diff --git a/quote.c b/quote.c
index 6a520855d6..ea49c7a99f 100644
--- a/quote.c
+++ b/quote.c
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ void sq_quote_argv(struct strbuf *dst, const char** argv, size_t maxlen)
 	}
 }
 
-char *sq_dequote(char *arg)
+char *sq_dequote_step(char *arg, char **next)
 {
 	char *dst = arg;
 	char *src = arg;
@@ -92,6 +92,8 @@ char *sq_dequote(char *arg)
 		switch (*++src) {
 		case '\0':
 			*dst = 0;
+			if (next)
+				*next = NULL;
 			return arg;
 		case '\\':
 			c = *++src;
@@ -101,11 +103,23 @@ char *sq_dequote(char *arg)
 			}
 		/* Fallthrough */
 		default:
-			return NULL;
+			if (!next || !isspace(*src))
+				return NULL;
+			do {
+				c = *++src;
+			} while (isspace(c));
+			*dst = 0;
+			*next = src;
+			return arg;
 		}
 	}
 }
 
+char *sq_dequote(char *arg)
+{
+	return sq_dequote_step(arg, NULL);
+}
+
 /* 1 means: quote as octal
  * 0 means: quote as octal if (quote_path_fully)
  * -1 means: never quote
diff --git a/quote.h b/quote.h
index c5eea6f18e..2315105fa3 100644
--- a/quote.h
+++ b/quote.h
@@ -39,6 +39,14 @@ extern void sq_quote_argv(struct strbuf *, const char **argv, size_t maxlen);
  */
 extern char *sq_dequote(char *);
 
+/*
+ * Same as the above, but can be used to unwrap many arguments in the
+ * same string separated by space. "next" is changed to point to the
+ * next argument that should be passed as first parameter. When there
+ * is no more argument to be dequoted, "next" is updated to point to NULL.
+ */
+extern char *sq_dequote_step(char *arg, char **next);
+
 extern int unquote_c_style(struct strbuf *, const char *quoted, const char **endp);
 extern size_t quote_c_style(const char *name, struct strbuf *, FILE *, int no_dq);
 extern void quote_two_c_style(struct strbuf *, const char *, const char *, int);