diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 903c57c..87188ea 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -115,15 +115,18 @@ PROGRAMS = \
 	git-local-fetch$X git-ls-files$X git-ls-tree$X git-merge-base$X \
 	git-merge-index$X git-mktag$X git-pack-objects$X git-patch-id$X \
 	git-peek-remote$X git-prune-packed$X git-read-tree$X \
-	git-receive-pack$X git-rev-list$X git-rev-parse$X \
+	git-rev-list$X git-rev-parse$X \
 	git-send-pack$X git-show-branch$X \
 	git-show-index$X git-ssh-fetch$X \
 	git-ssh-upload$X git-tar-tree$X git-unpack-file$X \
 	git-unpack-objects$X git-update-index$X git-update-server-info$X \
-	git-upload-pack$X git-verify-pack$X git-write-tree$X \
+	git-verify-pack$X git-write-tree$X \
 	git-update-ref$X git-symbolic-ref$X git-check-ref-format$X \
 	$(SIMPLE_PROGRAMS)
 
+# server side programs called (possibly) over an ssh-tunnel
+SERVERSIDE_PROGRAMS = git-receive-pack$X git-upload-pack$X
+
 # Backward compatibility -- to be removed after 1.0
 PROGRAMS += git-ssh-pull$X git-ssh-push$X
 
@@ -315,7 +318,7 @@ SCRIPTS = $(patsubst %.sh,%,$(SCRIPT_SH)
 export prefix TAR INSTALL DESTDIR SHELL_PATH template_dir
 ### Build rules
 
-all: $(PROGRAMS) $(SCRIPTS)
+all: $(PROGRAMS) $(SCRIPTS) $(SERVERSIDE_PROGRAMS)
 
 all:
 	$(MAKE) -C templates
@@ -359,6 +362,9 @@ git-cherry-pick: git-revert
 %.o: %.S
 	$(CC) -o $*.o -c $(ALL_CFLAGS) $<
 
+$(SERVERSIDE_PROGRAMS) : git-%$X : %.o srvside-ssh.o $(LIB_FILE)
+	$(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(filter %o,$^) $(LIBS)
+
 git-%$X: %.o $(LIB_FILE)
 	$(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(filter %.o,$^) $(LIBS)
 
@@ -383,6 +389,7 @@ init-db.o: init-db.c
 
 $(LIB_OBJS): $(LIB_H)
 $(patsubst git-%$X,%.o,$(PROGRAMS)): $(LIB_H)
+$(patsubst git-%$X,%.o,$(SERVERSIDE_PROGRAMS)): $(LIB_H) srvside-ssh.o
 $(DIFF_OBJS): diffcore.h
 
 $(LIB_FILE): $(LIB_OBJS)
@@ -410,9 +417,10 @@ check:
 
 ### Installation rules
 
-install: $(PROGRAMS) $(SCRIPTS)
+install: $(PROGRAMS) $(SCRIPTS) $(SERVERSIDE_PROGRAMS)
 	$(INSTALL) -d -m755 $(call shellquote,$(DESTDIR)$(bindir))
-	$(INSTALL) $(PROGRAMS) $(SCRIPTS) $(call shellquote,$(DESTDIR)$(bindir))
+	$(INSTALL) $(PROGRAMS) $(SERVERSIDE_PROGRAMS) $(SCRIPTS) \
+		$(call shellquote,$(DESTDIR)$(bindir))
 	sh ./cmd-rename.sh $(call shellquote,$(DESTDIR)$(bindir))
 	$(MAKE) -C templates install
 	$(INSTALL) -d -m755 $(call shellquote,$(DESTDIR)$(GIT_PYTHON_DIR))
diff --git a/connect.c b/connect.c
index b171c5d..0d78b3e 100644
--- a/connect.c
+++ b/connect.c
@@ -436,33 +436,44 @@ static int git_tcp_connect(int fd[2], co
 int git_connect(int fd[2], char *url, const char *prog)
 {
 	char command[1024];
-	char *host, *path;
-	char *colon;
+	char *host, *path, *ptr = NULL;
 	int pipefd[2][2];
 	pid_t pid;
 	enum protocol protocol;
 
+	protocol = PROTO_LOCAL;
 	host = NULL;
 	path = url;
-	colon = strchr(url, ':');
-	protocol = PROTO_LOCAL;
-	if (colon) {
-		*colon = 0;
-		host = url;
-		path = colon+1;
-		protocol = PROTO_SSH;
-		if (!memcmp(path, "//", 2)) {
-			char *slash = strchr(path + 2, '/');
-			if (slash) {
-				int nr = slash - path - 2;
-				memmove(path, path+2, nr);
-				path[nr] = 0;
-				protocol = get_protocol(url);
-				host = path;
-				path = slash;
-			}
+	host = strstr(url, "://");
+	if (host) {
+		*host = '\0';
+		host += 3;
+		protocol = get_protocol(url);
+	}
+	else host = url;
+
+	ptr = strchr(host, ':');
+	path = strchr(host, '/');
+
+	/* leading colon marks relative path for ssh.
+	 * Check for host == url and default to PROTO_SSH to allow
+	 *   $ git fetch kernel.org:git
+	 */
+	if(ptr && (!path || ptr < path)) {
+		if(host == url)
+			protocol = PROTO_SSH;
+
+		if(protocol == PROTO_SSH) {
+			*ptr = '\0';
+			path = ptr + 1;
 		}
 	}
+	else if(path != url) {
+		/* null-terminate host and copy path if it isn't relative */
+		ptr = strdup(path);
+		*path = '\0';
+		path = ptr;
+	}
 
