diff --git a/fetch.c b/fetch.c
index 1a33ae984f..3e073d3584 100644
--- a/fetch.c
+++ b/fetch.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ int get_tree = 0;
 int get_history = 0;
 int get_all = 0;
 int get_verbosely = 0;
+int get_recover = 0;
 static unsigned char current_commit_sha1[20];
 
 void pull_say(const char *fmt, const char *hex) 
@@ -214,7 +215,9 @@ int pull(char *target)
 			return -1;
 	}
 
-	for_each_ref(mark_complete);
+	if (!get_recover) {
+		for_each_ref(mark_complete);
+	}
 
 	if (interpret_target(target, sha1))
 		return error("Could not interpret %s as something to pull",
diff --git a/fetch.h b/fetch.h
index e7710e89e7..9837a3d035 100644
--- a/fetch.h
+++ b/fetch.h
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ extern int get_all;
 /* Set to be verbose */
 extern int get_verbosely;
 
+/* Set to check on all reachable objects. */
+extern int get_recover;
+
 /* Report what we got under get_verbosely */
 extern void pull_say(const char *, const char *);
 
diff --git a/http-fetch.c b/http-fetch.c
index 57141a8a29..e6181b0ee6 100644
--- a/http-fetch.c
+++ b/http-fetch.c
@@ -491,6 +491,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		} else if (argv[arg][1] == 'w') {
 			write_ref = argv[arg + 1];
 			arg++;
+		} else if (!strcmp(argv[arg], "--recover")) {
+			get_recover = 1;
 		}
 		arg++;
 	}
diff --git a/local-fetch.c b/local-fetch.c
index 0dbed8910b..a57386ca6a 100644
--- a/local-fetch.c
+++ b/local-fetch.c
@@ -231,6 +231,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 			get_verbosely = 1;
 		else if (argv[arg][1] == 'w')
 			write_ref = argv[++arg];
+		else if (!strcmp(argv[arg], "--recover"))
+			get_recover = 1;
 		else
 			usage(local_pull_usage);
 		arg++;
diff --git a/ssh-fetch.c b/ssh-fetch.c
index 683a1e4a01..05d3e49f25 100644
--- a/ssh-fetch.c
+++ b/ssh-fetch.c
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		} else if (argv[arg][1] == 'w') {
 			write_ref = argv[arg + 1];
 			arg++;
+		} else if (!strcmp(argv[arg], "--recover")) {
+			get_recover = 1;
 		}
 		arg++;
 	}