diff --git a/builtin/cat-file.c b/builtin/cat-file.c
index fe5c77f54c..163ce6c77c 100644
--- a/builtin/cat-file.c
+++ b/builtin/cat-file.c
@@ -150,7 +150,9 @@ static void expand_atom(struct strbuf *sb, const char *atom, int len,
 		if (!data->mark_query)
 			strbuf_addstr(sb, sha1_to_hex(data->sha1));
 	} else if (is_atom("objecttype", atom, len)) {
-		if (!data->mark_query)
+		if (data->mark_query)
+			data->info.typep = &data->type;
+		else
 			strbuf_addstr(sb, typename(data->type));
 	} else if (is_atom("objectsize", atom, len)) {
 		if (data->mark_query)
@@ -229,8 +231,7 @@ static int batch_one_object(const char *obj_name, struct batch_options *opt,
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	data->type = sha1_object_info_extended(data->sha1, &data->info);
-	if (data->type <= 0) {
+	if (sha1_object_info_extended(data->sha1, &data->info) < 0) {
 		printf("%s missing\n", obj_name);
 		fflush(stdout);
 		return 0;
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index dc99366a2e..6882bbe6c3 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -1099,6 +1099,7 @@ extern int unpack_object_header(struct packed_git *, struct pack_window **, off_
 
 struct object_info {
 	/* Request */
+	enum object_type *typep;
 	unsigned long *sizep;
 	unsigned long *disk_sizep;
 
diff --git a/sha1_file.c b/sha1_file.c
index fa2809884b..d391271310 100644
--- a/sha1_file.c
+++ b/sha1_file.c
@@ -2433,24 +2433,26 @@ int sha1_object_info_extended(const unsigned char *sha1, struct object_info *oi)
 {
 	struct cached_object *co;
 	struct pack_entry e;
-	int type, rtype;
+	int rtype;
 
 	co = find_cached_object(sha1);
 	if (co) {
+		if (oi->typep)
+			*(oi->typep) = co->type;
 		if (oi->sizep)
 			*(oi->sizep) = co->size;
 		if (oi->disk_sizep)
 			*(oi->disk_sizep) = 0;
 		oi->whence = OI_CACHED;
-		return co->type;
+		return 0;
 	}
 
 	if (!find_pack_entry(sha1, &e)) {
 		/* Most likely it's a loose object. */
-		if (!sha1_loose_object_info(sha1, &type,
+		if (!sha1_loose_object_info(sha1, oi->typep,
 					    oi->sizep, oi->disk_sizep)) {
 			oi->whence = OI_LOOSE;
-			return type;
+			return 0;
 		}
 
 		/* Not a loose object; someone else may have just packed it. */
@@ -2459,7 +2461,7 @@ int sha1_object_info_extended(const unsigned char *sha1, struct object_info *oi)
 			return -1;
 	}
 
-	rtype = packed_object_info(e.p, e.offset, &type, oi->sizep,
+	rtype = packed_object_info(e.p, e.offset, oi->typep, oi->sizep,
 				   oi->disk_sizep);
 	if (rtype < 0) {
 		mark_bad_packed_object(e.p, sha1);
@@ -2474,15 +2476,19 @@ int sha1_object_info_extended(const unsigned char *sha1, struct object_info *oi)
 					 rtype == OBJ_OFS_DELTA);
 	}
 
-	return type;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 int sha1_object_info(const unsigned char *sha1, unsigned long *sizep)
 {
+	enum object_type type;
 	struct object_info oi = {0};
 
+	oi.typep = &type;
 	oi.sizep = sizep;
-	return sha1_object_info_extended(sha1, &oi);
+	if (sha1_object_info_extended(sha1, &oi) < 0)
+		return -1;
+	return type;
 }
 
 static void *read_packed_sha1(const unsigned char *sha1,
diff --git a/streaming.c b/streaming.c
index cac282f06b..870657ab56 100644
--- a/streaming.c
+++ b/streaming.c
@@ -111,11 +111,11 @@ static enum input_source istream_source(const unsigned char *sha1,
 	unsigned long size;
 	int status;
 
+	oi->typep = type;
 	oi->sizep = &size;
 	status = sha1_object_info_extended(sha1, oi);
 	if (status < 0)
 		return stream_error;
-	*type = status;
 
 	switch (oi->whence) {
 	case OI_LOOSE: