diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/TextBuiltinTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/TextBuiltinTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..256d2af06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/TextBuiltinTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2017, Ned Twigg <ned.twigg@diffplug.com>
+ * 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.pgm;
+
+import static org.eclipse.jgit.junit.JGitTestUtil.check;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+
+import org.eclipse.jgit.api.Git;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.CLIRepositoryTestCase;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.pgm.opt.CmdLineParser;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.pgm.opt.SubcommandHandler;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.kohsuke.args4j.Argument;
+
+public class TextBuiltinTest extends CLIRepositoryTestCase {
+	public static class GitCliJGitWrapperParser {
+		@Argument(index = 0, metaVar = "metaVar_command", required = true, handler = SubcommandHandler.class)
+		TextBuiltin subcommand;
+
+		@Argument(index = 1, metaVar = "metaVar_arg")
+		List<String> arguments = new ArrayList<>();
+	}
+
+	private String[] runAndCaptureUsingInitRaw(String... args)
+			throws Exception {
+		CLIGitCommand.Result result = new CLIGitCommand.Result();
+
+		GitCliJGitWrapperParser bean = new GitCliJGitWrapperParser();
+		final CmdLineParser clp = new CmdLineParser(bean);
+		clp.parseArgument(args);
+
+		final TextBuiltin cmd = bean.subcommand;
+		cmd.initRaw(db, null, null, result.out, result.err);
+		cmd.execute(bean.arguments.toArray(new String[bean.arguments.size()]));
+		if (cmd.getOutputWriter() != null) {
+			cmd.getOutputWriter().flush();
+		}
+		if (cmd.getErrorWriter() != null) {
+			cmd.getErrorWriter().flush();
+		}
+		return result.outLines().toArray(new String[0]);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testCleanDeleteDirs() throws Exception {
+		try (Git git = new Git(db)) {
+			git.commit().setMessage("initial commit").call();
+
+			writeTrashFile("dir/file", "someData");
+			writeTrashFile("a", "someData");
+			writeTrashFile("b", "someData");
+
+			// all these files should be there
+			assertTrue(check(db, "a"));
+			assertTrue(check(db, "b"));
+			assertTrue(check(db, "dir/file"));
+
+			assertArrayOfLinesEquals(new String[] { "Removing a", "Removing b",
+					"Removing dir/" },
+					runAndCaptureUsingInitRaw("clean", "-d", "-f"));
+			assertFalse(check(db, "a"));
+			assertFalse(check(db, "b"));
+			assertFalse(check(db, "dir/file"));
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/TextBuiltin.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/TextBuiltin.java
index 0dc549c7d..c3b45e8de 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/TextBuiltin.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/TextBuiltin.java
@@ -138,6 +138,31 @@ protected boolean requiresRepository() {
 		return true;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Initializes the command to work with a repository, including setting the
+	 * output and error streams.
+	 *
+	 * @param repository
+	 *            the opened repository that the command should work on.
+	 * @param gitDir
+	 *            value of the {@code --git-dir} command line option, if
+	 *            {@code repository} is null.
+	 * @param input
+	 *            input stream from which input will be read
+	 * @param output
+	 *            output stream to which output will be written
+	 * @param error
+	 *            error stream to which errors will be written
+	 * @since 4.9
+	 */
+	public void initRaw(final Repository repository, final String gitDir,
+			InputStream input, OutputStream output, OutputStream error) {
+		this.ins = input;
+		this.outs = output;
+		this.errs = error;
+		init(repository, gitDir);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Initialize the command to work with a repository.
 	 *
@@ -284,6 +309,14 @@ public ThrowingPrintWriter getErrorWriter() {
 		return errw;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @return output writer, typically this is standard output.
+	 * @since 4.9
+	 */
+	public ThrowingPrintWriter getOutputWriter() {
+		return outw;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @return the resource bundle that will be passed to args4j for purpose of
 	 *         string localization