diff --git a/Documentation/git.txt b/Documentation/git.txt
index 7a3f03b5ce..05c0b942be 100644
--- a/Documentation/git.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git.txt
@@ -428,6 +428,11 @@ help ...`.
 	Do not use replacement refs to replace git objects. See
 	linkgit:git-replace[1] for more information.
 
+--literal-pathspecs::
+	Treat pathspecs literally, rather than as glob patterns. This is
+	equivalent to setting the `GIT_LITERAL_PATHSPECS` environment
+	variable to `1`.
+
 
 GIT COMMANDS
 ------------
@@ -796,6 +801,16 @@ for further details.
 	as a file path and will try to write the trace messages
 	into it.
 
+GIT_LITERAL_PATHSPECS::
+	Setting this variable to `1` will cause git to treat all
+	pathspecs literally, rather than as glob patterns. For example,
+	running `GIT_LITERAL_PATHSPECS=1 git log -- '*.c'` will search
+	for commits that touch the path `*.c`, not any paths that the
+	glob `*.c` matches. You might want this if you are feeding
+	literal paths to git (e.g., paths previously given to you by
+	`git ls-tree`, `--raw` diff output, etc).
+
+
 Discussion[[Discussion]]
 ------------------------
 
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index e1df1e40dd..c257953fa7 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -362,6 +362,7 @@ static inline enum object_type object_type(unsigned int mode)
 #define GIT_NOTES_DISPLAY_REF_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_NOTES_DISPLAY_REF"
 #define GIT_NOTES_REWRITE_REF_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_NOTES_REWRITE_REF"
 #define GIT_NOTES_REWRITE_MODE_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_NOTES_REWRITE_MODE"
+#define GIT_LITERAL_PATHSPECS_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_LITERAL_PATHSPECS"
 
 /*
  * Repository-local GIT_* environment variables
@@ -493,6 +494,8 @@ extern int init_pathspec(struct pathspec *, const char **);
 extern void free_pathspec(struct pathspec *);
 extern int ce_path_match(const struct cache_entry *ce, const struct pathspec *pathspec);
 
+extern int limit_pathspec_to_literal(void);
+
 #define HASH_WRITE_OBJECT 1
 #define HASH_FORMAT_CHECK 2
 extern int index_fd(unsigned char *sha1, int fd, struct stat *st, enum object_type type, const char *path, unsigned flags);
diff --git a/dir.c b/dir.c
index 9afd388604..095ea7ebab 100644
--- a/dir.c
+++ b/dir.c
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ static size_t common_prefix_len(const char **pathspec)
 {
 	const char *n, *first;
 	size_t max = 0;
+	int literal = limit_pathspec_to_literal();
 
 	if (!pathspec)
 		return max;
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ static size_t common_prefix_len(const char **pathspec)
 		size_t i, len = 0;
 		for (i = 0; first == n || i < max; i++) {
 			char c = n[i];
-			if (!c || c != first[i] || is_glob_special(c))
+			if (!c || c != first[i] || (!literal && is_glob_special(c)))
 				break;
 			if (c == '/')
 				len = i + 1;
@@ -139,6 +140,7 @@ int within_depth(const char *name, int namelen,
 static int match_one(const char *match, const char *name, int namelen)
 {
 	int matchlen;
+	int literal = limit_pathspec_to_literal();
 
 	/* If the match was just the prefix, we matched */
 	if (!*match)
@@ -148,7 +150,7 @@ static int match_one(const char *match, const char *name, int namelen)
 		for (;;) {
 			unsigned char c1 = tolower(*match);
 			unsigned char c2 = tolower(*name);
-			if (c1 == '\0' || is_glob_special(c1))
+			if (c1 == '\0' || (!literal && is_glob_special(c1)))
 				break;
 			if (c1 != c2)
 				return 0;
@@ -160,7 +162,7 @@ static int match_one(const char *match, const char *name, int namelen)
 		for (;;) {
 			unsigned char c1 = *match;
 			unsigned char c2 = *name;
-			if (c1 == '\0' || is_glob_special(c1))
+			if (c1 == '\0' || (!literal && is_glob_special(c1)))
 				break;
 			if (c1 != c2)
 				return 0;
@@ -170,14 +172,16 @@ static int match_one(const char *match, const char *name, int namelen)
 		}
 	}
 
