diff --git a/hash-object.c b/hash-object.c
index 0a58f3f126..61e7160b36 100644
--- a/hash-object.c
+++ b/hash-object.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	const char *prefix = NULL;
 	int prefix_length = -1;
 	int no_more_flags = 0;
+	int hashstdin = 0;
 
 	git_config(git_default_config);
 
@@ -65,13 +66,20 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 			else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "--help"))
 				usage(hash_object_usage);
 			else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "--stdin")) {
-				hash_stdin(type, write_object);
+				if (hashstdin)
+					die("Multiple --stdin arguments are not supported");
+				hashstdin = 1;
 			}
 			else
 				usage(hash_object_usage);
 		}
 		else {
 			const char *arg = argv[i];
+
+			if (hashstdin) {
+				hash_stdin(type, write_object);
+				hashstdin = 0;
+			}
 			if (0 <= prefix_length)
 				arg = prefix_filename(prefix, prefix_length,
 						      arg);
@@ -79,5 +87,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 			no_more_flags = 1;
 		}
 	}
+	if (hashstdin)
+		hash_stdin(type, write_object);
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/t/t5303-hash-object.sh b/t/t5303-hash-object.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..543c0784bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t5303-hash-object.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description=git-hash-object
+
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+test_expect_success \
+    'git hash-object -w --stdin saves the object' \
+    'obname=$(echo foo | git hash-object -w --stdin) &&
+    obpath=$(echo $obname | sed -e "s/\(..\)/\1\//") &&
+    test -r .git/objects/"$obpath" &&
+    rm -f .git/objects/"$obpath"'
+    
+test_expect_success \
+    'git hash-object --stdin -w saves the object' \
+    'obname=$(echo foo | git hash-object --stdin -w) &&
+    obpath=$(echo $obname | sed -e "s/\(..\)/\1\//") &&
+    test -r .git/objects/"$obpath" &&
+    rm -f .git/objects/"$obpath"'    
+
+test_expect_success \
+    'git hash-object --stdin file1 <file0 first operates on file0, then file1' \
+    'echo foo > file1 &&
+    obname0=$(echo bar | git hash-object --stdin) &&
+    obname1=$(git hash-object file1) &&
+    obname0new=$(echo bar | git hash-object --stdin file1 | sed -n -e 1p) &&
+    obname1new=$(echo bar | git hash-object --stdin file1 | sed -n -e 2p) &&
+    test "$obname0" = "$obname0new" &&
+    test "$obname1" = "$obname1new"'
+
+test_expect_success \
+    'git hash-object refuses multiple --stdin arguments' \
+    '! git hash-object --stdin --stdin < file1'
+
+test_done