diff --git a/src/git2/tree.h b/src/git2/tree.h
index 9ebb26562..fedf2b7c3 100644
--- a/src/git2/tree.h
+++ b/src/git2/tree.h
@@ -148,6 +148,36 @@ GIT_EXTERN(int) git_tree_entry_2object(git_object **object, git_tree_entry *entr
  */
 GIT_EXTERN(int) git_tree_add_entry(git_tree_entry **entry_out, git_tree *tree, const git_oid *id, const char *filename, int attributes);
 
+/**
+ * Add a new entry to a tree, returning that new entry.
+ * The only difference with this call is that it does not sort
+ * tree afterwards, this requirement is left to the caller.
+ *
+ * This will mark the tree as modified; the new entry will
+ * be written back to disk on the next git_object_write()
+ *
+ * @param entry Entry object which will be created
+ * @param tree Tree object to store the entry
+ * @iparam id OID for the tree entry
+ * @param filename Filename for the tree entry
+ * @param attributes UNIX file attributes for the entry
+ * @return 0 on success; otherwise error code
+ */
+GIT_EXTERN(int) git_tree_add_entry_unsorted(git_tree_entry **entry, git_tree *tree, const git_oid *id, const char *filename, int attributes);
+
+/**
+ * Sort the entries in a tree created using git_tree_add_entry2.
+ *
+ * This does not mark the tree as modified.  It is intended to be used
+ * after several invocations of git_tree_add_entry2.
+ * git_tree_add_entry, on the other hand, sorts after each entry is
+ * added.
+ *
+ * @param tree Tree object whose entries are to be sorted
+ * @return 0 on success; otherwise error code
+ */
+GIT_EXTERN(int) git_tree_sort_entries(git_tree *tree);
+
 /**
  * Remove an entry by its index.
  *
diff --git a/src/tree.c b/src/tree.c
index dffe872e0..c4def2a97 100644
--- a/src/tree.c
+++ b/src/tree.c
@@ -174,12 +174,11 @@ size_t git_tree_entrycount(git_tree *tree)
 	return tree->entries.length;
 }
 
-int git_tree_add_entry(git_tree_entry **entry_out, git_tree *tree, const git_oid *id, const char *filename, int attributes)
+int git_tree_add_entry_unsorted(git_tree_entry **entry_out, git_tree *tree, const git_oid *id, const char *filename, int attributes)
 {
-	git_tree_entry *entry;
-
 	assert(tree && id && filename);
 
+	git_tree_entry *entry;
 	if ((entry = git__malloc(sizeof(git_tree_entry))) == NULL)
 		return GIT_ENOMEM;
 
@@ -193,8 +192,6 @@ int git_tree_add_entry(git_tree_entry **entry_out, git_tree *tree, const git_oid
 	if (git_vector_insert(&tree->entries, entry) < 0)
 		return GIT_ENOMEM;
 
-	git_vector_sort(&tree->entries);
-
 	if (entry_out != NULL)
 		*entry_out = entry;
 
@@ -202,6 +199,22 @@ int git_tree_add_entry(git_tree_entry **entry_out, git_tree *tree, const git_oid
 	return GIT_SUCCESS;
 }
 
+int git_tree_add_entry(git_tree_entry **entry_out, git_tree *tree, const git_oid *id, const char *filename, int attributes)
+{
+        int result = git_tree_add_entry_unsorted(entry_out, tree, id, filename, attributes);
+        if (result == GIT_SUCCESS) {
+          git_vector_sort(&tree->entries);
+          return GIT_SUCCESS;
+        }
+        return result;
+}
+
+int git_tree_sort_entries(git_tree *tree)
+{
+        git_vector_sort(&tree->entries);
+        return GIT_SUCCESS;
+}
+
 int git_tree_remove_entry_byindex(git_tree *tree, int idx)
 {
 	git_tree_entry *remove_ptr;