-
 	/*
 	 * If we don't match the matchstring exactly,
 	 * we need to match by fnmatch
 	 */
 	matchlen = strlen(match);
-	if (strncmp_icase(match, name, matchlen))
+	if (strncmp_icase(match, name, matchlen)) {
+		if (literal)
+			return 0;
 		return !fnmatch_icase(match, name, 0) ? MATCHED_FNMATCH : 0;
+	}
 
 	if (namelen == matchlen)
 		return MATCHED_EXACTLY;
@@ -1454,13 +1458,17 @@ int init_pathspec(struct pathspec *pathspec, const char **paths)
 
 		item->match = path;
 		item->len = strlen(path);
-		item->nowildcard_len = simple_length(path);
 		item->flags = 0;
-		if (item->nowildcard_len < item->len) {
-			pathspec->has_wildcard = 1;
-			if (path[item->nowildcard_len] == '*' &&
-			    no_wildcard(path + item->nowildcard_len + 1))
-				item->flags |= PATHSPEC_ONESTAR;
+		if (limit_pathspec_to_literal()) {
+			item->nowildcard_len = item->len;
+		} else {
+			item->nowildcard_len = simple_length(path);
+			if (item->nowildcard_len < item->len) {
+				pathspec->has_wildcard = 1;
+				if (path[item->nowildcard_len] == '*' &&
+				    no_wildcard(path + item->nowildcard_len + 1))
+					item->flags |= PATHSPEC_ONESTAR;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1475,3 +1483,11 @@ void free_pathspec(struct pathspec *pathspec)
 	free(pathspec->items);
 	pathspec->items = NULL;
 }
+
+int limit_pathspec_to_literal(void)
+{
+	static int flag = -1;
+	if (flag < 0)
+		flag = git_env_bool(GIT_LITERAL_PATHSPECS_ENVIRONMENT, 0);
+	return flag;
+}
diff --git a/git.c b/git.c
index d33f9b32a2..ed66c660d1 100644
--- a/git.c
+++ b/git.c
@@ -135,6 +135,14 @@ static int handle_options(const char ***argv, int *argc, int *envchanged)
 			git_config_push_parameter((*argv)[1]);
 			(*argv)++;
 			(*argc)--;
+		} else if (!strcmp(cmd, "--literal-pathspecs")) {
+			setenv(GIT_LITERAL_PATHSPECS_ENVIRONMENT, "1", 1);
+			if (envchanged)
+				*envchanged = 1;
+		} else if (!strcmp(cmd, "--no-literal-pathspecs")) {
+			setenv(GIT_LITERAL_PATHSPECS_ENVIRONMENT, "0", 1);
+			if (envchanged)
+				*envchanged = 1;
 		} else {
 			fprintf(stderr, "Unknown option: %s\n", cmd);
 			usage(git_usage_string);
diff --git a/t/t6130-pathspec-noglob.sh b/t/t6130-pathspec-noglob.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..bb5e710054
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t6130-pathspec-noglob.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description='test globbing (and noglob) of pathspec limiting'
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+test_expect_success 'create commits with glob characters' '
+	test_commit unrelated bar &&
+	test_commit vanilla foo &&
+	test_commit star "f*" &&
+	test_commit bracket "f[o][o]"
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'vanilla pathspec matches literally' '
+	echo vanilla >expect &&
+	git log --format=%s -- foo >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'star pathspec globs' '
+	cat >expect <<-\EOF &&
+	bracket
+	star
+	vanilla
+	EOF
+	git log --format=%s -- "f*" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'bracket pathspec globs and matches literal brackets' '
+	cat >expect <<-\EOF &&
+	bracket
+	vanilla
+	EOF
+	git log --format=%s -- "f[o][o]" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'no-glob option matches literally (vanilla)' '
+	echo vanilla >expect &&
+	git --literal-pathspecs log --format=%s -- foo >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'no-glob option matches literally (star)' '
+	echo star >expect &&
+	git --literal-pathspecs log --format=%s -- "f*" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'no-glob option matches literally (bracket)' '
+	echo bracket >expect &&
+	git --literal-pathspecs log --format=%s -- "f[o][o]" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'no-glob environment variable works' '
+	echo star >expect &&
+	GIT_LITERAL_PATHSPECS=1 git log --format=%s -- "f*" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_done