diff --git a/builtin-for-each-ref.c b/builtin-for-each-ref.c
index 445039e19c..4d25ec51d0 100644
--- a/builtin-for-each-ref.c
+++ b/builtin-for-each-ref.c
@@ -459,8 +459,10 @@ static void find_subpos(const char *buf, unsigned long sz, const char **sub, con
 		return;
 	*sub = buf; /* first non-empty line */
 	buf = strchr(buf, '\n');
-	if (!buf)
+	if (!buf) {
+		*body = "";
 		return; /* no body */
+	}
 	while (*buf == '\n')
 		buf++; /* skip blank between subject and body */
 	*body = buf;
diff --git a/t/t6300-for-each-ref.sh b/t/t6300-for-each-ref.sh
index a3c8941c72..8ced59321e 100755
--- a/t/t6300-for-each-ref.sh
+++ b/t/t6300-for-each-ref.sh
@@ -262,4 +262,14 @@ for i in "--perl --shell" "-s --python" "--python --tcl" "--tcl --perl"; do
 	"
 done
 
+test_expect_success 'an unusual tag with an incomplete line' '
+
+	git tag -m "bogo" bogo &&
+	bogo=$(git cat-file tag bogo) &&
+	bogo=$(printf "%s" "$bogo" | git mktag) &&
+	git tag -f bogo "$bogo" &&
+	git for-each-ref --format "%(body)" refs/tags/bogo
+
+'
+
 test_done