 	if (protocol == PROTO_GIT)
 		return git_tcp_connect(fd, prog, host, path);
diff --git a/receive-pack.c b/receive-pack.c
index 8f157bc..9a040ff 100644
--- a/receive-pack.c
+++ b/receive-pack.c
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ static const char receive_pack_usage[] =
 
 static const char unpacker[] = "git-unpack-objects";
 
+extern void srvside_chdir(const char *path, int strict);
+
 static int show_ref(const char *path, const unsigned char *sha1)
 {
 	packet_write(1, "%s %s\n", sha1_to_hex(sha1), path);
@@ -265,18 +267,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	if (!dir)
 		usage(receive_pack_usage);
 
-	/* chdir to the directory. If that fails, try appending ".git" */
-	if (chdir(dir) < 0) {
-		if (chdir(mkpath("%s.git", dir)) < 0)
-			die("unable to cd to %s", dir);
-	}
-
-	/* If we have a ".git" directory, chdir to it */
-	chdir(".git");
-	putenv("GIT_DIR=.");
+	/* Find the right directory */
+	srvside_chdir(dir, 0);
 
-	if (access("objects", X_OK) < 0 || access("refs/heads", X_OK) < 0)
-		die("%s doesn't appear to be a git directory", dir);
 	write_head_info();
 
 	/* EOF */
diff --git a/srvside-ssh.c b/srvside-ssh.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0ed5d30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/srvside-ssh.c
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+#include "cache.h"
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <pwd.h>
+
+extern const char *__progname;
+
+
+/*
+ * Provide support for user-relative paths, but carefully.
+ *
+ * If someone has compromised an account with access limited to a few
+ * commands (git-receive-pack, git-upload-pack) we don't want to let
+ * them find out about other users through git.  We prevent that by the
+ * simple expedient of maintaining the 'path' variable as is and always
+ * supplying the same (not entirely) helpful error message.
+ */
+#define DIR_OOPS \
+	die("%s: '%s': unable to chdir or not a git-archive", __progname, path)
+void srvside_chdir(char *path, int strict)
+{
+	char *dir = path;
+	struct passwd *pw;
+
+	if(chdir(path) < 0 && *path == '~') {
+		char *slash;
+		char *user = (char *)path + 1;
+
+		if((slash = strchr(dir, '/')))
+			*slash = '\0';
+
+		if(!(pw = getpwnam(user))) {
+			if(slash)
+				*slash = '/';
+			DIR_OOPS;
+		}
+		if(chdir(pw->pw_dir) < 0) {
+			DIR_OOPS;
+		}
+
+		/* We're in someones homedir so re-insert the slash (for the
+		 * error message) and set dir just beyond it. If there was no
+		 * spoon we supply the local one */
+		if(slash) {
+			*slash = '/';
+			dir = slash + 1;
+		}
+		else
+			dir = "./";
+	}
+
+	/* chdir to the directory. If that fails, try appending ".git" */
+	if (chdir(dir) < 0) {
+		if (strict || chdir(mkpath("%s.git", dir)) < 0)
+			DIR_OOPS;
+	}
+	if (!strict)
+		chdir(".git");
+
+	if (access("objects", X_OK) || access("refs", X_OK))
+		DIR_OOPS;
+
+	putenv("GIT_DIR=.");
+}
diff --git a/upload-pack.c b/upload-pack.c
index accdba6..356c9b1 100644
--- a/upload-pack.c
+++ b/upload-pack.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "object.h"
 
 static const char upload_pack_usage[] = "git-upload-pack [--strict] [--timeout=nn] <dir>";
+extern void srvside_chdir(const char *path, int strict);
 
 #define MAX_HAS 256
 #define MAX_NEEDS 256
@@ -202,7 +203,6 @@ static int upload_pack(void)
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-	const char *dir;
 	int i;
 	int strict = 0;
 
@@ -227,20 +227,10 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	
 	if (i != argc-1)
 		usage(upload_pack_usage);
-	dir = argv[i];
 
-	/* chdir to the directory. If that fails, try appending ".git" */
-	if (chdir(dir) < 0) {
-		if (strict || chdir(mkpath("%s.git", dir)) < 0)
-			die("git-upload-pack unable to chdir to %s", dir);
-	}
-	if (!strict)
-		chdir(".git");
-
-	if (access("objects", X_OK) || access("refs", X_OK))
-		die("git-upload-pack: %s doesn't seem to be a git archive", dir);
+	/* Find the right directory */
+	srvside_chdir(argv[i], strict);
 
-	putenv("GIT_DIR=.");
 	upload_pack();
 	return 0;
 }