diff --git a/t/t5510-fetch.sh b/t/t5510-fetch.sh
index 439430f569..73a4e3cbc3 100755
--- a/t/t5510-fetch.sh
+++ b/t/t5510-fetch.sh
@@ -153,4 +153,39 @@ test_expect_success 'bundle should be able to create a full history' '
 
 '
 
+test "$TEST_RSYNC" && {
+test_expect_success 'fetch via rsync' '
+	git pack-refs &&
+	mkdir rsynced &&
+	cd rsynced &&
+	git init &&
+	git fetch rsync://127.0.0.1$(pwd)/../.git master:refs/heads/master &&
+	git gc --prune &&
+	test $(git rev-parse master) = $(cd .. && git rev-parse master) &&
+	git fsck --full
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'push via rsync' '
+	mkdir ../rsynced2 &&
+	(cd ../rsynced2 &&
+	 git init) &&
+	git push rsync://127.0.0.1$(pwd)/../rsynced2/.git master &&
+	cd ../rsynced2 &&
+	git gc --prune &&
+	test $(git rev-parse master) = $(cd .. && git rev-parse master) &&
+	git fsck --full
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'push via rsync' '
+	cd .. &&
+	mkdir rsynced3 &&
+	(cd rsynced3 &&
+	 git init) &&
+	git push --all rsync://127.0.0.1$(pwd)/rsynced3/.git &&
+	cd rsynced3 &&
+	test $(git rev-parse master) = $(cd .. && git rev-parse master) &&
+	git fsck --full
+'
+}
+
 test_done
diff --git a/transport.c b/transport.c
index 3475ccaf5c..7266fd3dc7 100644
--- a/transport.c
+++ b/transport.c
@@ -6,6 +6,330 @@
 #include "fetch-pack.h"
 #include "walker.h"
 #include "bundle.h"
+#include "dir.h"
+#include "refs.h"
+
+/* rsync support */
+
+/*
+ * We copy packed-refs and refs/ into a temporary file, then read the
+ * loose refs recursively (sorting whenever possible), and then inserting
+ * those packed refs that are not yet in the list (not validating, but
+ * assuming that the file is sorted).
+ *
+ * Appears refactoring this from refs.c is too cumbersome.
+ */
+
+static int str_cmp(const void *a, const void *b)
+{
+	const char *s1 = a;
+	const char *s2 = b;
+
+	return strcmp(s1, s2);
+}
+
+/* path->buf + name_offset is expected to point to "refs/" */
+
+static int read_loose_refs(struct strbuf *path, int name_offset,
+		struct ref **tail)
+{
+	DIR *dir = opendir(path->buf);
+	struct dirent *de;
+	struct {
+		char **entries;
+		int nr, alloc;
+	} list;
+	int i, pathlen;
+
+	if (!dir)
+		return -1;
+
+	memset (&list, 0, sizeof(list));
+
+	while ((de = readdir(dir))) {
+		if (de->d_name[0] == '.' && (de->d_name[1] == '\0' ||
+				(de->d_name[1] == '.' &&
+				 de->d_name[2] == '\0')))
+			continue;
+		ALLOC_GROW(list.entries, list.nr + 1, list.alloc);
+		list.entries[list.nr++] = xstrdup(de->d_name);
+	}
+	closedir(dir);
+
+	/* sort the list */
+
+	qsort(list.entries, list.nr, sizeof(char *), str_cmp);
+
+	pathlen = path->len;
+	strbuf_addch(path, '/');
+
+	for (i = 0; i < list.nr; i++, strbuf_setlen(path, pathlen + 1)) {
+		strbuf_addstr(path, list.entries[i]);
+		if (read_loose_refs(path, name_offset, tail)) {
+			int fd = open(path->buf, O_RDONLY);
+			char buffer[40];
+			struct ref *next;
+
+			if (fd < 0)
+				continue;
+			next = alloc_ref(path->len - name_offset + 1);
+			if (read_in_full(fd, buffer, 40) != 40 ||
+					get_sha1_hex(buffer, next->old_sha1)) {
+				close(fd);
+				free(next);
+				continue;
+			}
+			close(fd);
+			strcpy(next->name, path->buf + name_offset);
+			(*tail)->next = next;
+			*tail = next;
+		}
+	}
+	strbuf_setlen(path, pathlen);
+
+	for (i = 0; i < list.nr; i++)
