diff --git a/t/t6102-rev-list-unexpected-objects.sh b/t/t6102-rev-list-unexpected-objects.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..472b08528a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t6102-rev-list-unexpected-objects.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description='git rev-list should handle unexpected object types'
+
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+test_expect_success 'setup well-formed objects' '
+	blob="$(printf "foo" | git hash-object -w --stdin)" &&
+	tree="$(printf "100644 blob $blob\tfoo" | git mktree)" &&
+	commit="$(git commit-tree $tree -m "first commit")"
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'setup unexpected non-blob entry' '
+	printf "100644 foo\0$(echo $tree | hex2oct)" >broken-tree &&
+	broken_tree="$(git hash-object -w --literally -t tree broken-tree)"
+'
+
+test_expect_failure 'traverse unexpected non-blob entry (lone)' '
+	test_must_fail git rev-list --objects $broken_tree
+'
+
+test_expect_failure 'traverse unexpected non-blob entry (seen)' '
+	test_must_fail git rev-list --objects $tree $broken_tree
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'setup unexpected non-tree entry' '
+	printf "40000 foo\0$(echo $blob | hex2oct)" >broken-tree &&
+	broken_tree="$(git hash-object -w --literally -t tree broken-tree)"
+'
+
+test_expect_failure 'traverse unexpected non-tree entry (lone)' '
+	test_must_fail git rev-list --objects $broken_tree
+'
+
+test_expect_failure 'traverse unexpected non-tree entry (seen)' '
+	test_must_fail git rev-list --objects $blob $broken_tree >output 2>&1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'setup unexpected non-commit parent' '
+	git cat-file commit $commit |
+		perl -lpe "/^author/ && print q(parent $blob)" \
+		>broken-commit &&
+	broken_commit="$(git hash-object -w --literally -t commit \
+		broken-commit)"
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'traverse unexpected non-commit parent (lone)' '
+	test_must_fail git rev-list --objects $broken_commit >output 2>&1 &&
+	test_i18ngrep "not a commit" output
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'traverse unexpected non-commit parent (seen)' '
+	test_must_fail git rev-list --objects $commit $broken_commit \
+		>output 2>&1 &&
+	test_i18ngrep "not a commit" output
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'setup unexpected non-tree root' '
+	git cat-file commit $commit |
+	sed -e "s/$tree/$blob/" >broken-commit &&
+	broken_commit="$(git hash-object -w --literally -t commit \
+		broken-commit)"
+'
+
+test_expect_failure 'traverse unexpected non-tree root (lone)' '
+	test_must_fail git rev-list --objects $broken_commit
+'
+
+test_expect_failure 'traverse unexpected non-tree root (seen)' '
+	test_must_fail git rev-list --objects $blob $broken_commit
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'setup unexpected non-commit tag' '
+	git tag -a -m "tagged commit" tag $commit &&
+	test_when_finished "git tag -d tag" &&
+	git cat-file -p tag | sed -e "s/$commit/$blob/" >broken-tag &&
+	tag=$(git hash-object -w --literally -t tag broken-tag)
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'traverse unexpected non-commit tag (lone)' '
+	test_must_fail git rev-list --objects $tag
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'traverse unexpected non-commit tag (seen)' '
+	test_must_fail git rev-list --objects $blob $tag >output 2>&1 &&
+	test_i18ngrep "not a commit" output
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'setup unexpected non-tree tag' '
+	git tag -a -m "tagged tree" tag $tree &&
+	test_when_finished "git tag -d tag" &&
+	git cat-file -p tag |
+	sed -e "s/$tree/$blob/" >broken-tag &&
+	tag=$(git hash-object -w --literally -t tag broken-tag)
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'traverse unexpected non-tree tag (lone)' '
+	test_must_fail git rev-list --objects $tag
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'traverse unexpected non-tree tag (seen)' '
+	test_must_fail git rev-list --objects $blob $tag >output 2>&1 &&
+	test_i18ngrep "not a tree" output
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'setup unexpected non-blob tag' '
+	git tag -a -m "tagged blob" tag $blob &&
+	test_when_finished "git tag -d tag" &&
+	git cat-file -p tag |
+	sed -e "s/$blob/$commit/" >broken-tag &&
+	tag=$(git hash-object -w --literally -t tag broken-tag)
+'
+
+test_expect_failure 'traverse unexpected non-blob tag (lone)' '
+	test_must_fail git rev-list --objects $tag
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'traverse unexpected non-blob tag (seen)' '
+	test_must_fail git rev-list --objects $commit $tag >output 2>&1 &&
+	test_i18ngrep "not a blob" output
+'
+
+test_done
