diff --git a/builtin/cat-file.c b/builtin/cat-file.c
index 6d0f645301..8735620813 100644
--- a/builtin/cat-file.c
+++ b/builtin/cat-file.c
@@ -674,6 +674,8 @@ int cmd_cat_file(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			    N_("for blob objects, run textconv on object's content"), 'c'),
 		OPT_CMDMODE(0, "filters", &opt,
 			    N_("for blob objects, run filters on object's content"), 'w'),
+		OPT_CMDMODE(0, "batch-all-objects", &opt,
+			    N_("show all objects with --batch or --batch-check"), 'b'),
 		OPT_STRING(0, "path", &force_path, N_("blob"),
 			   N_("use a specific path for --textconv/--filters")),
 		OPT_BOOL(0, "allow-unknown-type", &unknown_type,
@@ -689,8 +691,6 @@ int cmd_cat_file(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			batch_option_callback),
 		OPT_BOOL(0, "follow-symlinks", &batch.follow_symlinks,
 			 N_("follow in-tree symlinks (used with --batch or --batch-check)")),
-		OPT_BOOL(0, "batch-all-objects", &batch.all_objects,
-			 N_("show all objects with --batch or --batch-check")),
 		OPT_BOOL(0, "unordered", &batch.unordered,
 			 N_("do not order --batch-all-objects output")),
 		OPT_END()
@@ -699,30 +699,27 @@ int cmd_cat_file(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	git_config(git_cat_file_config, NULL);
 
 	batch.buffer_output = -1;
-	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, options, usage, 0);
 
-	if (opt) {
+	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, options, usage, 0);
+	if (argc && batch.enabled)
+		usage_with_options(usage, options);
+	if (opt == 'b') {
+		batch.all_objects = 1;
+	} else if (opt) {
 		if (batch.enabled && (opt == 'c' || opt == 'w'))
 			batch.cmdmode = opt;
 		else if (argc == 1)
 			obj_name = argv[0];
 		else
 			usage_with_options(usage, options);
-	}
-	if (!opt && !batch.enabled) {
+	} else if (!opt && !batch.enabled) {
 		if (argc == 2) {
 			exp_type = argv[0];
 			obj_name = argv[1];
 		} else
 			usage_with_options(usage, options);
-	}
-	if (batch.enabled) {
-		if (batch.cmdmode != opt || argc)
-			usage_with_options(usage, options);
-		if (batch.cmdmode && batch.all_objects)
-			die("--batch-all-objects cannot be combined with "
-			    "--textconv nor with --filters");
-	}
+	} else if (batch.enabled && batch.cmdmode != opt)
+		usage_with_options(usage, options);
 
 	if ((batch.follow_symlinks || batch.all_objects) && !batch.enabled) {
 		usage_with_options(usage, options);
diff --git a/t/t1006-cat-file.sh b/t/t1006-cat-file.sh
index fc9191c1b9..ebec2061d2 100755
--- a/t/t1006-cat-file.sh
+++ b/t/t1006-cat-file.sh
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ for switches in \
 	'-p -t' \
 	'-t -s' \
 	'-s --textconv' \
-	'--textconv --filters'
+	'--textconv --filters' \
+	'--batch-all-objects -e'
 do
 	test_expect_success "usage: cmdmode $switches" '
 		test_cmdmode_usage git cat-file $switches
@@ -41,10 +42,6 @@ do
 	test_expect_success "usage: $opt requires another option" '
 		test_expect_code 129 git cat-file $opt
 	'
-
-	test_expect_failure "usage: incompatible options: --batch-all-objects with $opt" '
-		test_incompatible_usage git cat-file --batch-all-objects $opt
-	'
 done
 
 for opt in $short_modes