diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/AddCommandTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/AddCommandTest.java
index a7d098468..2dbf92998 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/AddCommandTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/AddCommandTest.java
@@ -91,8 +91,8 @@ public class AddCommandTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
 		git.add().addFilepattern("a.txt").call();
 
 		assertEquals(
-				"[a.txt, mode:100644, sha1:6b584e8ece562ebffc15d38808cd6b98fc3d97ea]",
-				indexState(CONTENT_ID));
+				"[a.txt, mode:100644, content:content]",
+				indexState(CONTENT));
 	}
 
 	public void testAddExistingSingleFileInSubDir() throws IOException, NoFilepatternException {
@@ -108,8 +108,8 @@ public class AddCommandTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
 		git.add().addFilepattern("sub/a.txt").call();
 
 		assertEquals(
-				"[sub/a.txt, mode:100644, sha1:6b584e8ece562ebffc15d38808cd6b98fc3d97ea]",
-				indexState(CONTENT_ID));
+				"[sub/a.txt, mode:100644, content:content]",
+				indexState(CONTENT));
 	}
 
 	public void testAddExistingSingleFileTwice() throws IOException, NoFilepatternException {
@@ -131,8 +131,8 @@ public class AddCommandTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
 		dc = git.add().addFilepattern("a.txt").call();
 
 		assertEquals(
-				"[a.txt, mode:100644, sha1:4f41554f6e0045ef53848fc0c3f33b6a9abc24a9]",
-				indexState(CONTENT_ID));
+				"[a.txt, mode:100644, content:other content]",
+				indexState(CONTENT));
 	}
 
 	public void testAddExistingSingleFileTwiceWithCommit() throws Exception {
@@ -156,8 +156,8 @@ public class AddCommandTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
 		dc = git.add().addFilepattern("a.txt").call();
 
 		assertEquals(
-				"[a.txt, mode:100644, sha1:4f41554f6e0045ef53848fc0c3f33b6a9abc24a9]",
-				indexState(CONTENT_ID));
+				"[a.txt, mode:100644, content:other content]",
+				indexState(CONTENT));
 	}
 
 	public void testAddRemovedFile() throws Exception {
@@ -177,8 +177,8 @@ public class AddCommandTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
 		dc = git.add().addFilepattern("a.txt").call();
 
 		assertEquals(
-				"[a.txt, mode:100644, sha1:6b584e8ece562ebffc15d38808cd6b98fc3d97ea]",
-				indexState(CONTENT_ID));
+				"[a.txt, mode:100644, content:content]",
+				indexState(CONTENT));
 	}
 
 	public void testAddRemovedCommittedFile() throws Exception {
@@ -200,8 +200,8 @@ public class AddCommandTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
 		dc = git.add().addFilepattern("a.txt").call();
 
 		assertEquals(
-				"[a.txt, mode:100644, sha1:6b584e8ece562ebffc15d38808cd6b98fc3d97ea]",
-				indexState(CONTENT_ID));
+				"[a.txt, mode:100644, content:content]",
+				indexState(CONTENT));
 	}
 
 	public void testAddWithConflicts() throws Exception {
@@ -240,11 +240,11 @@ public class AddCommandTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
 		builder.commit();
 
 		assertEquals(
-				"[a.txt, mode:100644, stage:1, sha1:6b584e8ece562ebffc15d38808cd6b98fc3d97ea]" +
-				"[a.txt, mode:100644, stage:2, sha1:b9f89ff733bdaf49e02711535867bb821f9db55e]" +
-				"[a.txt, mode:100644, stage:3, sha1:4f41554f6e0045ef53848fc0c3f33b6a9abc24a9]" +
-				"[b.txt, mode:100644, sha1:50e9cdb03f9719261dd39d7f2920b906db3711a3]",
-				indexState(CONTENT_ID));
+				"[a.txt, mode:100644, stage:1, content:content]" +
+				"[a.txt, mode:100644, stage:2, content:our content]" +
+				"[a.txt, mode:100644, stage:3, content:other content]" +
+				"[b.txt, mode:100644, content:content b]",
+				indexState(CONTENT));
 
