diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/DescribeTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/DescribeTest.java
index 086e72e9a..e97762d8d 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/DescribeTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/DescribeTest.java
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ import static org.junit.Assert.assertArrayEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
 
 import java.util.Arrays;
 
@@ -71,6 +72,12 @@ public class DescribeTest extends CLIRepositoryTestCase {
 		git.tag().setName("v1.0").call();
 	}
 
+	private void secondCommit() throws Exception {
+		writeTrashFile("greeting", "Hello, world!");
+		git.add().addFilepattern("greeting").call();
+		git.commit().setMessage("2nd commit").call();
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testNoHead() throws Exception {
 		assertEquals(CLIText.fatalError(CLIText.get().noNamesFound),
@@ -94,9 +101,7 @@ public class DescribeTest extends CLIRepositoryTestCase {
 	@Test
 	public void testDescribeCommit() throws Exception {
 		initialCommitAndTag();
-		writeTrashFile("greeting", "Hello, world!");
-		git.add().addFilepattern("greeting").call();
-		git.commit().setMessage("2nd commit").call();
+		secondCommit();
 		assertArrayEquals(new String[] { "v1.0-1-g56f6ceb", "" },
 				execute("git describe"));
 	}
@@ -108,6 +113,47 @@ public class DescribeTest extends CLIRepositoryTestCase {
 				execute("git describe --long HEAD"));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testDescribeCommitMatch() throws Exception {
+		initialCommitAndTag();
+		secondCommit();
+		assertArrayEquals(new String[] { "v1.0-1-g56f6ceb", "" },
+				execute("git describe --match v1.*"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testDescribeCommitMatch2() throws Exception {
+		initialCommitAndTag();
+		secondCommit();
+		git.tag().setName("v2.0").call();
+		assertArrayEquals(new String[] { "v1.0-1-g56f6ceb", "" },
+				execute("git describe --match v1.*"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testDescribeCommitMultiMatch() throws Exception {
+		initialCommitAndTag();
+		secondCommit();
+		git.tag().setName("v2.0.0").call();
+		git.tag().setName("v2.1.1").call();
+		assertArrayEquals("git yields v2.0.0", new String[] { "v2.0.0", "" },
+				execute("git describe --match v2.0* --match v2.1.*"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testDescribeCommitNoMatch() throws Exception {
+		initialCommitAndTag();
+		writeTrashFile("greeting", "Hello, world!");
+		secondCommit();
+		try {
+			execute("git describe --match 1.*");
+			fail("git describe should not find any tag matching 1.*");
+		} catch (Die e) {
+			assertEquals("No names found, cannot describe anything.",
+					e.getMessage());
+		}
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testHelpArgumentBeforeUnknown() throws Exception {
 		String[] output = execute("git describe -h -XYZ");
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/resources/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/internal/CLIText.properties b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/resources/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/internal/CLIText.properties
index c3d7c685f..8666c3429 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/resources/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/internal/CLIText.properties
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/resources/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/internal/CLIText.properties
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ metaVar_op=OP
 metaVar_pass=PASS
 metaVar_path=path
 metaVar_paths=path ...
+metaVar_pattern=pattern
 metaVar_port=PORT
 metaVar_ref=REF
 metaVar_refs=REFS
@@ -248,6 +249,7 @@ usage_lsRemoteHeads=Show only refs starting with refs/heads
 usage_lsRemoteTags=Show only refs starting with refs/tags
 usage_LsTree=List the contents of a tree object
 usage_MakeCacheTree=Show the current cache tree structure
+usage_Match=Only consider tags matching the given glob(7) pattern or patterns, excluding the "refs/tags/" prefix.
 usage_MergeBase=Find as good common ancestors as possible for a merge
 usage_MergesTwoDevelopmentHistories=Merges two development histories
 usage_PreserveOldPacks=Preserve old pack files by moving them into the preserved subdirectory instead of deleting them after repacking
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/Describe.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/Describe.java
index ec000f388..eba5a43be 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/Describe.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/Describe.java
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ import org.eclipse.jgit.pgm.internal.CLIText;
 import org.kohsuke.args4j.Argument;
 import org.kohsuke.args4j.Option;
 
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+
 @Command(common = true, usage = "usage_Describe")
 class Describe extends TextBuiltin {
 
@@ -59,6 +62,9 @@ class Describe extends TextBuiltin {
 	@Option(name = "--long", usage = "usage_LongFormat")
 	private boolean longDesc;
 
+	@Option(name = "--match", multiValued = true, usage = "usage_Match", metaVar = "metaVar_pattern")
+	private List<String> patterns = new ArrayList<>();
+
 	@Override
 	protected void run() throws Exception {
 		try (Git git = new Git(db)) {
@@ -66,6 +72,7 @@ class Describe extends TextBuiltin {
 			if (tree != null)
 				cmd.setTarget(tree);
 			cmd.setLong(longDesc);
+			cmd.setMatch(patterns.toArray(new String[patterns.size()]));
 			String result = null;
 			try {
 				result = cmd.call();
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/internal/CLIText.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/internal/CLIText.java
index e012372b9..1424dab05 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/internal/CLIText.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/internal/CLIText.java
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ public class CLIText extends TranslationBundle {
 	/***/ public String metaVar_pass;
 	/***/ public String metaVar_path;
 	/***/ public String metaVar_paths;
+	/***/ public String metaVar_pattern;
 	/***/ public String metaVar_port;
 	/***/ public String metaVar_ref;
 	/***/ public String metaVar_refs;