diff --git a/builtin/archive.c b/builtin/archive.c
index 9a1cfd3dac..d381ac4147 100644
--- a/builtin/archive.c
+++ b/builtin/archive.c
@@ -56,8 +56,6 @@ static int run_remote_archiver(int argc, const char **argv,
 	len = packet_read_line(fd[0], buf, sizeof(buf));
 	if (!len)
 		die(_("git archive: expected ACK/NAK, got EOF"));
-	if (buf[len-1] == '\n')
-		buf[--len] = 0;
 	if (strcmp(buf, "ACK")) {
 		if (len > 5 && !prefixcmp(buf, "NACK "))
 			die(_("git archive: NACK %s"), buf + 5);
diff --git a/builtin/fetch-pack.c b/builtin/fetch-pack.c
index 940ae35dc2..f73664f433 100644
--- a/builtin/fetch-pack.c
+++ b/builtin/fetch-pack.c
@@ -105,8 +105,6 @@ int cmd_fetch_pack(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 				int n = packet_read_line(0, line, sizeof(line));
 				if (!n)
 					break;
-				if (line[n-1] == '\n')
-					n--;
 				string_list_append(&sought, xmemdupz(line, n));
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/builtin/receive-pack.c b/builtin/receive-pack.c
index 9129563782..6679e636c7 100644
--- a/builtin/receive-pack.c
+++ b/builtin/receive-pack.c
@@ -763,8 +763,6 @@ static struct command *read_head_info(void)
 		len = packet_read_line(0, line, sizeof(line));
 		if (!len)
 			break;
-		if (line[len-1] == '\n')
-			line[--len] = 0;
 		if (len < 83 ||
 		    line[40] != ' ' ||
 		    line[81] != ' ' ||
diff --git a/builtin/upload-archive.c b/builtin/upload-archive.c
index 1517dec406..d90f0aba44 100644
--- a/builtin/upload-archive.c
+++ b/builtin/upload-archive.c
@@ -40,10 +40,6 @@ int cmd_upload_archive_writer(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		if (sent_argv.argc > MAX_ARGS)
 			die("Too many options (>%d)", MAX_ARGS - 1);
 
-		if (buf[len-1] == '\n') {
-			buf[--len] = 0;
-		}
-
 		if (prefixcmp(buf, arg_cmd))
 			die("'argument' token or flush expected");
 		argv_array_push(&sent_argv, buf + strlen(arg_cmd));
diff --git a/connect.c b/connect.c
index 0aa202f885..fe8eb01ae2 100644
--- a/connect.c
+++ b/connect.c
@@ -77,14 +77,13 @@ struct ref **get_remote_heads(int in, struct ref **list,
 		int len, name_len;
 
 		len = packet_read(in, buffer, sizeof(buffer),
-				  PACKET_READ_GENTLE_ON_EOF);
+				  PACKET_READ_GENTLE_ON_EOF |
+				  PACKET_READ_CHOMP_NEWLINE);
 		if (len < 0)
 			die_initial_contact(got_at_least_one_head);
 
 		if (!len)
 			break;
-		if (buffer[len-1] == '\n')
-			buffer[--len] = 0;
 
 		if (len > 4 && !prefixcmp(buffer, "ERR "))
 			die("remote error: %s", buffer + 4);
diff --git a/daemon.c b/daemon.c
index 4602b46a5c..4f5cd61558 100644
--- a/daemon.c
+++ b/daemon.c
@@ -612,7 +612,7 @@ static int execute(void)
 		loginfo("Connection from %s:%s", addr, port);
 
 	alarm(init_timeout ? init_timeout : timeout);
-	pktlen = packet_read_line(0, line, sizeof(line));
+	pktlen = packet_read(0, line, sizeof(line), 0);
 	alarm(0);
 
 	len = strlen(line);
diff --git a/fetch-pack.c b/fetch-pack.c
index b53a18f923..f830db224b 100644
--- a/fetch-pack.c
+++ b/fetch-pack.c
@@ -220,8 +220,6 @@ static enum ack_type get_ack(int fd, unsigned char *result_sha1)
 
 	if (!len)
 		die("git fetch-pack: expected ACK/NAK, got EOF");
-	if (line[len-1] == '\n')
-		line[--len] = 0;
 	if (!strcmp(line, "NAK"))
 		return NAK;
 	if (!prefixcmp(line, "ACK ")) {
diff --git a/pkt-line.c b/pkt-line.c
index 8700cf8add..dc11c407cd 100644
--- a/pkt-line.c
+++ b/pkt-line.c
@@ -164,6 +164,11 @@ int packet_read(int fd, char *buffer, unsigned size, int options)
 	ret = safe_read(fd, buffer, len, options);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
+
+	if ((options & PACKET_READ_CHOMP_NEWLINE) &&
+	    len && buffer[len-1] == '\n')
+		len--;
+
 	buffer[len] = 0;
 	packet_trace(buffer, len, 0);
 	return len;
@@ -171,7 +176,7 @@ int packet_read(int fd, char *buffer, unsigned size, int options)
 
