diff --git a/builtin/cat-file.c b/builtin/cat-file.c
index 0bafc14e6c..001dcb24d6 100644
--- a/builtin/cat-file.c
+++ b/builtin/cat-file.c
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ struct batch_options {
 	int all_objects;
 	int unordered;
 	int transform_mode; /* may be 'w' or 'c' for --filters or --textconv */
-	int nul_terminated;
+	char input_delim;
 	const char *format;
 };
 
@@ -694,20 +694,12 @@ static void batch_objects_command(struct batch_options *opt,
 	struct queued_cmd *queued_cmd = NULL;
 	size_t alloc = 0, nr = 0;
 
-	while (1) {
-		int i, ret;
+	while (strbuf_getdelim_strip_crlf(&input, stdin, opt->input_delim) != EOF) {
+		int i;
 		const struct parse_cmd *cmd = NULL;
 		const char *p = NULL, *cmd_end;
 		struct queued_cmd call = {0};
 
-		if (opt->nul_terminated)
-			ret = strbuf_getline_nul(&input, stdin);
-		else
-			ret = strbuf_getline(&input, stdin);
-
-		if (ret)
-			break;
-
 		if (!input.len)
 			die(_("empty command in input"));
 		if (isspace(*input.buf))
@@ -851,16 +843,7 @@ static int batch_objects(struct batch_options *opt)
 		goto cleanup;
 	}
 
-	while (1) {
-		int ret;
-		if (opt->nul_terminated)
-			ret = strbuf_getline_nul(&input, stdin);
-		else
-			ret = strbuf_getline(&input, stdin);
-
-		if (ret == EOF)
-			break;
-
+	while (strbuf_getdelim_strip_crlf(&input, stdin, opt->input_delim) != EOF) {
 		if (data.split_on_whitespace) {
 			/*
 			 * Split at first whitespace, tying off the beginning
@@ -929,6 +912,7 @@ int cmd_cat_file(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	const char *exp_type = NULL, *obj_name = NULL;
 	struct batch_options batch = {0};
 	int unknown_type = 0;
+	int input_nul_terminated = 0;
 
 	const char * const usage[] = {
 		N_("git cat-file <type> <object>"),
@@ -965,7 +949,7 @@ int cmd_cat_file(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			N_("like --batch, but don't emit <contents>"),
 			PARSE_OPT_OPTARG | PARSE_OPT_NONEG,
 			batch_option_callback),
-		OPT_BOOL('z', NULL, &batch.nul_terminated, N_("stdin is NUL-terminated")),
+		OPT_BOOL('z', NULL, &input_nul_terminated, N_("stdin is NUL-terminated")),
 		OPT_CALLBACK_F(0, "batch-command", &batch, N_("format"),
 			N_("read commands from stdin"),
 			PARSE_OPT_OPTARG | PARSE_OPT_NONEG,
@@ -1024,10 +1008,12 @@ int cmd_cat_file(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	else if (batch.all_objects)
 		usage_msg_optf(_("'%s' requires a batch mode"), usage, options,
 			       "--batch-all-objects");
-	else if (batch.nul_terminated)
+	else if (input_nul_terminated)
 		usage_msg_optf(_("'%s' requires a batch mode"), usage, options,
 			       "-z");
 
+	batch.input_delim = input_nul_terminated ? '\0' : '\n';
+
 	/* Batch defaults */
 	if (batch.buffer_output < 0)
 		batch.buffer_output = batch.all_objects;