diff --git a/src/filebuf.c b/src/filebuf.c
index a9de165d5..6538aea66 100644
--- a/src/filebuf.c
+++ b/src/filebuf.c
@@ -194,14 +194,19 @@ int git_filebuf_open(git_filebuf *file, const char *path, int flags)
 
 	memset(file, 0x0, sizeof(git_filebuf));
 
+	if (flags & GIT_FILEBUF_DO_NOT_BUFFER)
+		file->do_not_buffer = true;
+
 	file->buf_size = WRITE_BUFFER_SIZE;
 	file->buf_pos = 0;
 	file->fd = -1;
 	file->last_error = BUFERR_OK;
 
 	/* Allocate the main cache buffer */
-	file->buffer = git__malloc(file->buf_size);
-	GITERR_CHECK_ALLOC(file->buffer);
+	if (!file->do_not_buffer) {
+		file->buffer = git__malloc(file->buf_size);
+		GITERR_CHECK_ALLOC(file->buffer);
+	}
 
 	/* If we are hashing on-write, allocate a new hash context */
 	if (flags & GIT_FILEBUF_HASH_CONTENTS) {
@@ -345,6 +350,9 @@ int git_filebuf_write(git_filebuf *file, const void *buff, size_t len)
 
 	ENSURE_BUF_OK(file);
 
+	if (file->do_not_buffer)
+		return file->write(file, (void *)buff, len);
+
 	for (;;) {
 		size_t space_left = file->buf_size - file->buf_pos;
 
diff --git a/src/filebuf.h b/src/filebuf.h
index 19e17975b..72563b57a 100644
--- a/src/filebuf.h
+++ b/src/filebuf.h
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@
 #define GIT_FILEBUF_APPEND				(1 << 2)
 #define GIT_FILEBUF_FORCE				(1 << 3)
 #define GIT_FILEBUF_TEMPORARY			(1 << 4)
-#define GIT_FILEBUF_DEFLATE_SHIFT		(5)
+#define GIT_FILEBUF_DO_NOT_BUFFER		(1 << 5)
+#define GIT_FILEBUF_DEFLATE_SHIFT		(6)
 
 #define GIT_FILELOCK_EXTENSION ".lock\0"
 #define GIT_FILELOCK_EXTLENGTH 6
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ struct git_filebuf {
 	size_t buf_size, buf_pos;
 	git_file fd;
 	bool fd_is_open;
+	bool do_not_buffer;
 	int last_error;
 };