diff --git a/builtin-cat-file.c b/builtin-cat-file.c
index f8b3160668..bd343efae7 100644
--- a/builtin-cat-file.c
+++ b/builtin-cat-file.c
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ static int cat_one_file(int opt, const char *exp_type, const char *obj_name)
 static int batch_one_object(const char *obj_name, int print_contents)
 {
 	unsigned char sha1[20];
-	enum object_type type;
+	enum object_type type = 0;
 	unsigned long size;
 	void *contents = contents;
 
@@ -168,8 +168,11 @@ static int batch_one_object(const char *obj_name, int print_contents)
 	else
 		type = sha1_object_info(sha1, &size);
 
-	if (type <= 0)
-		return 1;
+	if (type <= 0) {
+		printf("%s missing\n", obj_name);
+		fflush(stdout);
+		return 0;
+	}
 
 	printf("%s %s %lu\n", sha1_to_hex(sha1), typename(type), size);
 	fflush(stdout);
diff --git a/t/t1006-cat-file.sh b/t/t1006-cat-file.sh
index 973aef7a8e..d8b7f2ffbc 100755
--- a/t/t1006-cat-file.sh
+++ b/t/t1006-cat-file.sh
@@ -174,9 +174,27 @@ do
     '
 done
 
-test_expect_success "--batch-check for a non-existent object" '
-    test "deadbeef missing" = \
-    "$(echo_without_newline deadbeef | git cat-file --batch-check)"
+test_expect_success "--batch-check for a non-existent named object" '
+    test "foobar42 missing
+foobar84 missing" = \
+    "$( ( echo foobar42; echo_without_newline foobar84; ) | git cat-file --batch-check)"
+'
+
+test_expect_success "--batch-check for a non-existent hash" '
+    test "0000000000000000000000000000000000000042 missing
+0000000000000000000000000000000000000084 missing" = \
+    "$( ( echo 0000000000000000000000000000000000000042;
+         echo_without_newline 0000000000000000000000000000000000000084; ) \
+       | git cat-file --batch-check)"
+'
+
+test_expect_success "--batch for an existent and a non-existent hash" '
+    test "$tag_sha1 tag $tag_size
+$tag_content
+0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 missing" = \
+    "$( ( echo $tag_sha1;
+         echo_without_newline 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000; ) \
+       | git cat-file --batch)"
 '
 
 test_expect_success "--batch-check for an emtpy line" '