diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.junit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/junit/TestRepository.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.junit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/junit/TestRepository.java
index be17bcdc7..ce33ec709 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.junit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/junit/TestRepository.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.junit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/junit/TestRepository.java
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Set;
 
+import org.eclipse.jgit.api.Git;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.dircache.DirCache;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.dircache.DirCacheBuilder;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.dircache.DirCacheEditor;
@@ -127,6 +128,8 @@ public class TestRepository<R extends Repository> {
 
 	private final R db;
 
+	private final Git git;
+
 	private final RevWalk pool;
 
 	private final ObjectInserter inserter;
@@ -155,6 +158,7 @@ public TestRepository(R db) throws IOException {
 	 */
 	public TestRepository(R db, RevWalk rw) throws IOException {
 		this.db = db;
+		this.git = Git.wrap(db);
 		this.pool = rw;
 		this.inserter = db.newObjectInserter();
 		this.now = 1236977987000L;
@@ -170,6 +174,14 @@ public RevWalk getRevWalk() {
 		return pool;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @return an API wrapper for the underlying repository. This wrapper does
+	 *         not allocate any new resources and need not be closed (but closing
+	 *         it is harmless). */
+	public Git git() {
+		return git;
+	}
+
 	/** @return current time adjusted by {@link #tick(int)}. */
 	public Date getClock() {
 		return new Date(now);