diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 29dd290c92..384f829b96 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -420,6 +420,7 @@ extern char *git_commit_encoding;
 extern char *git_log_output_encoding;
 
 extern int copy_fd(int ifd, int ofd);
+extern int write_in_full(int fd, const void *buf, size_t count, const char *);
 extern void write_or_die(int fd, const void *buf, size_t count);
 extern int write_or_whine(int fd, const void *buf, size_t count, const char *msg);
 
diff --git a/send-pack.c b/send-pack.c
index eaa6efbc0c..c195d080db 100644
--- a/send-pack.c
+++ b/send-pack.c
@@ -65,12 +65,16 @@ static int pack_objects(int fd, struct ref *refs)
 			memcpy(buf + 1, sha1_to_hex(refs->old_sha1), 40);
 			buf[0] = '^';
 			buf[41] = '\n';
-			write(pipe_fd[1], buf, 42);
+			if (!write_in_full(pipe_fd[1], buf, 42,
+						"send-pack: send refs"))
+				break;
 		}
 		if (!is_null_sha1(refs->new_sha1)) {
 			memcpy(buf, sha1_to_hex(refs->new_sha1), 40);
 			buf[40] = '\n';
-			write(pipe_fd[1], buf, 41);
+			if (!write_in_full(pipe_fd[1], buf, 41,
+						"send-pack: send refs"))
+				break;
 		}
 		refs = refs->next;
 	}
diff --git a/write_or_die.c b/write_or_die.c
index bfe4eeb649..650f13fc01 100644
--- a/write_or_die.c
+++ b/write_or_die.c
@@ -43,3 +43,26 @@ int write_or_whine(int fd, const void *buf, size_t count, const char *msg)
 
 	return 1;
 }
+
+int write_in_full(int fd, const void *buf, size_t count, const char *msg)
+{
+	const char *p = buf;
+	ssize_t written;
+
+	while (count > 0) {
+		written = xwrite(fd, p, count);
+		if (written == 0) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "%s: disk full?\n", msg);
+			return 0;
+		}
+		else if (written < 0) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "%s: write error (%s)\n",
+				msg, strerror(errno));
+			return 0;
+		}
+		count -= written;
+		p += written;
+	}
+
+	return 1;
+}