diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS.java
index a7c088921..5a48513b6 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS.java
@@ -110,6 +110,20 @@ public abstract class FS {
 		// Do nothing by default.
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Initialize this FS using another's current settings.
+	 *
+	 * @param src
+	 *            the source FS to copy from.
+	 */
+	protected FS(FS src) {
+		userHome = src.userHome;
+		gitPrefix = src.gitPrefix;
+	}
+
+	/** @return a new instance of the same type of FS. */
+	public abstract FS newInstance();
+
 	/**
 	 * Does this operating system and JRE support the execute flag on files?
 	 *
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_POSIX.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_POSIX.java
index 180b016be..c181a7a74 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_POSIX.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_POSIX.java
@@ -77,6 +77,14 @@ abstract class FS_POSIX extends FS {
 		return null;
 	}
 
+	FS_POSIX() {
+		super();
+	}
+
+	FS_POSIX(FS src) {
+		super(src);
+	}
+
 	@Override
 	public ProcessBuilder runInShell(String cmd, String[] args) {
 		List<String> argv = new ArrayList<String>(4 + args.length);
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_POSIX_Java5.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_POSIX_Java5.java
index ec8175ab5..c79bbe69b 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_POSIX_Java5.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_POSIX_Java5.java
@@ -46,6 +46,19 @@ package org.eclipse.jgit.util;
 import java.io.File;
 
 class FS_POSIX_Java5 extends FS_POSIX {
+	FS_POSIX_Java5() {
+		super();
+	}
+
+	FS_POSIX_Java5(FS src) {
+		super(src);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public FS newInstance() {
+		return new FS_POSIX_Java5(this);
+	}
+
 	public boolean supportsExecute() {
 		return false;
 	}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_POSIX_Java6.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_POSIX_Java6.java
index 2417ae735..09a4db7a2 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_POSIX_Java6.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_POSIX_Java6.java
@@ -74,6 +74,19 @@ class FS_POSIX_Java6 extends FS_POSIX {
 		}
 	}
 
+	FS_POSIX_Java6() {
+		super();
+	}
+
+	FS_POSIX_Java6(FS src) {
+		super(src);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public FS newInstance() {
+		return new FS_POSIX_Java6(this);
+	}
+
 	public boolean supportsExecute() {
 		return true;
 	}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_Win32.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_Win32.java
index 5838fed6a..b441d2066 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_Win32.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_Win32.java
@@ -64,6 +64,18 @@ class FS_Win32 extends FS {
 				&& StringUtils.toLowerCase(osDotName).indexOf("windows") != -1;
 	}
 
+	FS_Win32() {
+		super();
+	}
+
+	FS_Win32(FS src) {
+		super(src);
+	}
+
+	public FS newInstance() {
+		return new FS_Win32(this);
+	}
+
 	public boolean supportsExecute() {
 		return false;
 	}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_Win32_Cygwin.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_Win32_Cygwin.java
index 0cc937d59..e5e97c5fb 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_Win32_Cygwin.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_Win32_Cygwin.java
@@ -68,6 +68,18 @@ class FS_Win32_Cygwin extends FS_Win32 {
 		return cygpath != null;
 	}
 
+	FS_Win32_Cygwin() {
+		super();
+	}
+
+	FS_Win32_Cygwin(FS src) {
+		super(src);
+	}
+
+	public FS newInstance() {
+		return new FS_Win32_Cygwin(this);
+	}
+
 	public File resolve(final File dir, final String pn) {
 		String w = readPipe(dir, //
 				new String[] { cygpath, "--windows", "--absolute", pn }, //