diff --git a/builtin/check-ignore.c b/builtin/check-ignore.c
index e2d3006464..c00a7d6bb9 100644
--- a/builtin/check-ignore.c
+++ b/builtin/check-ignore.c
@@ -107,10 +107,9 @@ static int check_ignore(struct path_exclude_check *check,
 static int check_ignore_stdin_paths(struct path_exclude_check *check, const char *prefix)
 {
 	struct strbuf buf, nbuf;
-	char **pathspec = NULL;
-	size_t nr = 0, alloc = 0;
+	char *pathspec[2] = { NULL, NULL };
 	int line_termination = null_term_line ? 0 : '\n';
-	int num_ignored;
+	int num_ignored = 0;
 
 	strbuf_init(&buf, 0);
 	strbuf_init(&nbuf, 0);
@@ -121,14 +120,10 @@ static int check_ignore_stdin_paths(struct path_exclude_check *check, const char
 				die("line is badly quoted");
 			strbuf_swap(&buf, &nbuf);
 		}
-		ALLOC_GROW(pathspec, nr + 1, alloc);
-		pathspec[nr] = xcalloc(strlen(buf.buf) + 1, sizeof(*buf.buf));
-		strcpy(pathspec[nr++], buf.buf);
+		pathspec[0] = buf.buf;
+		num_ignored += check_ignore(check, prefix, (const char **)pathspec);
+		maybe_flush_or_die(stdout, "check-ignore to stdout");
 	}
-	ALLOC_GROW(pathspec, nr + 1, alloc);
-	pathspec[nr] = NULL;
-	num_ignored = check_ignore(check, prefix, (const char **)pathspec);
-	maybe_flush_or_die(stdout, "attribute to stdout");
 	strbuf_release(&buf);
 	strbuf_release(&nbuf);
 	return num_ignored;
diff --git a/t/t0008-ignores.sh b/t/t0008-ignores.sh
index 7af93ba928..fbf12ae4e2 100755
--- a/t/t0008-ignores.sh
+++ b/t/t0008-ignores.sh
@@ -216,11 +216,7 @@ test_expect_success_multi 'empty command line' '' '
 
 test_expect_success_multi '--stdin with empty STDIN' '' '
 	test_check_ignore "--stdin" 1 </dev/null &&
-	if test -n "$quiet_opt"; then
-		test_stderr ""
-	else
-		test_stderr "no pathspec given."
-	fi
+	test_stderr ""
 '
 
 test_expect_success '-q with multiple args' '
@@ -692,5 +688,27 @@ do
 	'
 done
 
+test_expect_success 'setup: have stdbuf?' '
+	if which stdbuf >/dev/null 2>&1
+	then
+		test_set_prereq STDBUF
+	fi
+'
+
+test_expect_success STDBUF 'streaming support for --stdin' '
+	(
+		echo one
+		sleep 2
+		echo two
+	) | stdbuf -oL git check-ignore -v -n --stdin >out &
+	pid=$! &&
+	sleep 1 &&
+	grep "^\.gitignore:1:one	one" out &&
+	test $( wc -l <out ) = 1 &&
+	sleep 2 &&
+	grep "^::	two" out &&
+	test $( wc -l <out ) = 2 &&
+	( wait $pid || kill $pid || : ) 2>/dev/null
+'
 
 test_done