diff --git a/builtin/prune.c b/builtin/prune.c
index 485c9a3c56f..c2bcdc07db4 100644
--- a/builtin/prune.c
+++ b/builtin/prune.c
@@ -26,10 +26,22 @@ static int prune_tmp_file(const char *fullpath)
 		return error("Could not stat '%s'", fullpath);
 	if (st.st_mtime > expire)
 		return 0;
-	if (show_only || verbose)
-		printf("Removing stale temporary file %s\n", fullpath);
-	if (!show_only)
-		unlink_or_warn(fullpath);
+	if (S_ISDIR(st.st_mode)) {
+		if (show_only || verbose)
+			printf("Removing stale temporary directory %s\n", fullpath);
+		if (!show_only) {
+			struct strbuf remove_dir_buf = STRBUF_INIT;
+
+			strbuf_addstr(&remove_dir_buf, fullpath);
+			remove_dir_recursively(&remove_dir_buf, 0);
+			strbuf_release(&remove_dir_buf);
+		}
+	} else {
+		if (show_only || verbose)
+			printf("Removing stale temporary file %s\n", fullpath);
+		if (!show_only)
+			unlink_or_warn(fullpath);
+	}
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/builtin/receive-pack.c b/builtin/receive-pack.c
index 49b846d9605..8815e24cde5 100644
--- a/builtin/receive-pack.c
+++ b/builtin/receive-pack.c
@@ -2213,7 +2213,7 @@ static const char *unpack(int err_fd, struct shallow_info *si)
 		strvec_push(&child.args, alt_shallow_file);
 	}
 
-	tmp_objdir = tmp_objdir_create();
+	tmp_objdir = tmp_objdir_create("incoming");
 	if (!tmp_objdir) {
 		if (err_fd > 0)
 			close(err_fd);
diff --git a/environment.c b/environment.c
index 9da7f3c1a19..342400fcaad 100644
--- a/environment.c
+++ b/environment.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include "commit.h"
 #include "strvec.h"
 #include "object-store.h"
+#include "tmp-objdir.h"
 #include "chdir-notify.h"
 #include "shallow.h"
 
@@ -331,10 +332,14 @@ static void update_relative_gitdir(const char *name,
 				   void *data)
 {
 	char *path = reparent_relative_path(old_cwd, new_cwd, get_git_dir());
+	struct tmp_objdir *tmp_objdir = tmp_objdir_unapply_primary_odb();
 	trace_printf_key(&trace_setup_key,
 			 "setup: move $GIT_DIR to '%s'",
 			 path);
+
 	set_git_dir_1(path);
+	if (tmp_objdir)
+		tmp_objdir_reapply_primary_odb(tmp_objdir, old_cwd, new_cwd);
 	free(path);
 }
 
diff --git a/object-file.c b/object-file.c
index c3d866a287e..0b6a61aeaff 100644
--- a/object-file.c
+++ b/object-file.c
@@ -683,6 +683,43 @@ void add_to_alternates_memory(const char *reference)
 			     '\n', NULL, 0);
 }
 
+struct object_directory *set_temporary_primary_odb(const char *dir, int will_destroy)
+{
+	struct object_directory *new_odb;
+
+	/*
+	 * Make sure alternates are initialized, or else our entry may be
+	 * overwritten when they are.
+	 */
+	prepare_alt_odb(the_repository);
+
+	/*
+	 * Make a new primary odb and link the old primary ODB in as an
+	 * alternate
+	 */
+	new_odb = xcalloc(1, sizeof(*new_odb));
+	new_odb->path = xstrdup(dir);
+	new_odb->will_destroy = will_destroy;
+	new_odb->next = the_repository->objects->odb;
+	the_repository->objects->odb = new_odb;
+	return new_odb->next;
+}
+
+void restore_primary_odb(struct object_directory *restore_odb, const char *old_path)
+{
+	struct object_directory *cur_odb = the_repository->objects->odb;
+
+	if (strcmp(old_path, cur_odb->path))
+		BUG("expected %s as primary object store; found %s",
+		    old_path, cur_odb->path);
+
+	if (cur_odb->next != restore_odb)
+		BUG("we expect the old primary object store to be the first alternate");
+
+	the_repository->objects->odb = restore_odb;
+	free_object_directory(cur_odb);
+}
+
 /*
  * Compute the exact path an alternate is at and returns it. In case of
  * error NULL is returned and the human readable error is added to `err`
@@ -1809,8 +1846,11 @@ int hash_object_file(const struct git_hash_algo *algo, const void *buf,
 /* Finalize a file on disk, and close it. */
 static void close_loose_object(int fd)
 {
-	if (fsync_object_files)
-		fsync_or_die(fd, "loose object file");
+	if (!the_repository->objects->odb->will_destroy) {
+		if (fsync_object_files)
+			fsync_or_die(fd, "loose object file");
+	}
+
 	if (close(fd) != 0)
 		die_errno(_("error when closing loose object file"));
 }
diff --git a/object-store.h b/object-store.h
index 952efb6a4be..82cf13f1054 100644
--- a/object-store.h
+++ b/object-store.h
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ struct object_directory {
 	uint32_t loose_objects_subdir_seen[8]; /* 256 bits */
 	struct oidtree *loose_objects_cache;
 
