diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/BasePackPushConnection.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/BasePackPushConnection.java
index e97f03c3f..5c959c17d 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/BasePackPushConnection.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/BasePackPushConnection.java
@@ -277,6 +277,7 @@ private void writePack(final Map<String, RemoteRefUpdate> refUpdates,
 			}
 
 			writer.setUseCachedPacks(true);
+			writer.setUseBitmaps(true);
 			writer.setThin(thinPack);
 			writer.setReuseValidatingObjects(false);
 			writer.setDeltaBaseAsOffset(capableOfsDelta);
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/UploadPack.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/UploadPack.java
index 74801fe41..bc4045416 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/UploadPack.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/UploadPack.java
@@ -1137,6 +1137,7 @@ private void sendPack(final boolean sideband) throws IOException {
 		final PackWriter pw = new PackWriter(cfg, walk.getObjectReader());
 		try {
 			pw.setUseCachedPacks(true);
+			pw.setUseBitmaps(true);
 			pw.setReuseDeltaCommits(true);
 			pw.setDeltaBaseAsOffset(options.contains(OPTION_OFS_DELTA));
 			pw.setThin(options.contains(OPTION_THIN_PACK));