diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 26f2e04c61..ba8276fd25 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -1088,6 +1088,8 @@ int use_optional_locks(void);
 extern char comment_line_char;
 extern int auto_comment_line_char;
 
+extern int core_virtualize_objects;
+
 enum log_refs_config {
 	LOG_REFS_UNSET = -1,
 	LOG_REFS_NONE = 0,
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 623e73d053..f0c2b78446 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -1753,6 +1753,11 @@ int git_default_core_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
+	if (!strcmp(var, "core.virtualizeobjects")) {
+		core_virtualize_objects = git_config_bool(var, value);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	/* Add other config variables here and to Documentation/config.txt. */
 	return platform_core_config(var, value, cb);
 }
diff --git a/connected.c b/connected.c
index e9ae073015..9cde030ece 100644
--- a/connected.c
+++ b/connected.c
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ int check_connected(oid_iterate_fn fn, void *cb_data,
 	 */
 	if (gvfs_config_is_set(GVFS_FETCH_SKIP_REACHABILITY_AND_UPLOADPACK))
 		return 0;
+	if (core_virtualize_objects)
+		return 0;
 
 	if (!opt)
 		opt = &defaults;
diff --git a/environment.c b/environment.c
index 2538af1da7..49f6da4b08 100644
--- a/environment.c
+++ b/environment.c
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ int core_gvfs;
 int merge_log_config = -1;
 int precomposed_unicode = -1; /* see probe_utf8_pathname_composition() */
 unsigned long pack_size_limit_cfg;
+int core_virtualize_objects;
 enum log_refs_config log_all_ref_updates = LOG_REFS_UNSET;
 
 #ifndef PROTECT_HFS_DEFAULT
diff --git a/object-file.c b/object-file.c
index f6257741b9..fab802f8e9 100644
--- a/object-file.c
+++ b/object-file.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include "object-store.h"
 #include "promisor-remote.h"
 #include "submodule.h"
+#include "hook.h"
 
 /* The maximum size for an object header. */
 #define MAX_HEADER_LEN 32
@@ -1525,6 +1526,20 @@ void disable_obj_read_lock(void)
 	pthread_mutex_destroy(&obj_read_mutex);
 }
 
+static int run_read_object_hook(const struct object_id *oid)
+{
+	struct run_hooks_opt opt = RUN_HOOKS_OPT_INIT;
+	int ret;
+	uint64_t start;
+
+	start = getnanotime();
+	strvec_push(&opt.args, oid_to_hex(oid));
+	ret = run_hooks_opt("read-object", &opt);
+	trace_performance_since(start, "run_read_object_hook");
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 int fetch_if_missing = 1;
 
 static int do_oid_object_info_extended(struct repository *r,
@@ -1537,6 +1552,7 @@ static int do_oid_object_info_extended(struct repository *r,
 	int rtype;
 	const struct object_id *real = oid;
 	int already_retried = 0;
+	int tried_hook = 0;
 
 
 	if (flags & OBJECT_INFO_LOOKUP_REPLACE)
@@ -1548,6 +1564,7 @@ static int do_oid_object_info_extended(struct repository *r,
 	if (!oi)
 		oi = &blank_oi;
 
+retry:
 	co = find_cached_object(real);
 	if (co) {
 		if (oi->typep)
@@ -1582,6 +1599,11 @@ static int do_oid_object_info_extended(struct repository *r,
 			reprepare_packed_git(r);
 			if (find_pack_entry(r, real, &e))
 				break;
+			if (core_virtualize_objects && !tried_hook) {
+				tried_hook = 1;
+				if (!run_read_object_hook(oid))
+					goto retry;
+			}
 		}
 
 		/*