diff --git a/builtin/merge-index.c b/builtin/merge-index.c
index 38ea6ad6ca..6cb666cc78 100644
--- a/builtin/merge-index.c
+++ b/builtin/merge-index.c
@@ -1,74 +1,11 @@
 #define USE_THE_INDEX_COMPATIBILITY_MACROS
 #include "builtin.h"
-#include "run-command.h"
-
-static const char *pgm;
-static int one_shot, quiet;
-static int err;
-
-static int merge_entry(int pos, const char *path)
-{
-	int found;
-	const char *arguments[] = { pgm, "", "", "", path, "", "", "", NULL };
-	char hexbuf[4][GIT_MAX_HEXSZ + 1];
-	char ownbuf[4][60];
-
-	if (pos >= active_nr)
-		die("git merge-index: %s not in the cache", path);
-	found = 0;
-	do {
-		const struct cache_entry *ce = active_cache[pos];
-		int stage = ce_stage(ce);
-
-		if (strcmp(ce->name, path))
-			break;
-		found++;
-		oid_to_hex_r(hexbuf[stage], &ce->oid);
-		xsnprintf(ownbuf[stage], sizeof(ownbuf[stage]), "%o", ce->ce_mode);
-		arguments[stage] = hexbuf[stage];
-		arguments[stage + 4] = ownbuf[stage];
-	} while (++pos < active_nr);
-	if (!found)
-		die("git merge-index: %s not in the cache", path);
-
-	if (run_command_v_opt(arguments, 0)) {
-		if (one_shot)
-			err++;
-		else {
-			if (!quiet)
-				die("merge program failed");
-			exit(1);
-		}
-	}
-	return found;
-}
-
-static void merge_one_path(const char *path)
-{
-	int pos = cache_name_pos(path, strlen(path));
-
-	/*
-	 * If it already exists in the cache as stage0, it's
-	 * already merged and there is nothing to do.
-	 */
-	if (pos < 0)
-		merge_entry(-pos-1, path);
-}
-
-static void merge_all(void)
-{
-	int i;
-	for (i = 0; i < active_nr; i++) {
-		const struct cache_entry *ce = active_cache[i];
-		if (!ce_stage(ce))
-			continue;
-		i += merge_entry(i, ce->name)-1;
-	}
-}
+#include "merge-strategies.h"
 
 int cmd_merge_index(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
-	int i, force_file = 0;
+	int i, force_file = 0, err = 0, one_shot = 0, quiet = 0;
+	const char *pgm;
 
 	/* Without this we cannot rely on waitpid() to tell
 	 * what happened to our children.
@@ -98,14 +35,14 @@ int cmd_merge_index(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 				continue;
 			}
 			if (!strcmp(arg, "-a")) {
-				merge_all();
+				err |= merge_all(&the_index, one_shot, quiet,
+						 merge_program_cb, (void *)pgm);
 				continue;
 			}
 			die("git merge-index: unknown option %s", arg);
 		}
-		merge_one_path(arg);
+		err |= merge_one_path(&the_index, one_shot, quiet, arg,
+				      merge_program_cb, (void *)pgm);
 	}
-	if (err && !quiet)
-		die("merge program failed");
 	return err;
 }
diff --git a/merge-strategies.c b/merge-strategies.c
index 3a9fce9f22..f4c0b4acd6 100644
--- a/merge-strategies.c
+++ b/merge-strategies.c
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "cache.h"
 #include "dir.h"
 #include "merge-strategies.h"
+#include "run-command.h"
 #include "xdiff-interface.h"
 
 static int add_to_index_cacheinfo(struct index_state *istate,
@@ -189,3 +190,101 @@ int merge_strategies_one_file(struct repository *r,
 