 		// now the test begins
 
@@ -252,9 +252,9 @@ public class AddCommandTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
 		dc = git.add().addFilepattern("a.txt").call();
 
 		assertEquals(
-				"[a.txt, mode:100644, sha1:b9f89ff733bdaf49e02711535867bb821f9db55e]" +
-				"[b.txt, mode:100644, sha1:50e9cdb03f9719261dd39d7f2920b906db3711a3]",
-				indexState(CONTENT_ID));
+				"[a.txt, mode:100644, content:our content]" +
+				"[b.txt, mode:100644, content:content b]",
+				indexState(CONTENT));
 	}
 
 	public void testAddTwoFiles() throws Exception  {
@@ -273,9 +273,9 @@ public class AddCommandTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
 		Git git = new Git(db);
 		git.add().addFilepattern("a.txt").addFilepattern("b.txt").call();
 		assertEquals(
-				"[a.txt, mode:100644, sha1:6b584e8ece562ebffc15d38808cd6b98fc3d97ea]" +
-				"[b.txt, mode:100644, sha1:50e9cdb03f9719261dd39d7f2920b906db3711a3]",
-				indexState(CONTENT_ID));
+				"[a.txt, mode:100644, content:content]" +
+				"[b.txt, mode:100644, content:content b]",
+				indexState(CONTENT));
 	}
 
 	public void testAddFolder() throws Exception  {
@@ -295,9 +295,9 @@ public class AddCommandTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
 		Git git = new Git(db);
 		git.add().addFilepattern("sub").call();
 		assertEquals(
-				"[sub/a.txt, mode:100644, sha1:6b584e8ece562ebffc15d38808cd6b98fc3d97ea]" +
-				"[sub/b.txt, mode:100644, sha1:50e9cdb03f9719261dd39d7f2920b906db3711a3]",
-				indexState(CONTENT_ID));
+				"[sub/a.txt, mode:100644, content:content]" +
+				"[sub/b.txt, mode:100644, content:content b]",
+				indexState(CONTENT));
 	}
 
 	public void testAddIgnoredFile() throws Exception  {
@@ -324,8 +324,8 @@ public class AddCommandTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
 		git.add().addFilepattern("sub").call();
 
 		assertEquals(
-				"[sub/a.txt, mode:100644, sha1:6b584e8ece562ebffc15d38808cd6b98fc3d97ea]",
-				indexState(CONTENT_ID));
+				"[sub/a.txt, mode:100644, content:content]",
+				indexState(CONTENT));
 	}
 
 	public void testAddWholeRepo() throws Exception  {
@@ -345,9 +345,9 @@ public class AddCommandTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
 		Git git = new Git(db);
 		git.add().addFilepattern(".").call();
 		assertEquals(
-				"[sub/a.txt, mode:100644, sha1:6b584e8ece562ebffc15d38808cd6b98fc3d97ea]" +
-				"[sub/b.txt, mode:100644, sha1:50e9cdb03f9719261dd39d7f2920b906db3711a3]",
-				indexState(CONTENT_ID));
+				"[sub/a.txt, mode:100644, content:content]" +
+				"[sub/b.txt, mode:100644, content:content b]",
+				indexState(CONTENT));
 	}
 
 	// the same three cases as in testAddWithParameterUpdate
@@ -372,9 +372,9 @@ public class AddCommandTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
 		git.add().addFilepattern("sub").call();
 
 		assertEquals(
-				"[sub/a.txt, mode:100644, sha1:6b584e8ece562ebffc15d38808cd6b98fc3d97ea]" +
-				"[sub/b.txt, mode:100644, sha1:50e9cdb03f9719261dd39d7f2920b906db3711a3]",
-				indexState(CONTENT_ID));
+				"[sub/a.txt, mode:100644, content:content]" +
+				"[sub/b.txt, mode:100644, content:content b]",
+				indexState(CONTENT));
 
 		git.commit().setMessage("commit").call();
 
