diff --git a/fast-import.c b/fast-import.c
index 78d978684d..ca21458612 100644
--- a/fast-import.c
+++ b/fast-import.c
@@ -2688,13 +2688,9 @@ static void parse_new_tag(void)
 		type = oe->type;
 		hashcpy(sha1, oe->idx.sha1);
 	} else if (!get_sha1(from, sha1)) {
-		unsigned long size;
-		char *buf;
-
-		buf = read_sha1_file(sha1, &type, &size);
-		if (!buf || size < 46)
-			die("Not a valid commit: %s", from);
-		free(buf);
+		type = sha1_object_info(sha1, NULL);
+		if (type < 0)
+			die("Not a valid object: %s", from);
 	} else
 		die("Invalid ref name or SHA1 expression: %s", from);
 	read_next_command();
diff --git a/t/t9300-fast-import.sh b/t/t9300-fast-import.sh
index 2a53640c5b..80b06f0714 100755
--- a/t/t9300-fast-import.sh
+++ b/t/t9300-fast-import.sh
@@ -94,6 +94,12 @@ data <<EOF
 An annotated tag without a tagger
 EOF
 
+tag series-A-blob
+from :3
+data <<EOF
+An annotated tag that annotates a blob.
+EOF
+
 INPUT_END
 test_expect_success \
     'A: create pack from stdin' \
@@ -151,6 +157,18 @@ test_expect_success 'A: verify tag/series-A' '
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+cat >expect <<EOF
+object $(git rev-parse refs/heads/master:file3)
+type blob
+tag series-A-blob
+
+An annotated tag that annotates a blob.
+EOF
+test_expect_success 'A: verify tag/series-A-blob' '
+	git cat-file tag tags/series-A-blob >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 cat >expect <<EOF
 :2 `git rev-parse --verify master:file2`
 :3 `git rev-parse --verify master:file3`
@@ -169,6 +187,29 @@ test_expect_success \
 		</dev/null &&
 	test_cmp expect marks.new'
 
+test_tick
+cat >input <<INPUT_END
+tag series-A-blob-2
+from $(git rev-parse refs/heads/master:file3)
+data <<EOF
+Tag blob by sha1.
+EOF
+INPUT_END
+
+cat >expect <<EOF
+object $(git rev-parse refs/heads/master:file3)
+type blob
+tag series-A-blob-2
+
+Tag blob by sha1.
+EOF
+
+test_expect_success \
+	'A: tag blob by sha1' \
+	'git fast-import <input &&
+	git cat-file tag tags/series-A-blob-2 >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual'
+
 test_tick
 cat >input <<INPUT_END
 commit refs/heads/verify--import-marks