diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/dircache/DirCachePathEditTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/dircache/DirCachePathEditTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4a6a42b6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/dircache/DirCachePathEditTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2011, Robin Rosenberg
+ * and other copyright owners as documented in the project's IP log.
+ *
+ * This program and the accompanying materials are made available
+ * under the terms of the Eclipse Distribution License v1.0 which
+ * accompanies this distribution, is reproduced below, and is
+ * available at http://www.eclipse.org/org/documents/edl-v10.php
+ *
+ * All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or
+ * without modification, are permitted provided that the following
+ * conditions are met:
+ *
+ * - Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+ *   notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+ *
+ * - Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above
+ *   copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following
+ *   disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided
+ *   with the distribution.
+ *
+ * - Neither the name of the Eclipse Foundation, Inc. nor the
+ *   names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote
+ *   products derived from this software without specific prior
+ *   written permission.
+ *
+ * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND
+ * CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES,
+ * INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES
+ * OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
+ * ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR
+ * CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
+ * SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT
+ * NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
+ * LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER
+ * CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT,
+ * STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
+ * ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF
+ * ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+ */
+package org.eclipse.jgit.dircache;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+
+import org.eclipse.jgit.dircache.DirCacheEditor.PathEdit;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.FileMode;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.ObjectId;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+public class DirCachePathEditTest {
+
+	static final class AddEdit extends PathEdit {
+
+		public AddEdit(String entryPath) {
+			super(entryPath);
+		}
+
+		@Override
+		public void apply(DirCacheEntry ent) {
+			ent.setFileMode(FileMode.REGULAR_FILE);
+			ent.setLength(1);
+			ent.setObjectId(ObjectId.zeroId());
+		}
+
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testAddDeletePathAndTreeNormalNames() {
+		DirCache dc = DirCache.newInCore();
+		DirCacheEditor editor = dc.editor();
+		editor.add(new AddEdit("a"));
+		editor.add(new AddEdit("b/c"));
+		editor.add(new AddEdit("c/d"));
+		editor.finish();
+		assertEquals(3, dc.getEntryCount());
+		assertEquals("a", dc.getEntry(0).getPathString());
+		assertEquals("b/c", dc.getEntry(1).getPathString());
+		assertEquals("c/d", dc.getEntry(2).getPathString());
+
+		editor = dc.editor();
+		editor.add(new DirCacheEditor.DeletePath("b/c"));
+		editor.finish();
+		assertEquals(2, dc.getEntryCount());
+		assertEquals("a", dc.getEntry(0).getPathString());
+		assertEquals("c/d", dc.getEntry(1).getPathString());
+
+		editor = dc.editor();
+		editor.add(new DirCacheEditor.DeleteTree(""));
+		editor.finish();
+		assertEquals(0, dc.getEntryCount());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testAddDeleteTrickyNames() {
+		DirCache dc = DirCache.newInCore();
+		DirCacheEditor editor = dc.editor();
+		editor.add(new AddEdit("a/b"));
+		editor.add(new AddEdit("a."));
+		editor.add(new AddEdit("ab"));
+		editor.finish();
+		assertEquals(3, dc.getEntryCount());
+		// Validate sort order
+		assertEquals("a.", dc.getEntry(0).getPathString());
+		assertEquals("a/b", dc.getEntry(1).getPathString());
+		assertEquals("ab", dc.getEntry(2).getPathString());
+
+		editor = dc.editor();
+		// Sort order should not confuse DeleteTree
+		editor.add(new DirCacheEditor.DeleteTree("a"));
+		editor.finish();
+		assertEquals(2, dc.getEntryCount());
+		assertEquals("a.", dc.getEntry(0).getPathString());
+		assertEquals("ab", dc.getEntry(1).getPathString());
+	}
+}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/dircache/DirCacheEditor.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/dircache/DirCacheEditor.java
index 77e9d51e0..f6f82390c 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/dircache/DirCacheEditor.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/dircache/DirCacheEditor.java
@@ -267,9 +267,12 @@ public class DirCacheEditor extends BaseDirCacheEditor {
 		 *            path of the subtree within the repository. If the path
 		 *            does not end with "/" a "/" is implicitly added to ensure
 		 *            only the subtree's contents are matched by the command.
+		 *            The special case "" (not "/"!) deletes all entries.
 		 */
 		public DeleteTree(final String entryPath) {
-			super(entryPath.endsWith("/") ? entryPath : entryPath + "/");
+			super(
+					(entryPath.endsWith("/") || entryPath.length() == 0) ? entryPath
+							: entryPath + "/");
 		}
 
 		public void apply(final DirCacheEntry ent) {