 	return 0;
 }
+
+int merge_program_cb(const struct object_id *orig_blob,
+		     const struct object_id *our_blob,
+		     const struct object_id *their_blob, const char *path,
+		     unsigned int orig_mode, unsigned int our_mode, unsigned int their_mode,
+		     void *data)
+{
+	char ownbuf[3][60] = {{0}};
+	const char *arguments[] = { (char *)data, "", "", "", path,
+				    ownbuf[0], ownbuf[1], ownbuf[2],
+				    NULL };
+
+	if (orig_blob)
+		arguments[1] = oid_to_hex(orig_blob);
+	if (our_blob)
+		arguments[2] = oid_to_hex(our_blob);
+	if (their_blob)
+		arguments[3] = oid_to_hex(their_blob);
+
+	xsnprintf(ownbuf[0], sizeof(ownbuf[0]), "%o", orig_mode);
+	xsnprintf(ownbuf[1], sizeof(ownbuf[1]), "%o", our_mode);
+	xsnprintf(ownbuf[2], sizeof(ownbuf[2]), "%o", their_mode);
+
+	return run_command_v_opt(arguments, 0);
+}
+
+static int merge_entry(struct index_state *istate, int quiet, int pos,
+		       const char *path, merge_cb cb, void *data)
+{
+	int found = 0;
+	const struct object_id *oids[3] = {NULL};
+	unsigned int modes[3] = {0};
+
+	do {
+		const struct cache_entry *ce = istate->cache[pos];
+		int stage = ce_stage(ce);
+
+		if (strcmp(ce->name, path))
+			break;
+		found++;
+		oids[stage - 1] = &ce->oid;
+		modes[stage - 1] = ce->ce_mode;
+	} while (++pos < istate->cache_nr);
+	if (!found)
+		return error(_("%s is not in the cache"), path);
+
+	if (cb(oids[0], oids[1], oids[2], path, modes[0], modes[1], modes[2], data)) {
+		if (!quiet)
+			error(_("Merge program failed"));
+		return -2;
+	}
+
+	return found;
+}
+
+int merge_one_path(struct index_state *istate, int oneshot, int quiet,
+		   const char *path, merge_cb cb, void *data)
+{
+	int pos = index_name_pos(istate, path, strlen(path)), ret;
+
+	/*
+	 * If it already exists in the cache as stage0, it's
+	 * already merged and there is nothing to do.
+	 */
+	if (pos < 0) {
+		ret = merge_entry(istate, quiet, -pos - 1, path, cb, data);
+		if (ret == -1)
+			return -1;
+		else if (ret == -2)
+			return 1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int merge_all(struct index_state *istate, int oneshot, int quiet,
+	      merge_cb cb, void *data)
+{
+	int err = 0, i, ret;
+	for (i = 0; i < istate->cache_nr; i++) {
+		const struct cache_entry *ce = istate->cache[i];
+		if (!ce_stage(ce))
+			continue;
+
+		ret = merge_entry(istate, quiet, i, ce->name, cb, data);
+		if (ret > 0)
+			i += ret - 1;
+		else if (ret == -1)
+			return -1;
+		else if (ret == -2) {
+			if (oneshot)
+				err++;
+			else
+				return 1;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return err;
+}
diff --git a/merge-strategies.h b/merge-strategies.h
index b527d145c7..cf78d7eaf4 100644
--- a/merge-strategies.h
+++ b/merge-strategies.h
@@ -10,4 +10,21 @@ int merge_strategies_one_file(struct repository *r,
 			      unsigned int orig_mode, unsigned int our_mode,
 			      unsigned int their_mode);
 
+typedef int (*merge_cb)(const struct object_id *orig_blob,
+			const struct object_id *our_blob,
+			const struct object_id *their_blob, const char *path,
+			unsigned int orig_mode, unsigned int our_mode, unsigned int their_mode,
+			void *data);
+
+int merge_program_cb(const struct object_id *orig_blob,
+		     const struct object_id *our_blob,
+		     const struct object_id *their_blob, const char *path,
+		     unsigned int orig_mode, unsigned int our_mode, unsigned int their_mode,
+		     void *data);
+
+int merge_one_path(struct index_state *istate, int oneshot, int quiet,
+		   const char *path, merge_cb cb, void *data);
+int merge_all(struct index_state *istate, int oneshot, int quiet,
+	      merge_cb cb, void *data);
+
 #endif /* MERGE_STRATEGIES_H */