+		free(list.entries[i]);
+	free(list.entries);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/* insert the packed refs for which no loose refs were found */
+
+static void insert_packed_refs(const char *packed_refs, struct ref **list)
+{
+	FILE *f = fopen(packed_refs, "r");
+	static char buffer[PATH_MAX];
+
+	if (!f)
+		return;
+
+	for (;;) {
+		int cmp, len;
+
+		if (!fgets(buffer, sizeof(buffer), f)) {
+			fclose(f);
+			return;
+		}
+
+		if (hexval(buffer[0]) > 0xf)
+			continue;
+		len = strlen(buffer);
+		if (buffer[len - 1] == '\n')
+			buffer[--len] = '\0';
+		if (len < 41)
+			continue;
+		while ((*list)->next &&
+				(cmp = strcmp(buffer + 41,
+				      (*list)->next->name)) > 0)
+			list = &(*list)->next;
+		if (!(*list)->next || cmp < 0) {
+			struct ref *next = alloc_ref(len - 40);
+			buffer[40] = '\0';
+			if (get_sha1_hex(buffer, next->old_sha1)) {
+				warning ("invalid SHA-1: %s", buffer);
+				free(next);
+				continue;
+			}
+			strcpy(next->name, buffer + 41);
+			next->next = (*list)->next;
+			(*list)->next = next;
+			list = &(*list)->next;
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+static struct ref *get_refs_via_rsync(const struct transport *transport)
+{
+	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT, temp_dir = STRBUF_INIT;
+	struct ref dummy, *tail = &dummy;
+	struct child_process rsync;
+	const char *args[5];
+	int temp_dir_len;
+
+	/* copy the refs to the temporary directory */
+
+	strbuf_addstr(&temp_dir, git_path("rsync-refs-XXXXXX"));
+	if (!mkdtemp(temp_dir.buf))
+		die ("Could not make temporary directory");
+	temp_dir_len = temp_dir.len;
+
+	strbuf_addstr(&buf, transport->url);
+	strbuf_addstr(&buf, "/refs");
+
+	memset(&rsync, 0, sizeof(rsync));
+	rsync.argv = args;
+	rsync.stdout_to_stderr = 1;
+	args[0] = "rsync";
+	args[1] = transport->verbose ? "-rv" : "-r";
+	args[2] = buf.buf;
+	args[3] = temp_dir.buf;
+	args[4] = NULL;
+
+	if (run_command(&rsync))
+		die ("Could not run rsync to get refs");
+
+	strbuf_reset(&buf);
+	strbuf_addstr(&buf, transport->url);
+	strbuf_addstr(&buf, "/packed-refs");
+
+	args[2] = buf.buf;
+
+	if (run_command(&rsync))
+		die ("Could not run rsync to get refs");
+
+	/* read the copied refs */
+
+	strbuf_addstr(&temp_dir, "/refs");
+	read_loose_refs(&temp_dir, temp_dir_len + 1, &tail);
+	strbuf_setlen(&temp_dir, temp_dir_len);
+
+	tail = &dummy;
+	strbuf_addstr(&temp_dir, "/packed-refs");
+	insert_packed_refs(temp_dir.buf, &tail);
+	strbuf_setlen(&temp_dir, temp_dir_len);
+
+	if (remove_dir_recursively(&temp_dir, 0))
+		warning ("Error removing temporary directory %s.",
+				temp_dir.buf);
+
+	strbuf_release(&buf);
+	strbuf_release(&temp_dir);
+
+	return dummy.next;
+}
+
+static int fetch_objs_via_rsync(struct transport *transport,
+				 int nr_objs, struct ref **to_fetch)
+{
+	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
+	struct child_process rsync;
+	const char *args[8];
+	int result;
+
+	strbuf_addstr(&buf, transport->url);
+	strbuf_addstr(&buf, "/objects/");
+
+	memset(&rsync, 0, sizeof(rsync));
+	rsync.argv = args;
+	rsync.stdout_to_stderr = 1;
+	args[0] = "rsync";
+	args[1] = transport->verbose ? "-rv" : "-r";
+	args[2] = "--ignore-existing";
+	args[3] = "--exclude";
+	args[4] = "info";
+	args[5] = buf.buf;
+	args[6] = get_object_directory();
+	args[7] = NULL;
