diff --git a/Documentation/git-cat-file.txt b/Documentation/git-cat-file.txt
index b7e3623183..2d3703f786 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-cat-file.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-cat-file.txt
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ git-cat-file - Provide content or type and size information for repository objec
 SYNOPSIS
 --------
 [verse]
-'git cat-file' (-t [--allow-unknown-type]| -s [--allow-unknown-type]| -e | -p | <type> | --textconv | --smudge ) <object>
+'git cat-file' (-t [--allow-unknown-type]| -s [--allow-unknown-type]| -e | -p | <type> | --textconv | --smudge ) [--use-path=<path>] <object>
 'git cat-file' (--batch | --batch-check) [--follow-symlinks]
 
 DESCRIPTION
@@ -63,6 +63,11 @@ OPTIONS
 	the current working tree for the given <path>. In this case,
 	<object> has to be of the form <tree-ish>:<path>, or :<path>.
 
+--use-path=<path>::
+	For use with --textconv or --smudge, to allow specifying an object
+	name and a path separately, e.g. when it is difficult to figure out
+	the revision from which the blob came.
+
 --batch::
 --batch=<format>::
 	Print object information and contents for each object provided
diff --git a/builtin/cat-file.c b/builtin/cat-file.c
index bb32f2dc5b..62f4e09559 100644
--- a/builtin/cat-file.c
+++ b/builtin/cat-file.c
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ struct batch_options {
 	const char *format;
 };
 
+static const char *force_path;
+
 static int smudge_object(const char *path, unsigned mode, unsigned char *sha1,
 	char **buf, unsigned long *size)
 {
@@ -88,20 +90,24 @@ static int cat_one_file(int opt, const char *exp_type, const char *obj_name,
 		return !has_sha1_file(sha1);
 
 	case 'w':
-		if (!obj_context.path[0])
+		if (!force_path && !obj_context.path[0])
 			die("git cat-file --smudge %s: <object> must be <sha1:path>",
 			    obj_name);
 
-		if (smudge_object(obj_context.path, obj_context.mode, sha1, &buf, &size))
+		if (smudge_object(force_path ? force_path : obj_context.path,
+				  force_path ? 0100644 : obj_context.mode,
+				  sha1, &buf, &size))
 			return -1;
 		break;
 
 	case 'c':
-		if (!obj_context.path[0])
+		if (!force_path && !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))
+		if (textconv_object(force_path ? force_path : obj_context.path,
+				    force_path ? 0100644 : obj_context.mode,
+				    sha1, 1, &buf, &size))
 			break;
 
 	case 'p':
@@ -475,7 +481,7 @@ static int batch_objects(struct batch_options *opt)
 }
 
 static const char * const cat_file_usage[] = {
-	N_("git cat-file (-t [--allow-unknown-type]|-s [--allow-unknown-type]|-e|-p|<type>|--textconv|--smudge) <object>"),
+	N_("git cat-file (-t [--allow-unknown-type]|-s [--allow-unknown-type]|-e|-p|<type>|--textconv|--smudge) [--use-path=<path>] <object>"),
 	N_("git cat-file (--batch | --batch-check) [--follow-symlinks]"),
 	NULL
 };
@@ -523,6 +529,8 @@ int cmd_cat_file(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			    N_("for blob objects, run textconv on object's content"), 'c'),
 		OPT_CMDMODE(0, "smudge", &opt,
 			    N_("for blob objects, run smudge filters on object's content"), 'w'),
+		OPT_STRING(0, "use-path", &force_path, N_("blob"),
+			   N_("use a specific path for --textconv/--smudge")),
 		OPT_BOOL(0, "allow-unknown-type", &unknown_type,
 			  N_("allow -s and -t to work with broken/corrupt objects")),
 		OPT_BOOL(0, "buffer", &batch.buffer_output, N_("buffer --batch output")),
@@ -565,6 +573,11 @@ int cmd_cat_file(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		usage_with_options(cat_file_usage, options);
 	}
 
+	if (force_path && opt != 'c' && opt != 'w') {
+		error("--use-path=<path> needs --textconv or --smudge");
+		usage_with_options(cat_file_usage, options);
+	}
+
 	if (batch.buffer_output < 0)
 		batch.buffer_output = batch.all_objects;
 
diff --git a/t/t8010-cat-file-filters.sh b/t/t8010-cat-file-filters.sh
index e37e5f5589..ac1cc37652 100644
--- a/t/t8010-cat-file-filters.sh
+++ b/t/t8010-cat-file-filters.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ test_description='git cat-file filters support'
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
 test_expect_success 'setup ' '
-	echo "*.txt eol=crlf" >.gitattributes &&
+	echo "*.txt eol=crlf diff=txt" >.gitattributes &&
 	echo "hello" | append_cr >world.txt &&
 	git add .gitattributes world.txt &&
 	test_tick &&
@@ -31,4 +31,17 @@ test_expect_success 'cat-file --smudge converts to worktree version' '
 	has_cr actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'cat-file --smudge --use-path=<path> works' '
+	sha1=$(git rev-parse -q --verify HEAD:world.txt) &&
+	git cat-file --smudge --use-path=world.txt $sha1 >actual &&
+	has_cr actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'cat-file --textconv --use-path=<path> works' '
+	sha1=$(git rev-parse -q --verify HEAD:world.txt) &&
+	test_config diff.txt.textconv "tr A-Za-z N-ZA-Mn-za-m <" &&
+	git cat-file --textconv --use-path=hello.txt $sha1 >rot13 &&
+	test uryyb = "$(cat rot13)"
+'
+
 test_done