diff --git a/src/git2/tree.h b/src/git2/tree.h
index fedf2b7c3..6f79ac455 100644
--- a/src/git2/tree.h
+++ b/src/git2/tree.h
@@ -204,6 +204,16 @@ GIT_EXTERN(int) git_tree_remove_entry_byindex(git_tree *tree, int idx);
  */
 GIT_EXTERN(int) git_tree_remove_entry_byname(git_tree *tree, const char *filename);
 
+/**
+ * Clear all the entries in a tree.
+ *
+ * This will mark the tree as modified; the modified entry will
+ * be written back to disk on the next git_object_write().
+ *
+ * @param tree Tree object whose entries are to be sorted
+ */
+GIT_EXTERN(void) git_tree_clear_entries(git_tree *tree);
+
 /**
  * Change the SHA1 id of a tree entry.
  *
diff --git a/src/tree.c b/src/tree.c
index c4def2a97..605af8b39 100644
--- a/src/tree.c
+++ b/src/tree.c
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ int entry_sort_cmp(const void *a, const void *b)
 	return strcmp(entry_a->filename, entry_b->filename);
 }
 
-static void clear_entries(git_tree *tree)
+void git_tree_clear_entries(git_tree *tree)
 {
 	unsigned int i;
 
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ static void clear_entries(git_tree *tree)
 	}
 
 	git_vector_clear(&tree->entries);
+
+	tree->object.modified = 1;
 }
 
 
@@ -90,7 +92,7 @@ git_tree *git_tree__new(void)
 
 void git_tree__free(git_tree *tree)
 {
-	clear_entries(tree);
+	git_tree_clear_entries(tree);
 	git_vector_free(&tree->entries);
 	free(tree);
 }
@@ -282,7 +284,7 @@ static int tree_parse_buffer(git_tree *tree, char *buffer, char *buffer_end)
 
 	expected_size = (tree->object.source.raw.len / avg_entry_size) + 1;
 
-	clear_entries(tree);
+	git_tree_clear_entries(tree);
 
 	while (buffer < buffer_end) {
 		git_tree_entry *entry;