diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 89d8d73ec0..85b2ff09f4 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1507,6 +1507,7 @@ CLAR_TEST_SUITES += u-dir
 CLAR_TEST_SUITES += u-example-decorate
 CLAR_TEST_SUITES += u-hash
 CLAR_TEST_SUITES += u-hashmap
+CLAR_TEST_SUITES += u-list-objects-filter-options
 CLAR_TEST_SUITES += u-mem-pool
 CLAR_TEST_SUITES += u-oid-array
 CLAR_TEST_SUITES += u-oidmap
diff --git a/list-objects-filter-options.c b/list-objects-filter-options.c
index 7420bf81fe..f13ae5caeb 100644
--- a/list-objects-filter-options.c
+++ b/list-objects-filter-options.c
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ const char *list_object_filter_config_name(enum list_objects_filter_choice c)
 	case LOFC_DISABLED:
 		/* we have no name for "no filter at all" */
 		break;
+	case LOFC_AUTO:
+		return "auto";
 	case LOFC_BLOB_NONE:
 		return "blob:none";
 	case LOFC_BLOB_LIMIT:
@@ -52,7 +54,17 @@ int gently_parse_list_objects_filter(
 	if (filter_options->choice)
 		BUG("filter_options already populated");
 
-	if (!strcmp(arg, "blob:none")) {
+	if (!strcmp(arg, "auto")) {
+		if (!filter_options->allow_auto_filter) {
+			strbuf_addstr(
+				errbuf,
+				_("'auto' filter not supported by this command"));
+			return 1;
+		}
+		filter_options->choice = LOFC_AUTO;
+		return 0;
+
+	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "blob:none")) {
 		filter_options->choice = LOFC_BLOB_NONE;
 		return 0;
 
@@ -146,10 +158,20 @@ static int parse_combine_subfilter(
 
 	decoded = url_percent_decode(subspec->buf);
 
-	result = has_reserved_character(subspec, errbuf) ||
-		gently_parse_list_objects_filter(
-			&filter_options->sub[new_index], decoded, errbuf);
+	result = has_reserved_character(subspec, errbuf);
+	if (result)
+		goto cleanup;
 
+	result = gently_parse_list_objects_filter(
+			&filter_options->sub[new_index], decoded, errbuf);
+	if (result)
+		goto cleanup;
+
+	result = (filter_options->sub[new_index].choice == LOFC_AUTO);
+	if (result)
+		strbuf_addstr(errbuf, _("an 'auto' filter cannot be combined"));
+
+cleanup:
 	free(decoded);
 	return result;
 }
@@ -263,6 +285,9 @@ void parse_list_objects_filter(
 	} else {
 		struct list_objects_filter_options *sub;
 
+		if (filter_options->choice == LOFC_AUTO)
+			die(_("an 'auto' filter is incompatible with any other filter"));
+
 		/*
 		 * Make filter_options an LOFC_COMBINE spec so we can trivially
 		 * add subspecs to it.
@@ -277,6 +302,9 @@ void parse_list_objects_filter(
 		if (gently_parse_list_objects_filter(sub, arg, &errbuf))
 			die("%s", errbuf.buf);
 
+		if (sub->choice == LOFC_AUTO)
+			die(_("an 'auto' filter is incompatible with any other filter"));
+
 		strbuf_addch(&filter_options->filter_spec, '+');
 		filter_spec_append_urlencode(filter_options, arg);
 	}
@@ -317,6 +345,7 @@ void list_objects_filter_release(
 	struct list_objects_filter_options *filter_options)
 {
 	size_t sub;
+	unsigned int allow_auto_filter = filter_options->allow_auto_filter;
 
 	if (!filter_options)
 		return;
@@ -326,6 +355,7 @@ void list_objects_filter_release(
 		list_objects_filter_release(&filter_options->sub[sub]);
 	free(filter_options->sub);
 	list_objects_filter_init(filter_options);
+	filter_options->allow_auto_filter = allow_auto_filter;
 }
 
 void partial_clone_register(
diff --git a/list-objects-filter-options.h b/list-objects-filter-options.h
index 7b2108b986..77d7bbc846 100644
--- a/list-objects-filter-options.h
+++ b/list-objects-filter-options.h
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ enum list_objects_filter_choice {
 	LOFC_SPARSE_OID,
 	LOFC_OBJECT_TYPE,
 	LOFC_COMBINE,
+	LOFC_AUTO,
 	LOFC__COUNT /* must be last */
 };
 