@@ -398,10 +398,10 @@ public class AddCommandTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
 		// deletion of sub/b.txt is not staged
 		// sub/c.txt is staged
 		assertEquals(
-				"[sub/a.txt, mode:100644, sha1:268af4e306cfcf6e79edd50fed9c553d211f68e3]" +
-				"[sub/b.txt, mode:100644, sha1:50e9cdb03f9719261dd39d7f2920b906db3711a3]" +
-				"[sub/c.txt, mode:100644, sha1:fa08654474ae2ddc4f61ee3a43d017ba65a439c3]",
-				indexState(CONTENT_ID));
+				"[sub/a.txt, mode:100644, content:modified content]" +
+				"[sub/b.txt, mode:100644, content:content b]" +
+				"[sub/c.txt, mode:100644, content:content c]",
+				indexState(CONTENT));
 	}
 
 	// file a exists in workdir and in index -> added
@@ -425,9 +425,9 @@ public class AddCommandTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
 		git.add().addFilepattern("sub").call();
 
 		assertEquals(
-				"[sub/a.txt, mode:100644, sha1:6b584e8ece562ebffc15d38808cd6b98fc3d97ea]" +
-				"[sub/b.txt, mode:100644, sha1:50e9cdb03f9719261dd39d7f2920b906db3711a3]",
-				indexState(CONTENT_ID));
+				"[sub/a.txt, mode:100644, content:content]" +
+				"[sub/b.txt, mode:100644, content:content b]",
+				indexState(CONTENT));
 
 		git.commit().setMessage("commit").call();
 
@@ -451,8 +451,8 @@ public class AddCommandTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
 		git.add().addFilepattern("sub").setUpdate(true).call();
 		// change in sub/a.txt is staged
 		assertEquals(
-				"[sub/a.txt, mode:100644, sha1:268af4e306cfcf6e79edd50fed9c553d211f68e3]",
-				indexState(CONTENT_ID));
+				"[sub/a.txt, mode:100644, content:modified content]",
+				indexState(CONTENT));
 	}
 
 	private DirCacheEntry addEntryToBuilder(String path, File file,
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RacyGitTests.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RacyGitTests.java
index 89ad25201..5e04f32f8 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RacyGitTests.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RacyGitTests.java
@@ -133,9 +133,9 @@ public class RacyGitTests extends RepositoryTestCase {
 		resetIndex(new FileTreeIteratorWithTimeControl(db, modTimes));
 
 		assertEquals(
-				"[a, mode:100644, time:t0, length:1, sha1:2e65efe2a145dda7ee51d1741299f848e5bf752e]" +
-				"[b, mode:100644, time:t0, length:1, sha1:63d8dbd40c23542e740659a7168a0ce3138ea748]",
-				indexState(SMUDGE | MOD_TIME | LENGTH | CONTENT_ID));
+				"[a, mode:100644, time:t0, length:1, content:a]" +
+				"[b, mode:100644, time:t0, length:1, content:b]",
+				indexState(SMUDGE | MOD_TIME | LENGTH | CONTENT));
 
 		// Remember the last modTime of index file. All modifications times of
 		// further modification are translated to this value so it looks that
@@ -152,9 +152,9 @@ public class RacyGitTests extends RepositoryTestCase {
 		db.readDirCache();
 		// although racily clean a should not be reported as being dirty
 		assertEquals(
-				"[a, mode:100644, time:t1, smudged, length:0]" +
-				"[b, mode:100644, time:t0, length:1]",
-				indexState(SMUDGE|MOD_TIME|LENGTH));
+				"[a, mode:100644, time:t1, smudged, length:0, content:a2]" +
+				"[b, mode:100644, time:t0, length:1, content:b]",
+				indexState(SMUDGE|MOD_TIME|LENGTH|CONTENT));
 	}
 
 	private File addToWorkDir(String path, String content) throws IOException {
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RepositoryTestCase.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RepositoryTestCase.java
index a98350c8d..33adf19bb 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RepositoryTestCase.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RepositoryTestCase.java
@@ -59,11 +59,9 @@ import java.util.TreeSet;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.dircache.DirCache;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.dircache.DirCacheBuilder;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.dircache.DirCacheEntry;
-import org.eclipse.jgit.dircache.DirCacheIterator;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.junit.LocalDiskRepositoryTestCase;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.storage.file.FileRepository;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.treewalk.FileTreeIterator;
-import org.eclipse.jgit.treewalk.NameConflictTreeWalk;
 
