diff --git a/pathspec.c b/pathspec.c
index 71e5eaf1b1..82ede57206 100644
--- a/pathspec.c
+++ b/pathspec.c
@@ -92,9 +92,9 @@ static unsigned prefix_pathspec(struct pathspec_item *item,
 				const char *elt)
 {
 	unsigned magic = 0, short_magic = 0;
-	const char *copyfrom = elt;
+	const char *copyfrom = elt, *long_magic_end = NULL;
 	char *match;
-	int i;
+	int i, pathspec_prefix = -1;
 
 	if (elt[0] != ':') {
 		; /* nothing to do */
@@ -112,18 +112,29 @@ static unsigned prefix_pathspec(struct pathspec_item *item,
 				nextat = copyfrom + len;
 			if (!len)
 				continue;
-			for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(pathspec_magic); i++)
+			for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(pathspec_magic); i++) {
 				if (strlen(pathspec_magic[i].name) == len &&
 				    !strncmp(pathspec_magic[i].name, copyfrom, len)) {
 					magic |= pathspec_magic[i].bit;
 					break;
 				}
+				if (!prefixcmp(copyfrom, "prefix:")) {
+					char *endptr;
+					pathspec_prefix = strtol(copyfrom + 7,
+								 &endptr, 10);
+					if (endptr - copyfrom != len)
+						die(_("invalid parameter for pathspec magic 'prefix'"));
+					/* "i" would be wrong, but it does not matter */
+					break;
+				}
+			}
 			if (ARRAY_SIZE(pathspec_magic) <= i)
 				die(_("Invalid pathspec magic '%.*s' in '%s'"),
 				    (int) len, copyfrom, elt);
 		}
 		if (*copyfrom != ')')
 			die(_("Missing ')' at the end of pathspec magic in '%s'"), elt);
+		long_magic_end = copyfrom;
 		copyfrom++;
 	} else {
 		/* shorthand */
@@ -150,7 +161,14 @@ static unsigned prefix_pathspec(struct pathspec_item *item,
 	magic |= short_magic;
 	*p_short_magic = short_magic;
 
-	if (magic & PATHSPEC_FROMTOP) {
+	if (pathspec_prefix >= 0 &&
+	    (prefixlen || (prefix && *prefix)))
+		die("BUG: 'prefix' magic is supposed to be used at worktree's root");
+
+	if (pathspec_prefix >= 0) {
+		match = xstrdup(copyfrom);
+		prefixlen = pathspec_prefix;
+	} else if (magic & PATHSPEC_FROMTOP) {
 		match = xstrdup(copyfrom);
 		prefixlen = 0;
 	} else {
@@ -165,7 +183,20 @@ static unsigned prefix_pathspec(struct pathspec_item *item,
 	 */
 	if (flags & PATHSPEC_PREFIX_ORIGIN) {
 		struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
-		strbuf_add(&sb, elt, copyfrom - elt);
+		const char *start = elt;
+		if (prefixlen && !limit_pathspec_to_literal()) {
+			/* Preserve the actual prefix length of each pattern */
+			if (long_magic_end) {
+				strbuf_add(&sb, start, long_magic_end - start);
+				strbuf_addf(&sb, ",prefix:%d", prefixlen);
+				start = long_magic_end;
+			} else {
+				if (*start == ':')
+					start++;
+				strbuf_addf(&sb, ":(prefix:%d)", prefixlen);
+			}
+		}
+		strbuf_add(&sb, start, copyfrom - start);
 		strbuf_addstr(&sb, match);
 		item->original = strbuf_detach(&sb, NULL);
 	} else