diff --git a/builtin/remote-ext.c b/builtin/remote-ext.c
index 3b8c22cc75..e3cd25d580 100644
--- a/builtin/remote-ext.c
+++ b/builtin/remote-ext.c
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "builtin.h"
 #include "transport.h"
 #include "run-command.h"
+#include "pkt-line.h"
 
 /*
  * URL syntax:
@@ -142,36 +143,11 @@ static const char **parse_argv(const char *arg, const char *service)
 static void send_git_request(int stdin_fd, const char *serv, const char *repo,
 	const char *vhost)
 {
-	size_t bufferspace;
-	size_t wpos = 0;
-	char *buffer;
-
-	/*
-	 * Request needs 12 bytes extra if there is vhost (xxxx \0host=\0) and
-	 * 6 bytes extra (xxxx \0) if there is no vhost.
-	 */
-	if (vhost)
-		bufferspace = strlen(serv) + strlen(repo) + strlen(vhost) + 12;
+	if (!vhost)
+		packet_write(stdin_fd, "%s %s%c", serv, repo, 0);
 	else
-		bufferspace = strlen(serv) + strlen(repo) + 6;
-
-	if (bufferspace > 0xFFFF)
-		die("Request too large to send");
-	buffer = xmalloc(bufferspace);
-
-	/* Make the packet. */
-	wpos = sprintf(buffer, "%04x%s %s%c", (unsigned)bufferspace,
-		serv, repo, 0);
-
-	/* Add vhost if any. */
-	if (vhost)
-		sprintf(buffer + wpos, "host=%s%c", vhost, 0);
-
-	/* Send the request */
-	if (write_in_full(stdin_fd, buffer, bufferspace) < 0)
-		die_errno("Failed to send request");
-
-	free(buffer);
+		packet_write(stdin_fd, "%s %s%chost=%s%c", serv, repo, 0,
+			     vhost, 0);
 }
 
 static int run_child(const char *arg, const char *service)
diff --git a/t/t5802-connect-helper.sh b/t/t5802-connect-helper.sh
index 878faf2b63..b7a7f9d588 100755
--- a/t/t5802-connect-helper.sh
+++ b/t/t5802-connect-helper.sh
@@ -69,4 +69,32 @@ test_expect_success 'update backfilled tag without primary transfer' '
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+
+test_expect_success 'set up fake git-daemon' '
+	mkdir remote &&
+	git init --bare remote/one.git &&
+	mkdir remote/host &&
+	git init --bare remote/host/two.git &&
+	write_script fake-daemon <<-\EOF &&
+	git daemon --inetd \
+		--informative-errors \
+		--export-all \
+		--base-path="$TRASH_DIRECTORY/remote" \
+		--interpolated-path="$TRASH_DIRECTORY/remote/%H%D" \
+		"$TRASH_DIRECTORY/remote"
+	EOF
+	export TRASH_DIRECTORY &&
+	PATH=$TRASH_DIRECTORY:$PATH
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'ext command can connect to git daemon (no vhost)' '
+	rm -rf dst &&
+	git clone "ext::fake-daemon %G/one.git" dst
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'ext command can connect to git daemon (vhost)' '
+	rm -rf dst &&
+	git clone "ext::fake-daemon %G/two.git %Vhost" dst
+'
+
 test_done