diff --git a/builtin/hash-object.c b/builtin/hash-object.c
index f7d3567dd0ce2d75778d6cf011961c0f203432b4..9028e1fdccea2ad44a76792adc6e335fb44cfb5c 100644
--- a/builtin/hash-object.c
+++ b/builtin/hash-object.c
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ int cmd_hash_object(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	int stdin_paths = 0;
 	int no_filters = 0;
 	int literally = 0;
+	int nongit = 0;
 	unsigned flags = HASH_FORMAT_CHECK;
 	const char *vpath = NULL;
 	const struct option hash_object_options[] = {
@@ -107,12 +108,14 @@ int cmd_hash_object(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, NULL, hash_object_options,
 			     hash_object_usage, 0);
 
-	if (flags & HASH_WRITE_OBJECT) {
+	if (flags & HASH_WRITE_OBJECT)
 		prefix = setup_git_directory();
-		prefix_length = prefix ? strlen(prefix) : 0;
-		if (vpath && prefix)
-			vpath = prefix_filename(prefix, prefix_length, vpath);
-	}
+	else
+		prefix = setup_git_directory_gently(&nongit);
+
+	prefix_length = prefix ? strlen(prefix) : 0;
+	if (vpath && prefix)
+		vpath = prefix_filename(prefix, prefix_length, vpath);
 
 	git_config(git_default_config, NULL);
 
diff --git a/t/t1007-hash-object.sh b/t/t1007-hash-object.sh
index 7d2baa15bbd0bbbe8c12631ad2d24b77e90b8775..285871c24d88c4667d547e957da682fd78bf6ab9 100755
--- a/t/t1007-hash-object.sh
+++ b/t/t1007-hash-object.sh
@@ -121,6 +121,17 @@ test_expect_success 'check that appropriate filter is invoke when --path is used
 	git config --unset core.autocrlf
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'gitattributes also work in a subdirectory' '
+	mkdir subdir &&
+	(
+		cd subdir &&
+		subdir_sha0=$(git hash-object ../file0) &&
+		subdir_sha1=$(git hash-object ../file1) &&
+		test "$file0_sha" = "$subdir_sha0" &&
+		test "$file1_sha" = "$subdir_sha1"
+	)
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'check that --no-filters option works' '
 	echo fooQ | tr Q "\\015" >file0 &&
 	cp file0 file1 &&