diff --git a/src/sortedcache.c b/src/sortedcache.c
index 6015d616d..2efa3c4e9 100644
--- a/src/sortedcache.c
+++ b/src/sortedcache.c
@@ -295,3 +295,62 @@ void *git_sortedcache_entry(const git_sortedcache *sc, size_t pos)
 {
 	return git_vector_get(&sc->items, pos);
 }
+
+struct sortedcache_magic_key {
+	size_t offset;
+	const char *key;
+};
+
+static int sortedcache_magic_cmp(const void *key, const void *value)
+{
+	const struct sortedcache_magic_key *magic = key;
+	const char *value_key = ((const char *)value) + magic->offset;
+	return strcmp(magic->key, value_key);
+}
+
+/* lookup index of item by key */
+int git_sortedcache_lookup_index(
+	size_t *out, git_sortedcache *sc, const char *key)
+{
+	struct sortedcache_magic_key magic;
+
+	magic.offset = sc->item_path_offset;
+	magic.key    = key;
+
+	return git_vector_bsearch2(out, &sc->items, sortedcache_magic_cmp, &magic);
+}
+
+/* remove entry from cache */
+int git_sortedcache_remove(git_sortedcache *sc, size_t pos, bool lock)
+{
+	int error = 0;
+	char *item;
+	khiter_t mappos;
+
+	if (lock && git_sortedcache_lock(sc) < 0)
+		return -1;
+
+	/* because of pool allocation, this can't actually remove the item,
+	 * but we can remove it from the items vector and the hash table.
+	 */
+
+	if ((item = git_vector_get(&sc->items, pos)) == NULL) {
+		giterr_set(GITERR_INVALID, "Removing item out of range");
+		error = GIT_ENOTFOUND;
+		goto done;
+	}
+
+	(void)git_vector_remove(&sc->items, pos);
+
+	mappos = git_strmap_lookup_index(sc->map, item + sc->item_path_offset);
+	git_strmap_delete_at(sc->map, mappos);
+
+	if (sc->free_item)
+		sc->free_item(sc->free_item_payload, item);
+
+done:
+	if (lock)
+		git_sortedcache_unlock(sc);
+	return error;
+}
+
diff --git a/src/sortedcache.h b/src/sortedcache.h
index 5d0d8f5a7..f63ad645b 100644
--- a/src/sortedcache.h
+++ b/src/sortedcache.h
@@ -98,4 +98,11 @@ size_t git_sortedcache_entrycount(const git_sortedcache *sc);
 /* lookup item by index */
 void *git_sortedcache_entry(const git_sortedcache *sc, size_t pos);
 
+/* lookup index of item by key */
+int git_sortedcache_lookup_index(
+	size_t *out, git_sortedcache *sc, const char *key);
+
+/* remove entry from cache */
+int git_sortedcache_remove(git_sortedcache *sc, size_t pos, bool lock);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/tests-clar/core/sortedcache.c b/tests-clar/core/sortedcache.c
index f192af31d..91415943d 100644
--- a/tests-clar/core/sortedcache.c
+++ b/tests-clar/core/sortedcache.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ void test_core_sortedcache__name_only(void)
 {
 	git_sortedcache *sc;
 	void *item;
+	size_t pos;
 
 	cl_git_pass(git_sortedcache_new(
 		&sc, 0, NULL, NULL, name_only_cmp, NULL));
@@ -44,6 +45,15 @@ void test_core_sortedcache__name_only(void)
 	cl_assert_equal_s("zzz", item);
 	cl_assert(git_sortedcache_entry(sc, 5) == NULL);
 
+	cl_git_pass(git_sortedcache_lookup_index(&pos, sc, "aaa"));
+	cl_assert_equal_sz(0, pos);
+	cl_git_pass(git_sortedcache_lookup_index(&pos, sc, "iii"));
+	cl_assert_equal_sz(2, pos);
+	cl_git_pass(git_sortedcache_lookup_index(&pos, sc, "zzz"));
+	cl_assert_equal_sz(4, pos);
+	cl_assert_equal_i(
+		GIT_ENOTFOUND, git_sortedcache_lookup_index(&pos, sc, "abc"));
+
 	git_sortedcache_clear(sc, true);
 
 	cl_assert_equal_sz(0, git_sortedcache_entrycount(sc));
@@ -182,6 +192,34 @@ void test_core_sortedcache__in_memory(void)
 	cl_assert_equal_i(10, item->value);
 	cl_assert(git_sortedcache_entry(sc, 3) == NULL);
 
+	{
+		size_t pos;
+
+		cl_git_pass(git_sortedcache_lookup_index(&pos, sc, "again"));
+		cl_assert_equal_sz(0, pos);
+		cl_git_pass(git_sortedcache_remove(sc, pos, true));
+		cl_assert_equal_i(
+			GIT_ENOTFOUND, git_sortedcache_lookup_index(&pos, sc, "again"));
+
+		cl_assert_equal_sz(2, git_sortedcache_entrycount(sc));
+
+		cl_git_pass(git_sortedcache_lookup_index(&pos, sc, "testing"));
+		cl_assert_equal_sz(1, pos);
+		cl_git_pass(git_sortedcache_remove(sc, pos, true));
+		cl_assert_equal_i(
+			GIT_ENOTFOUND, git_sortedcache_lookup_index(&pos, sc, "testing"));
+
+		cl_assert_equal_sz(1, git_sortedcache_entrycount(sc));
+
+		cl_git_pass(git_sortedcache_lookup_index(&pos, sc, "final"));
+		cl_assert_equal_sz(0, pos);
+		cl_git_pass(git_sortedcache_remove(sc, pos, true));
+		cl_assert_equal_i(
+			GIT_ENOTFOUND, git_sortedcache_lookup_index(&pos, sc, "final"));
+
+		cl_assert_equal_sz(0, git_sortedcache_entrycount(sc));
+	}
+
 	git_sortedcache_free(sc);
 
 	cl_assert_equal_i(3, free_count);
@@ -223,6 +261,7 @@ void test_core_sortedcache__on_disk(void)
 	git_sortedcache *sc;
 	sortedcache_test_struct *item;
 	int free_count = 0;
+	size_t pos;
 
 	cl_git_mkfile("cacheitems.txt", "10 abc\n20 bcd\n30 cde\n");
 
@@ -291,6 +330,19 @@ void test_core_sortedcache__on_disk(void)
 	cl_assert_equal_s("zzz", item->path);
 	cl_assert_equal_i(200, item->value);
 
+	cl_git_pass(git_sortedcache_lookup_index(&pos, sc, "aaa"));
+	cl_assert_equal_sz(0, pos);
+	cl_git_pass(git_sortedcache_lookup_index(&pos, sc, "abc"));
+	cl_assert_equal_sz(1, pos);
+	cl_git_pass(git_sortedcache_lookup_index(&pos, sc, "final"));
+	cl_assert_equal_sz(2, pos);
+	cl_git_pass(git_sortedcache_lookup_index(&pos, sc, "zzz"));
+	cl_assert_equal_sz(3, pos);
+	cl_assert_equal_i(
+		GIT_ENOTFOUND, git_sortedcache_lookup_index(&pos, sc, "missing"));
+	cl_assert_equal_i(
+		GIT_ENOTFOUND, git_sortedcache_lookup_index(&pos, sc, "cde"));
+
 	git_sortedcache_free(sc);
 
 	cl_assert_equal_i(7, free_count);