diff --git a/builtin/cat-file.c b/builtin/cat-file.c
index 40f87b4649..fbaa1213f1 100644
--- a/builtin/cat-file.c
+++ b/builtin/cat-file.c
@@ -115,6 +115,14 @@ static int cat_one_file(int opt, const char *exp_type, const char *obj_name)
 	case 'e':
 		return !has_sha1_file(sha1);
 
+	case 'c':
+		if (!obj_context.path[0])
+			die("git cat-file --textconv %s: <object> must be <sha1:path>",
+			    obj_name);
+
+		if (textconv_object(obj_context.path, obj_context.mode, sha1, 1, &buf, &size))
+			break;
+
 	case 'p':
 		type = sha1_object_info(sha1, NULL);
 		if (type < 0)
@@ -141,16 +149,6 @@ static int cat_one_file(int opt, const char *exp_type, const char *obj_name)
 		/* otherwise just spit out the data */
 		break;
 
-	case 'c':
-		if (!obj_context.path[0])
-			die("git cat-file --textconv %s: <object> must be <sha1:path>",
-			    obj_name);
-
-		if (!textconv_object(obj_context.path, obj_context.mode, sha1, 1, &buf, &size))
-			die("git cat-file --textconv: unable to run textconv on %s",
-			    obj_name);
-		break;
-
 	case 0:
 		if (type_from_string(exp_type) == OBJ_BLOB) {
 			unsigned char blob_sha1[20];
diff --git a/t/t8007-cat-file-textconv.sh b/t/t8007-cat-file-textconv.sh
index 78a0085e64..83c663678f 100755
--- a/t/t8007-cat-file-textconv.sh
+++ b/t/t8007-cat-file-textconv.sh
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ test_expect_success 'setup ' '
 '
 
 cat >expected <<EOF
-fatal: git cat-file --textconv: unable to run textconv on :one.bin
+bin: test version 2
 EOF
 
 test_expect_success 'no filter specified' '
-	git cat-file --textconv :one.bin 2>result
+	git cat-file --textconv :one.bin >result &&
 	test_cmp expected result
 '
 
@@ -36,10 +36,6 @@ test_expect_success 'setup textconv filters' '
 	git config diff.test.cachetextconv false
 '
 
-cat >expected <<EOF
-bin: test version 2
-EOF
-
 test_expect_success 'cat-file without --textconv' '
 	git cat-file blob :one.bin >result &&
 	test_cmp expected result
@@ -73,25 +69,19 @@ test_expect_success 'cat-file --textconv on previous commit' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success SYMLINKS 'cat-file without --textconv (symlink)' '
+	printf "%s" "one.bin" >expected &&
 	git cat-file blob :symlink.bin >result &&
-	printf "%s" "one.bin" >expected
 	test_cmp expected result
 '
 
 
 test_expect_success SYMLINKS 'cat-file --textconv on index (symlink)' '
-	! git cat-file --textconv :symlink.bin 2>result &&
-	cat >expected <<\EOF &&
-fatal: git cat-file --textconv: unable to run textconv on :symlink.bin
-EOF
+	git cat-file --textconv :symlink.bin >result &&
 	test_cmp expected result
 '
 
 test_expect_success SYMLINKS 'cat-file --textconv on HEAD (symlink)' '
-	! git cat-file --textconv HEAD:symlink.bin 2>result &&
-	cat >expected <<EOF &&
-fatal: git cat-file --textconv: unable to run textconv on HEAD:symlink.bin
-EOF
+	git cat-file --textconv HEAD:symlink.bin >result &&
 	test_cmp expected result
 '