diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index ca36b44ee0..7b6b89fc4c 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -1333,6 +1333,7 @@ struct object_context {
 	GET_OID_BLOB)
 
 extern int get_oid(const char *str, struct object_id *oid);
+extern int get_oidf(struct object_id *oid, const char *fmt, ...);
 extern int get_oid_commit(const char *str, struct object_id *oid);
 extern int get_oid_committish(const char *str, struct object_id *oid);
 extern int get_oid_tree(const char *str, struct object_id *oid);
diff --git a/sha1-name.c b/sha1-name.c
index faa60f69e3..cf0e8a3f85 100644
--- a/sha1-name.c
+++ b/sha1-name.c
@@ -1542,6 +1542,25 @@ int get_oid(const char *name, struct object_id *oid)
 	return get_oid_with_context(name, 0, oid, &unused);
 }
 
+/*
+ * This returns a non-zero value if the string (built using printf
+ * format and the given arguments) is not a valid object.
+ */
+int get_oidf(struct object_id *oid, const char *fmt, ...)
+{
+	va_list ap;
+	int ret;
+	struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
+
+	va_start(ap, fmt);
+	strbuf_vaddf(&sb, fmt, ap);
+	va_end(ap);
+
+	ret = get_oid(sb.buf, oid);
+	strbuf_release(&sb);
+
+	return ret;
+}
 
 /*
  * Many callers know that the user meant to name a commit-ish by