diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 48aea923b2..7cf2ca466a 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -1863,6 +1863,10 @@ struct object_info {
 #define OBJECT_INFO_LOOKUP_REPLACE 1
 /* Allow reading from a loose object file of unknown/bogus type */
 #define OBJECT_INFO_ALLOW_UNKNOWN_TYPE 2
+/* Do not check cached storage */
+#define OBJECT_INFO_SKIP_CACHED 4
+/* Do not retry packed storage after checking packed and loose storage */
+#define OBJECT_INFO_QUICK 8
 extern int sha1_object_info_extended(const unsigned char *, struct object_info *, unsigned flags);
 extern int packed_object_info(struct packed_git *pack, off_t offset, struct object_info *);
 
diff --git a/sha1_file.c b/sha1_file.c
index 615a27dac6..b6bc02f093 100644
--- a/sha1_file.c
+++ b/sha1_file.c
@@ -2977,29 +2977,30 @@ static int sha1_loose_object_info(const unsigned char *sha1,
 
 int sha1_object_info_extended(const unsigned char *sha1, struct object_info *oi, unsigned flags)
 {
-	struct cached_object *co;
 	struct pack_entry e;
 	int rtype;
 	const unsigned char *real = (flags & OBJECT_INFO_LOOKUP_REPLACE) ?
 				    lookup_replace_object(sha1) :
 				    sha1;
 
-	co = find_cached_object(real);
-	if (co) {
-		if (oi->typep)
-			*(oi->typep) = co->type;
-		if (oi->sizep)
-			*(oi->sizep) = co->size;
-		if (oi->disk_sizep)
-			*(oi->disk_sizep) = 0;
-		if (oi->delta_base_sha1)
-			hashclr(oi->delta_base_sha1);
-		if (oi->typename)
-			strbuf_addstr(oi->typename, typename(co->type));
-		if (oi->contentp)
-			*oi->contentp = xmemdupz(co->buf, co->size);
-		oi->whence = OI_CACHED;
-		return 0;
+	if (!(flags & OBJECT_INFO_SKIP_CACHED)) {
+		struct cached_object *co = find_cached_object(real);
+		if (co) {
+			if (oi->typep)
+				*(oi->typep) = co->type;
+			if (oi->sizep)
+				*(oi->sizep) = co->size;
+			if (oi->disk_sizep)
+				*(oi->disk_sizep) = 0;
+			if (oi->delta_base_sha1)
+				hashclr(oi->delta_base_sha1);
+			if (oi->typename)
+				strbuf_addstr(oi->typename, typename(co->type));
+			if (oi->contentp)
+				*oi->contentp = xmemdupz(co->buf, co->size);
+			oi->whence = OI_CACHED;
+			return 0;
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (!find_pack_entry(real, &e)) {
@@ -3010,9 +3011,13 @@ int sha1_object_info_extended(const unsigned char *sha1, struct object_info *oi,
 		}
 
 		/* Not a loose object; someone else may have just packed it. */
-		reprepare_packed_git();
-		if (!find_pack_entry(real, &e))
+		if (flags & OBJECT_INFO_QUICK) {
 			return -1;
+		} else {
+			reprepare_packed_git();
+			if (!find_pack_entry(real, &e))
+				return -1;
+		}
 	}
 
 	rtype = packed_object_info(e.p, e.offset, oi);