diff --git a/builtin/pack-objects.c b/builtin/pack-objects.c
index ca44b7894f..c53e0c91b9 100644
--- a/builtin/pack-objects.c
+++ b/builtin/pack-objects.c
@@ -3857,8 +3857,11 @@ static void read_packs_list_from_stdin(struct rev_info *revs)
 	repo_for_each_pack(the_repository, p) {
 		const char *pack_name = pack_basename(p);
 
-		if ((item = string_list_lookup(&include_packs, pack_name)))
+		if ((item = string_list_lookup(&include_packs, pack_name))) {
+			if (exclude_promisor_objects && p->pack_promisor)
+				die(_("packfile %s is a promisor but --exclude-promisor-objects was given"), p->pack_name);
 			item->util = p;
+		}
 		if ((item = string_list_lookup(&exclude_packs, pack_name)))
 			item->util = p;
 	}
@@ -3936,6 +3939,7 @@ static void read_stdin_packs(enum stdin_packs_mode mode, int rev_list_unpacked)
 	revs.tree_objects = 1;
 	revs.tag_objects = 1;
 	revs.ignore_missing_links = 1;
+	revs.exclude_promisor_objects = exclude_promisor_objects;
 
 	/* avoids adding objects in excluded packs */
 	ignore_packed_keep_in_core = 1;
@@ -5092,9 +5096,13 @@ int cmd_pack_objects(int argc,
 				  exclude_promisor_objects_best_effort,
 				  "--exclude-promisor-objects-best-effort");
 	if (exclude_promisor_objects) {
-		use_internal_rev_list = 1;
 		fetch_if_missing = 0;
-		strvec_push(&rp, "--exclude-promisor-objects");
+
+		/* --stdin-packs handles promisor objects separately. */
+		if (!stdin_packs) {
+			use_internal_rev_list = 1;
+			strvec_push(&rp, "--exclude-promisor-objects");
+		}
 	} else if (exclude_promisor_objects_best_effort) {
 		use_internal_rev_list = 1;
 		fetch_if_missing = 0;
diff --git a/t/t5331-pack-objects-stdin.sh b/t/t5331-pack-objects-stdin.sh
index 4a8df5a389..cd949025b9 100755
--- a/t/t5331-pack-objects-stdin.sh
+++ b/t/t5331-pack-objects-stdin.sh
@@ -319,6 +319,45 @@ test_expect_success '--stdin-packs=follow walks into unknown packs' '
 	)
 '
 
+test_expect_success '--stdin-packs with promisors' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -fr repo" &&
+	git init repo &&
+	(
+		cd repo &&
+		git config set maintenance.auto false &&
+		git remote add promisor garbage &&
+		git config set remote.promisor.promisor true &&
+
+		for c in A B C D
+		do
+			echo "$c" >file &&
+			git add file &&
+			git commit --message "$c" &&
+			git tag "$c" || return 1
+		done &&
+
+		A="$(echo A | git pack-objects --revs $packdir/pack)" &&
+		B="$(echo A..B | git pack-objects --revs $packdir/pack --filter=blob:none)" &&
+		C="$(echo B..C | git pack-objects --revs $packdir/pack)" &&
+		D="$(echo C..D | git pack-objects --revs $packdir/pack)" &&
+		touch $packdir/pack-$B.promisor &&
+
+		test_must_fail git pack-objects --stdin-packs --exclude-promisor-objects pack- 2>err <<-EOF &&
+			pack-$B.pack
+		EOF
+		test_grep "is a promisor but --exclude-promisor-objects was given" err &&
+
+		PACK=$(git pack-objects --stdin-packs=follow --exclude-promisor-objects $packdir/pack <<-EOF
+			pack-$D.pack
+			EOF
+		) &&
+		objects_in_packs $C $D >expect &&
+		objects_in_packs $PACK >actual &&
+		test_cmp expect actual &&
+		rm -f $packdir/pack-$PACK.*
+	)
+'
+
 stdin_packs__follow_with_only () {
 	rm -fr stdin_packs__follow_with_only &&
 	git init stdin_packs__follow_with_only &&