diff --git a/object-file.c b/object-file.c
index 85654b3fb9..5172ff33ed 100644
--- a/object-file.c
+++ b/object-file.c
@@ -1689,6 +1689,16 @@ static int odb_transaction_files_commit(struct odb_transaction *base)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static const char **odb_transaction_files_env(struct odb_transaction *base)
+{
+	struct odb_transaction_files *transaction =
+		container_of(base, struct odb_transaction_files, base);
+
+	odb_transaction_files_prepare(&transaction->base);
+
+	return tmp_objdir_env(transaction->objdir);
+}
+
 int odb_transaction_files_begin(struct odb_source *source,
 				struct odb_transaction **out)
 {
@@ -1704,6 +1714,7 @@ int odb_transaction_files_begin(struct odb_source *source,
 	transaction->base.source = source;
 	transaction->base.commit = odb_transaction_files_commit;
 	transaction->base.write_object_stream = odb_transaction_files_write_object_stream;
+	transaction->base.env = odb_transaction_files_env;
 	*out = &transaction->base;
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/odb/transaction.c b/odb/transaction.c
index b20d6a16f8..20d3f43f54 100644
--- a/odb/transaction.c
+++ b/odb/transaction.c
@@ -46,3 +46,11 @@ int odb_transaction_write_object_stream(struct odb_transaction *transaction,
 {
 	return transaction->write_object_stream(transaction, stream, len, oid);
 }
+
+const char **odb_transaction_env(struct odb_transaction *transaction)
+{
+	if (!transaction)
+		return NULL;
+
+	return transaction->env(transaction);
+}
diff --git a/odb/transaction.h b/odb/transaction.h
index 7898770071..536458297b 100644
--- a/odb/transaction.h
+++ b/odb/transaction.h
@@ -32,6 +32,16 @@ struct odb_transaction {
 	int (*write_object_stream)(struct odb_transaction *transaction,
 				   struct odb_write_stream *stream, size_t len,
 				   struct object_id *oid);
+
+	/*
+	 * This callback is expected to return a NULL-terminated array of
+	 * environment variables that a child process should inherit so
+	 * that its object writes participate in the transaction. The
+	 * returned array is owned by the backend and remains valid until
+	 * the transaction ends. May return NULL when the backend does not
+	 * need to expose any state to child processes.
+	 */
+	const char **(*env)(struct odb_transaction *transaction);
 };
 
 /*
@@ -65,4 +75,13 @@ int odb_transaction_write_object_stream(struct odb_transaction *transaction,
 					struct odb_write_stream *stream,
 					size_t len, struct object_id *oid);
 
+/*
+ * Returns a NULL-terminated array of environment variables that a child
+ * process should inherit so that its object writes participate in the
+ * transaction, suitable for passing via child_process.env. Returns NULL if
+ * the transaction is NULL or the backend does not expose any state to child
+ * processes.
+ */
+const char **odb_transaction_env(struct odb_transaction *transaction);
+
 #endif