 int packet_read_line(int fd, char *buffer, unsigned size)
 {
-	return packet_read(fd, buffer, size, 0);
+	return packet_read(fd, buffer, size, PACKET_READ_CHOMP_NEWLINE);
 }
 
 int packet_get_line(struct strbuf *out,
diff --git a/pkt-line.h b/pkt-line.h
index 8cd326c922..5d2fb423d6 100644
--- a/pkt-line.h
+++ b/pkt-line.h
@@ -44,11 +44,18 @@ void packet_buf_write(struct strbuf *buf, const char *fmt, ...) __attribute__((f
  * If options does contain PACKET_READ_GENTLE_ON_EOF, we will not die on
  * condition 4 (truncated input), but instead return -1. However, we will still
  * die for the other 3 conditions.
+ *
+ * If options contains PACKET_READ_CHOMP_NEWLINE, a trailing newline (if
+ * present) is removed from the buffer before returning.
  */
 #define PACKET_READ_GENTLE_ON_EOF (1u<<0)
+#define PACKET_READ_CHOMP_NEWLINE (1u<<1)
 int packet_read(int fd, char *buffer, unsigned size, int options);
 
-/* Historical convenience wrapper for packet_read that sets no options */
+/*
+ * Convenience wrapper for packet_read that is not gentle, and sets the
+ * CHOMP_NEWLINE option.
+ */
 int packet_read_line(int fd, char *buffer, unsigned size);
 
 int packet_get_line(struct strbuf *out, char **src_buf, size_t *src_len);
diff --git a/remote-curl.c b/remote-curl.c
index 7be4b53495..b28f965048 100644
--- a/remote-curl.c
+++ b/remote-curl.c
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ static size_t rpc_out(void *ptr, size_t eltsize,
 
 	if (!avail) {
 		rpc->initial_buffer = 0;
-		avail = packet_read_line(rpc->out, rpc->buf, rpc->alloc);
+		avail = packet_read(rpc->out, rpc->buf, rpc->alloc, 0);
 		if (!avail)
 			return 0;
 		rpc->pos = 0;
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ static int post_rpc(struct rpc_state *rpc)
 			break;
 		}
 
-		n = packet_read_line(rpc->out, buf, left);
+		n = packet_read(rpc->out, buf, left, 0);
 		if (!n)
 			break;
 		rpc->len += n;
@@ -579,7 +579,7 @@ static int rpc_service(struct rpc_state *rpc, struct discovery *heads)
 	rpc->hdr_accept = strbuf_detach(&buf, NULL);
 
 	while (!err) {
-		int n = packet_read_line(rpc->out, rpc->buf, rpc->alloc);
+		int n = packet_read(rpc->out, rpc->buf, rpc->alloc, 0);
 		if (!n)
 			break;
 		rpc->pos = 0;
diff --git a/send-pack.c b/send-pack.c
index bde796b1bb..8c230bf6c9 100644
--- a/send-pack.c
+++ b/send-pack.c
@@ -111,10 +111,7 @@ static int receive_status(int in, struct ref *refs)
 	int len = packet_read_line(in, line, sizeof(line));
 	if (prefixcmp(line, "unpack "))
 		return error("did not receive remote status");
-	if (strcmp(line, "unpack ok\n")) {
-		char *p = line + strlen(line) - 1;
-		if (*p == '\n')
-			*p = '\0';
+	if (strcmp(line, "unpack ok")) {
 		error("unpack failed: %s", line + 7);
 		ret = -1;
 	}
@@ -131,7 +128,6 @@ static int receive_status(int in, struct ref *refs)
 			break;
 		}
 
-		line[strlen(line)-1] = '\0';
 		refname = line + 3;
 		msg = strchr(refname, ' ');
 		if (msg)
diff --git a/sideband.c b/sideband.c
index 8f7b25bf79..15cc1aec22 100644
--- a/sideband.c
+++ b/sideband.c
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ int recv_sideband(const char *me, int in_stream, int out)
 
 	while (1) {
 		int band, len;
-		len = packet_read_line(in_stream, buf + pf, LARGE_PACKET_MAX);
+		len = packet_read(in_stream, buf + pf, LARGE_PACKET_MAX, 0);
 		if (len == 0)
 			break;
 		if (len < 1) {
diff --git a/upload-pack.c b/upload-pack.c
index afc2d9279c..6e6d166876 100644
--- a/upload-pack.c
+++ b/upload-pack.c
@@ -50,13 +50,6 @@ static void reset_timeout(void)
 	alarm(timeout);
 }
 
-static int strip(char *line, int len)
-{
-	if (len && line[len-1] == '\n')
-		line[--len] = 0;
-	return len;
-}
-
 static ssize_t send_client_data(int fd, const char *data, ssize_t sz)
 {
 	if (use_sideband)
@@ -447,7 +440,6 @@ static int get_common_commits(void)
 			got_other = 0;
 			continue;
 		}
-		strip(line, len);
 		if (!prefixcmp(line, "have ")) {
 			switch (got_sha1(line+5, sha1)) {
 			case -1: /* they have what we do not */