+	/*
+	 * This object store is ephemeral, so there is no need to fsync.
+	 */
+	unsigned int will_destroy : 1;
+
 	/*
 	 * Path to the alternative object store. If this is a relative path,
 	 * it is relative to the current working directory.
@@ -58,6 +63,17 @@ void add_to_alternates_file(const char *dir);
  */
 void add_to_alternates_memory(const char *dir);
 
+/*
+ * Replace the current writable object directory with the specified temporary
+ * object directory; returns the former primary object directory.
+ */
+struct object_directory *set_temporary_primary_odb(const char *dir, int will_destroy);
+
+/*
+ * Restore a previous ODB replaced by set_temporary_main_odb.
+ */
+void restore_primary_odb(struct object_directory *restore_odb, const char *old_path);
+
 /*
  * Populate and return the loose object cache array corresponding to the
  * given object ID.
@@ -68,6 +84,9 @@ struct oidtree *odb_loose_cache(struct object_directory *odb,
 /* Empty the loose object cache for the specified object directory. */
 void odb_clear_loose_cache(struct object_directory *odb);
 
+/* Clear and free the specified object directory */
+void free_object_directory(struct object_directory *odb);
+
 struct packed_git {
 	struct hashmap_entry packmap_ent;
 	struct packed_git *next;
diff --git a/object.c b/object.c
index 23a24e678a8..048f96a260e 100644
--- a/object.c
+++ b/object.c
@@ -513,7 +513,7 @@ struct raw_object_store *raw_object_store_new(void)
 	return o;
 }
 
-static void free_object_directory(struct object_directory *odb)
+void free_object_directory(struct object_directory *odb)
 {
 	free(odb->path);
 	odb_clear_loose_cache(odb);
diff --git a/tmp-objdir.c b/tmp-objdir.c
index b8d880e3626..3d38eeab66b 100644
--- a/tmp-objdir.c
+++ b/tmp-objdir.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "cache.h"
 #include "tmp-objdir.h"
+#include "chdir-notify.h"
 #include "dir.h"
 #include "sigchain.h"
 #include "string-list.h"
@@ -11,6 +12,8 @@
 struct tmp_objdir {
 	struct strbuf path;
 	struct strvec env;
+	struct object_directory *prev_odb;
+	int will_destroy;
 };
 
 /*
@@ -38,6 +41,9 @@ static int tmp_objdir_destroy_1(struct tmp_objdir *t, int on_signal)
 	if (t == the_tmp_objdir)
 		the_tmp_objdir = NULL;
 
+	if (!on_signal && t->prev_odb)
+		restore_primary_odb(t->prev_odb, t->path.buf);
+
 	/*
 	 * This may use malloc via strbuf_grow(), but we should
 	 * have pre-grown t->path sufficiently so that this
@@ -52,6 +58,7 @@ static int tmp_objdir_destroy_1(struct tmp_objdir *t, int on_signal)
 	 */
 	if (!on_signal)
 		tmp_objdir_free(t);
+
 	return err;
 }
 
@@ -121,7 +128,7 @@ static int setup_tmp_objdir(const char *root)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-struct tmp_objdir *tmp_objdir_create(void)
+struct tmp_objdir *tmp_objdir_create(const char *prefix)
 {
 	static int installed_handlers;
 	struct tmp_objdir *t;
@@ -129,11 +136,16 @@ struct tmp_objdir *tmp_objdir_create(void)
 	if (the_tmp_objdir)
 		BUG("only one tmp_objdir can be used at a time");
 
-	t = xmalloc(sizeof(*t));
+	t = xcalloc(1, sizeof(*t));
 	strbuf_init(&t->path, 0);
 	strvec_init(&t->env);
 
