diff --git a/Documentation/git-replace.txt b/Documentation/git-replace.txt
index 915cb77b29..8adc1ef55c 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-replace.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-replace.txt
@@ -23,6 +23,26 @@ replacement object.
 Unless `-f` is given, the replace reference must not yet exist in
 `.git/refs/replace/` directory.
 
+Replace references will be used by default by all git commands except
+those doing reachability traversal (prune, pack transfer and fsck).
+
+It is possible to disable use of replacement refs for any command
+using the --no-replace-objects option just after "git".
+
+For example if commit "foo" has been replaced by commit "bar":
+
+------------------------------------------------
+$ git --no-replace-object cat-file commit foo
+------------------------------------------------
+
+show information about commit "foo", while:
+
+------------------------------------------------
+$ git cat-file commit foo
+------------------------------------------------
+
+show information about commit "bar".
+
 OPTIONS
 -------
 -f::
@@ -54,6 +74,7 @@ SEE ALSO
 --------
 linkgit:git-tag[1]
 linkgit:git-branch[1]
+linkgit:git[1]
 
 Author
 ------
diff --git a/Documentation/git.txt b/Documentation/git.txt
index d97aaf5bf8..2f4541780a 100644
--- a/Documentation/git.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git.txt
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ SYNOPSIS
 --------
 [verse]
 'git' [--version] [--exec-path[=GIT_EXEC_PATH]] [--html-path]
-    [-p|--paginate|--no-pager]
+    [-p|--paginate|--no-pager] [--no-replace-objects]
     [--bare] [--git-dir=GIT_DIR] [--work-tree=GIT_WORK_TREE]
     [--help] COMMAND [ARGS]
 
@@ -237,6 +237,10 @@ help ...`.
 	environment is not set, it is set to the current working
 	directory.
 
+--no-replace-objects::
+	Do not use replacement refs to replace git objects. See
+	linkgit:git-replace[1] for more information.
+
 
 FURTHER DOCUMENTATION
 ---------------------
diff --git a/git.c b/git.c
index 9883009b5d..bd2c5fe77b 100644
--- a/git.c
+++ b/git.c
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 const char git_usage_string[] =
 	"git [--version] [--exec-path[=GIT_EXEC_PATH]] [--html-path]\n"
-	"           [-p|--paginate|--no-pager]\n"
+	"           [-p|--paginate|--no-pager] [--no-replace-objects]\n"
 	"           [--bare] [--git-dir=GIT_DIR] [--work-tree=GIT_WORK_TREE]\n"
 	"           [--help] COMMAND [ARGS]";
 
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ static int handle_options(const char ***argv, int *argc, int *envchanged)
 			use_pager = 0;
 			if (envchanged)
 				*envchanged = 1;
+		} else if (!strcmp(cmd, "--no-replace-objects")) {
+			read_replace_refs = 0;
 		} else if (!strcmp(cmd, "--git-dir")) {
 			if (*argc < 2) {
 				fprintf(stderr, "No directory given for --git-dir.\n" );
diff --git a/t/t6050-replace.sh b/t/t6050-replace.sh
index 8b8bd81c09..d4818b430a 100755
--- a/t/t6050-replace.sh
+++ b/t/t6050-replace.sh
@@ -70,6 +70,13 @@ test_expect_success 'replace the author' '
      git show $HASH2 | grep "O Thor"
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'test --no-replace-objects option' '
+     git cat-file commit $HASH2 | grep "author O Thor" &&
+     git --no-replace-objects cat-file commit $HASH2 | grep "author A U Thor" &&
+     git show $HASH2 | grep "O Thor" &&
+     git --no-replace-objects show $HASH2 | grep "A U Thor"
+'
+
 cat >tag.sig <<EOF
 object $HASH2
 type commit