diff --git a/connect.c b/connect.c
index 8cb93b0720..c81f77001b 100644
--- a/connect.c
+++ b/connect.c
@@ -772,6 +772,7 @@ struct child_process *git_connect(int fd[2], const char *url,
 			int putty = 0, tortoiseplink = 0;
 			char *ssh_host = hostandport;
 			const char *port = NULL;
+			char *ssh_argv0 = NULL;
 			transport_check_allowed("ssh");
 			get_host_and_port(&ssh_host, &port);
 
@@ -792,10 +793,15 @@ struct child_process *git_connect(int fd[2], const char *url,
 			}
 
 			ssh = get_ssh_command();
-			if (!ssh) {
-				const char *base;
-				char *ssh_dup;
+			if (ssh) {
+				char *split_ssh = xstrdup(ssh);
+				const char **ssh_argv;
 
+				if (split_cmdline(split_ssh, &ssh_argv))
+					ssh_argv0 = xstrdup(ssh_argv[0]);
+				free(split_ssh);
+				free((void *)ssh_argv);
+			} else {
 				/*
 				 * GIT_SSH is the no-shell version of
 				 * GIT_SSH_COMMAND (and must remain so for
@@ -807,8 +813,11 @@ struct child_process *git_connect(int fd[2], const char *url,
 				if (!ssh)
 					ssh = "ssh";
 
-				ssh_dup = xstrdup(ssh);
-				base = basename(ssh_dup);
+				ssh_argv0 = xstrdup(ssh);
+			}
+
+			if (ssh_argv0) {
+				const char *base = basename(ssh_argv0);
 
 				tortoiseplink = !strcasecmp(base, "tortoiseplink") ||
 					!strcasecmp(base, "tortoiseplink.exe");
@@ -816,7 +825,7 @@ struct child_process *git_connect(int fd[2], const char *url,
 					!strcasecmp(base, "plink") ||
 					!strcasecmp(base, "plink.exe");
 
-				free(ssh_dup);
+				free(ssh_argv0);
 			}
 
 			argv_array_push(&conn->args, ssh);
diff --git a/t/t5601-clone.sh b/t/t5601-clone.sh
index 4241ea5b32..9335e10c2a 100755
--- a/t/t5601-clone.sh
+++ b/t/t5601-clone.sh
@@ -386,6 +386,21 @@ test_expect_success 'tortoiseplink is like putty, with extra arguments' '
 	expect_ssh "-batch -P 123" myhost src
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'double quoted plink.exe in GIT_SSH_COMMAND' '
+	copy_ssh_wrapper_as "$TRASH_DIRECTORY/plink.exe" &&
+	GIT_SSH_COMMAND="\"$TRASH_DIRECTORY/plink.exe\" -v" \
+		git clone "[myhost:123]:src" ssh-bracket-clone-plink-3 &&
+	expect_ssh "-v -P 123" myhost src
+'
+
+SQ="'"
+test_expect_success 'single quoted plink.exe in GIT_SSH_COMMAND' '
+	copy_ssh_wrapper_as "$TRASH_DIRECTORY/plink.exe" &&
+	GIT_SSH_COMMAND="$SQ$TRASH_DIRECTORY/plink.exe$SQ -v" \
+		git clone "[myhost:123]:src" ssh-bracket-clone-plink-4 &&
+	expect_ssh "-v -P 123" myhost src
+'
+
 # Reset the GIT_SSH environment variable for clone tests.
 setup_ssh_wrapper