@@ -50,6 +51,11 @@ struct list_objects_filter_options {
 	 */
 	unsigned int no_filter : 1;
 
+	/*
+	 * Is LOFC_AUTO a valid option?
+	 */
+	unsigned int allow_auto_filter : 1;
+
 	/*
 	 * BEGIN choice-specific parsed values from within the filter-spec. Only
 	 * some values will be defined for any given choice.
diff --git a/list-objects-filter.c b/list-objects-filter.c
index acd65ebb73..78316e7f90 100644
--- a/list-objects-filter.c
+++ b/list-objects-filter.c
@@ -745,6 +745,13 @@ static void filter_combine__init(
 	filter->finalize_omits_fn = filter_combine__finalize_omits;
 }
 
+static void filter_auto__init(
+	struct list_objects_filter_options *filter_options UNUSED,
+	struct filter *filter UNUSED)
+{
+	BUG("LOFC_AUTO should have been resolved before initializing the filter");
+}
+
 typedef void (*filter_init_fn)(
 	struct list_objects_filter_options *filter_options,
 	struct filter *filter);
@@ -760,6 +767,7 @@ static filter_init_fn s_filters[] = {
 	filter_sparse_oid__init,
 	filter_object_type__init,
 	filter_combine__init,
+	filter_auto__init,
 };
 
 struct filter *list_objects_filter__init(
diff --git a/t/meson.build b/t/meson.build
index 459c52a489..0bd66cc6ce 100644
--- a/t/meson.build
+++ b/t/meson.build
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ clar_test_suites = [
   'unit-tests/u-example-decorate.c',
   'unit-tests/u-hash.c',
   'unit-tests/u-hashmap.c',
+  'unit-tests/u-list-objects-filter-options.c',
   'unit-tests/u-mem-pool.c',
   'unit-tests/u-oid-array.c',
   'unit-tests/u-oidmap.c',
diff --git a/t/unit-tests/u-list-objects-filter-options.c b/t/unit-tests/u-list-objects-filter-options.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f7d73701b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/unit-tests/u-list-objects-filter-options.c
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+#include "unit-test.h"
+#include "list-objects-filter-options.h"
+#include "strbuf.h"
+
+/* Helper to test gently_parse_list_objects_filter() */
+static void check_gentle_parse(const char *filter_spec,
+			       int expect_success,
+			       int allow_auto,
+			       enum list_objects_filter_choice expected_choice)
+{
+	struct list_objects_filter_options filter_options = LIST_OBJECTS_FILTER_INIT;
+	struct strbuf errbuf = STRBUF_INIT;
+	int ret;
+
+	filter_options.allow_auto_filter = allow_auto;
+
+	ret = gently_parse_list_objects_filter(&filter_options, filter_spec, &errbuf);
+
+	if (expect_success) {
+		cl_assert_equal_i(ret, 0);
+		cl_assert_equal_i(expected_choice, filter_options.choice);
+		cl_assert_equal_i(errbuf.len, 0);
+	} else {
+		cl_assert(ret != 0);
+		cl_assert(errbuf.len > 0);
+	}
+
+	strbuf_release(&errbuf);
+	list_objects_filter_release(&filter_options);
+}
+
+void test_list_objects_filter_options__regular_filters(void)
+{
+	check_gentle_parse("blob:none", 1, 0, LOFC_BLOB_NONE);
+	check_gentle_parse("blob:none", 1, 1, LOFC_BLOB_NONE);
+	check_gentle_parse("blob:limit=5k", 1, 0, LOFC_BLOB_LIMIT);
+	check_gentle_parse("blob:limit=5k", 1, 1, LOFC_BLOB_LIMIT);
+	check_gentle_parse("combine:blob:none+tree:0", 1, 0, LOFC_COMBINE);
+	check_gentle_parse("combine:blob:none+tree:0", 1, 1, LOFC_COMBINE);
+}
+
+void test_list_objects_filter_options__auto_allowed(void)
+{
+	check_gentle_parse("auto", 1, 1, LOFC_AUTO);
+	check_gentle_parse("auto", 0, 0, 0);
+}
+
+void test_list_objects_filter_options__combine_auto_fails(void)
+{
+	check_gentle_parse("combine:auto+blob:none", 0, 1, 0);
+	check_gentle_parse("combine:blob:none+auto", 0, 1, 0);
+	check_gentle_parse("combine:auto+auto", 0, 1, 0);
+}