+
+	/* NEEDSWORK: handle one level of alternates */
+	result = run_command(&rsync);
+
+	strbuf_release(&buf);
+
+	return result;
+}
+
+static int write_one_ref(const char *name, const unsigned char *sha1,
+		int flags, void *data)
+{
+	struct strbuf *buf = data;
+	int len = buf->len;
+	FILE *f;
+
+	/* when called via for_each_ref(), flags is non-zero */
+	if (flags && prefixcmp(name, "refs/heads/") &&
+			prefixcmp(name, "refs/tags/"))
+		return 0;
+
+	strbuf_addstr(buf, name);
+	if (safe_create_leading_directories(buf->buf) ||
+			!(f = fopen(buf->buf, "w")) ||
+			fprintf(f, "%s\n", sha1_to_hex(sha1)) < 0 ||
+			fclose(f))
+		return error("problems writing temporary file %s", buf->buf);
+	strbuf_setlen(buf, len);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int write_refs_to_temp_dir(struct strbuf *temp_dir,
+		int refspec_nr, const char **refspec)
+{
+	int i;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < refspec_nr; i++) {
+		unsigned char sha1[20];
+		char *ref;
+
+		if (dwim_ref(refspec[i], strlen(refspec[i]), sha1, &ref) != 1)
+			return error("Could not get ref %s", refspec[i]);
+
+		if (write_one_ref(ref, sha1, 0, temp_dir)) {
+			free(ref);
+			return -1;
+		}
+		free(ref);
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int rsync_transport_push(struct transport *transport,
+		int refspec_nr, const char **refspec, int flags)
+{
+	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT, temp_dir = STRBUF_INIT;
+	int result = 0, i;
+	struct child_process rsync;
+	const char *args[8];
+
+	/* first push the objects */
+
+	strbuf_addstr(&buf, transport->url);
+	strbuf_addch(&buf, '/');
+
+	memset(&rsync, 0, sizeof(rsync));
+	rsync.argv = args;
+	rsync.stdout_to_stderr = 1;
+	args[0] = "rsync";
+	args[1] = transport->verbose ? "-av" : "-a";
+	args[2] = "--ignore-existing";
+	args[3] = "--exclude";
+	args[4] = "info";
+	args[5] = get_object_directory();;
+	args[6] = buf.buf;
+	args[7] = NULL;
+
+	if (run_command(&rsync))
+		return error("Could not push objects to %s", transport->url);
+
+	/* copy the refs to the temporary directory; they could be packed. */
+
+	strbuf_addstr(&temp_dir, git_path("rsync-refs-XXXXXX"));
+	if (!mkdtemp(temp_dir.buf))
+		die ("Could not make temporary directory");
+	strbuf_addch(&temp_dir, '/');
+
+	if (flags & TRANSPORT_PUSH_ALL) {
+		if (for_each_ref(write_one_ref, &temp_dir))
+			return -1;
+	} else if (write_refs_to_temp_dir(&temp_dir, refspec_nr, refspec))
+		return -1;
+
+	i = (flags & TRANSPORT_PUSH_FORCE) ? 2 : 3;
+	args[i++] = temp_dir.buf;
+	args[i++] = transport->url;
+	args[i++] = NULL;
+	if (run_command(&rsync))
+		result = error("Could not push to %s", transport->url);
+
+	if (remove_dir_recursively(&temp_dir, 0))
+		warning ("Could not remove temporary directory %s.",
+				temp_dir.buf);
+
+	strbuf_release(&buf);
+	strbuf_release(&temp_dir);
+
+	return result;
+}
 
 /* Generic functions for using commit walkers */
 
@@ -402,7 +726,9 @@ struct transport *transport_get(struct remote *remote, const char *url)
 	ret->url = url;
 
 	if (!prefixcmp(url, "rsync://")) {
-		/* not supported; don't populate any ops */
+		ret->get_refs_list = get_refs_via_rsync;
+		ret->fetch = fetch_objs_via_rsync;
+		ret->push = rsync_transport_push;
 
 	} else if (!prefixcmp(url, "http://")
 	        || !prefixcmp(url, "https://")