_sockaddr_init(&sa, path, &ctx, disallow_chdir) < 0)
 		return -1;
 	fd = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
 	if (fd < 0)
@@ -101,7 +108,7 @@ int unix_stream_listen(const char *path,
 
 	unlink(path);
 
-	if (unix_sockaddr_init(&sa, path, &ctx) < 0)
+	if (unix_sockaddr_init(&sa, path, &ctx, opts->disallow_chdir) < 0)
 		return -1;
 	fd = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
 	if (fd < 0)
diff --git a/unix-socket.h b/unix-socket.h
index ec2fb3ea726..8542cdd7995 100644
--- a/unix-socket.h
+++ b/unix-socket.h
@@ -3,11 +3,12 @@
 
 struct unix_stream_listen_opts {
 	int listen_backlog_size;
+	unsigned int disallow_chdir:1;
 };
 
 #define UNIX_STREAM_LISTEN_OPTS_INIT { 0 }
 
-int unix_stream_connect(const char *path);
+int unix_stream_connect(const char *path, int disallow_chdir);
 int unix_stream_listen(const char *path,
 		       const struct unix_stream_listen_opts *opts);