diff --git a/builtin/update-index.c b/builtin/update-index.c
index 876112abb2..e2ec31f0b3 100644
--- a/builtin/update-index.c
+++ b/builtin/update-index.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
  */
 #define USE_THE_INDEX_COMPATIBILITY_MACROS
 #include "cache.h"
+#include "bulk-checkin.h"
 #include "config.h"
 #include "lockfile.h"
 #include "quote.h"
@@ -1116,6 +1117,12 @@ int cmd_update_index(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	 */
 	parse_options_start(&ctx, argc, argv, prefix,
 			    options, PARSE_OPT_STOP_AT_NON_OPTION);
+
+	/*
+	 * Allow the object layer to optimize adding multiple objects in
+	 * a batch.
+	 */
+	begin_odb_transaction();
 	while (ctx.argc) {
 		if (parseopt_state != PARSE_OPT_DONE)
 			parseopt_state = parse_options_step(&ctx, options,
@@ -1167,6 +1174,17 @@ int cmd_update_index(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		the_index.version = preferred_index_format;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * It is possible, though unlikely, that a caller could use the verbose
+	 * output to synchronize with addition of objects to the object
+	 * database. The current implementation of ODB transactions leaves
+	 * objects invisible while a transaction is active, so end the
+	 * transaction here if verbose output is enabled.
+	 */
+
+	if (verbose)
+		end_odb_transaction();
+
 	if (read_from_stdin) {
 		struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
 		struct strbuf unquoted = STRBUF_INIT;
@@ -1190,6 +1208,12 @@ int cmd_update_index(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		strbuf_release(&buf);
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * By now we have added all of the new objects
+	 */
+	if (!verbose)
+		end_odb_transaction();
+
 	if (split_index > 0) {
 		if (git_config_get_split_index() == 0)
 			warning(_("core.splitIndex is set to false; "