-	strbuf_addf(&t->path, "%s/incoming-XXXXXX", get_object_directory());
+	/*
+	 * Use a string starting with tmp_ so that the builtin/prune.c code
+	 * can recognize any stale objdirs left behind by a crash and delete
+	 * them.
+	 */
+	strbuf_addf(&t->path, "%s/tmp_objdir-%s-XXXXXX", get_object_directory(), prefix);
 
 	/*
 	 * Grow the strbuf beyond any filename we expect to be placed in it.
@@ -269,6 +281,13 @@ int tmp_objdir_migrate(struct tmp_objdir *t)
 	if (!t)
 		return 0;
 
+	if (t->prev_odb) {
+		if (the_repository->objects->odb->will_destroy)
+			BUG("migrating an ODB that was marked for destruction");
+		restore_primary_odb(t->prev_odb, t->path.buf);
+		t->prev_odb = NULL;
+	}
+
 	strbuf_addbuf(&src, &t->path);
 	strbuf_addstr(&dst, get_object_directory());
 
@@ -292,3 +311,33 @@ void tmp_objdir_add_as_alternate(const struct tmp_objdir *t)
 {
 	add_to_alternates_memory(t->path.buf);
 }
+
+void tmp_objdir_replace_primary_odb(struct tmp_objdir *t, int will_destroy)
+{
+	if (t->prev_odb)
+		BUG("the primary object database is already replaced");
+	t->prev_odb = set_temporary_primary_odb(t->path.buf, will_destroy);
+	t->will_destroy = will_destroy;
+}
+
+struct tmp_objdir *tmp_objdir_unapply_primary_odb(void)
+{
+	if (!the_tmp_objdir || !the_tmp_objdir->prev_odb)
+		return NULL;
+
+	restore_primary_odb(the_tmp_objdir->prev_odb, the_tmp_objdir->path.buf);
+	the_tmp_objdir->prev_odb = NULL;
+	return the_tmp_objdir;
+}
+
+void tmp_objdir_reapply_primary_odb(struct tmp_objdir *t, const char *old_cwd,
+		const char *new_cwd)
+{
+	char *path;
+
+	path = reparent_relative_path(old_cwd, new_cwd, t->path.buf);
+	strbuf_reset(&t->path);
+	strbuf_addstr(&t->path, path);
+	free(path);
+	tmp_objdir_replace_primary_odb(t, t->will_destroy);
+}
diff --git a/tmp-objdir.h b/tmp-objdir.h
index b1e45b4c75d..a3145051f25 100644
--- a/tmp-objdir.h
+++ b/tmp-objdir.h
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
  *
  * Example:
  *
- *	struct tmp_objdir *t = tmp_objdir_create();
+ *	struct tmp_objdir *t = tmp_objdir_create("incoming");
  *	if (!run_command_v_opt_cd_env(cmd, 0, NULL, tmp_objdir_env(t)) &&
  *	    !tmp_objdir_migrate(t))
  *		printf("success!\n");
@@ -22,9 +22,10 @@
 struct tmp_objdir;
 
 /*
- * Create a new temporary object directory; returns NULL on failure.
+ * Create a new temporary object directory with the specified prefix;
+ * returns NULL on failure.
  */
-struct tmp_objdir *tmp_objdir_create(void);
+struct tmp_objdir *tmp_objdir_create(const char *prefix);
 
 /*
  * Return a list of environment strings, suitable for use with
@@ -51,4 +52,26 @@ int tmp_objdir_destroy(struct tmp_objdir *);
  */
 void tmp_objdir_add_as_alternate(const struct tmp_objdir *);
 
+/*
+ * Replaces the main object store in the current process with the temporary
+ * object directory and makes the former main object store an alternate.
+ * If will_destroy is nonzero, the object directory may not be migrated.
+ */
+void tmp_objdir_replace_primary_odb(struct tmp_objdir *, int will_destroy);
+
+/*
+ * If the primary object database was replaced by a temporary object directory,
+ * restore it to its original value while keeping the directory contents around.
+ * Returns NULL if the primary object database was not replaced.
+ */
+struct tmp_objdir *tmp_objdir_unapply_primary_odb(void);
+
+/*
+ * Reapplies the former primary temporary object database, after protentially
+ * changing its relative path.
+ */
+void tmp_objdir_reapply_primary_odb(struct tmp_objdir *, const char *old_cwd,
+		const char *new_cwd);
+
+
 #endif /* TMP_OBJDIR_H */
