diff --git a/Documentation/technical/api-argv-array.txt b/Documentation/technical/api-argv-array.txt
index 1b7d8f140c..1a797812fb 100644
--- a/Documentation/technical/api-argv-array.txt
+++ b/Documentation/technical/api-argv-array.txt
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ Functions
 	Format a string and push it onto the end of the array. This is a
 	convenience wrapper combining `strbuf_addf` and `argv_array_push`.
 
+`argv_array_pop`::
+	Remove the final element from the array. If there are no
+	elements in the array, do nothing.
+
 `argv_array_clear`::
 	Free all memory associated with the array and return it to the
 	initial, empty state.
diff --git a/argv-array.c b/argv-array.c
index 0b5f8898a1..55e8443ff9 100644
--- a/argv-array.c
+++ b/argv-array.c
@@ -49,6 +49,15 @@ void argv_array_pushl(struct argv_array *array, ...)
 	va_end(ap);
 }
 
+void argv_array_pop(struct argv_array *array)
+{
+	if (!array->argc)
+		return;
+	free((char *)array->argv[array->argc - 1]);
+	array->argv[array->argc - 1] = NULL;
+	array->argc--;
+}
+
 void argv_array_clear(struct argv_array *array)
 {
 	if (array->argv != empty_argv) {
diff --git a/argv-array.h b/argv-array.h
index b93a69c36c..f4b98660f8 100644
--- a/argv-array.h
+++ b/argv-array.h
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ void argv_array_push(struct argv_array *, const char *);
 __attribute__((format (printf,2,3)))
 void argv_array_pushf(struct argv_array *, const char *fmt, ...);
 void argv_array_pushl(struct argv_array *, ...);
+void argv_array_pop(struct argv_array *);
 void argv_array_clear(struct argv_array *);
 
 #endif /* ARGV_ARRAY_H */