 /**
  * Base class for most JGit unit tests.
@@ -132,6 +130,8 @@ public abstract class RepositoryTestCase extends LocalDiskRepositoryTestCase {
 
 	public static final int CONTENT_ID = 8;
 
+	public static final int CONTENT = 16;
+
 	/**
 	 * Represent the state of the index in one String. This representation is
 	 * useful when writing tests which do assertions on the state of the index.
@@ -142,13 +142,15 @@ public abstract class RepositoryTestCase extends LocalDiskRepositoryTestCase {
 	 * The format of the returned string is described with this BNF:
 	 *
 	 * <pre>
-	 * result = ( "[" path mode stage? time? smudge? length? sha1? "]" )* .
+	 * result = ( "[" path mode stage? time? smudge? length? sha1? content? "]" )* .
 	 * mode = ", mode:" number .
 	 * stage = ", stage:" number .
 	 * time = ", time:t" timestamp-index .
 	 * smudge = "" | ", smudged" .
 	 * length = ", length:" number .
 	 * sha1 = ", sha1:" hex-sha1 .
+	 * content = ", content:" blob-data .
+	 * </pre>
 	 *
 	 * 'stage' is only presented when the stage is different from 0. All
 	 * reported time stamps are mapped to strings like "t0", "t1", ... "tn". The
@@ -158,7 +160,7 @@ public abstract class RepositoryTestCase extends LocalDiskRepositoryTestCase {
 	 *
 	 * @param includedOptions
 	 *            a bitmask constructed out of the constants {@link #MOD_TIME},
-	 *            {@link #SMUDGE}, {@link #LENGTH} and {@link #CONTENT_ID}
+	 *            {@link #SMUDGE}, {@link #LENGTH}, {@link #CONTENT_ID} and {@link #CONTENT}
 	 *            controlling which info is present in the resulting string.
 	 * @return a string encoding the index state
 	 * @throws IllegalStateException
@@ -178,29 +180,29 @@ public abstract class RepositoryTestCase extends LocalDiskRepositoryTestCase {
 		}
 
 		// iterate again, now produce the result string
-		NameConflictTreeWalk tw = new NameConflictTreeWalk(db);
-		tw.setRecursive(true);
-		tw.reset();
-		tw.addTree(new DirCacheIterator(dc));
-		while (tw.next()) {
-			DirCacheIterator dcIt = tw.getTree(0, DirCacheIterator.class);
-			sb.append("["+tw.getPathString()+", mode:" + dcIt.getEntryFileMode());
-			int stage = dcIt.getDirCacheEntry().getStage();
+		for (int i=0; i<dc.getEntryCount(); ++i) {
+			DirCacheEntry entry = dc.getEntry(i);
+			sb.append("["+entry.getPathString()+", mode:" + entry.getFileMode());
+			int stage = entry.getStage();
 			if (stage != 0)
 				sb.append(", stage:" + stage);
 			if (0 != (includedOptions & MOD_TIME)) {
 				sb.append(", time:t"+
-					timeStamps.headSet(Long.valueOf(dcIt.getDirCacheEntry().getLastModified())).size());
+					timeStamps.headSet(Long.valueOf(entry.getLastModified())).size());
 			}
 			if (0 != (includedOptions & SMUDGE))
-				if (dcIt.getDirCacheEntry().isSmudged())
+				if (entry.isSmudged())
 					sb.append(", smudged");
 			if (0 != (includedOptions & LENGTH))
 				sb.append(", length:"
-						+ Integer.toString(dcIt.getDirCacheEntry().getLength()));
+						+ Integer.toString(entry.getLength()));
 			if (0 != (includedOptions & CONTENT_ID))
-				sb.append(", sha1:" + ObjectId.toString(dcIt
-								.getEntryObjectId()));
+				sb.append(", sha1:" + ObjectId.toString(entry.getObjectId()));
+			if (0 != (includedOptions & CONTENT)) {
+				sb.append(", content:"
+						+ new String(db.open(entry.getObjectId(),
+								Constants.OBJ_BLOB).getCachedBytes(), "UTF-8"));
+			}
 			sb.append("]");
 		}
 		return sb.toString();