diff --git a/add-interactive.c b/add-interactive.c
index 0f99a52a72..7b6bcf6f8a 100644
--- a/add-interactive.c
+++ b/add-interactive.c
@@ -45,6 +45,132 @@ static void init_add_i_state(struct add_i_state *s, struct repository *r)
 	init_color(r, s, "header", s->header_color, GIT_COLOR_BOLD);
 }
 
+/*
+ * A "prefix item list" is a list of items that are identified by a string, and
+ * a unique prefix (if any) is determined for each item.
+ *
+ * It is implemented in the form of a pair of `string_list`s, the first one
+ * duplicating the strings, with the `util` field pointing at a structure whose
+ * first field must be `size_t prefix_length`.
+ *
+ * That `prefix_length` field will be computed by `find_unique_prefixes()`; It
+ * will be set to zero if no valid, unique prefix could be found.
+ *
+ * The second `string_list` is called `sorted` and does _not_ duplicate the
+ * strings but simply reuses the first one's, with the `util` field pointing at
+ * the `string_item_list` of the first `string_list`. It  will be populated and
+ * sorted by `find_unique_prefixes()`.
+ */
+struct prefix_item_list {
+	struct string_list items;
+	struct string_list sorted;
+	size_t min_length, max_length;
+};
+#define PREFIX_ITEM_LIST_INIT \
+	{ STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP, STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP, 1, 4 }
+
+static void prefix_item_list_clear(struct prefix_item_list *list)
+{
+	string_list_clear(&list->items, 1);
+	string_list_clear(&list->sorted, 0);
+}
+
+static void extend_prefix_length(struct string_list_item *p,
+				 const char *other_string, size_t max_length)
+{
+	size_t *len = p->util;
+
+	if (!*len || memcmp(p->string, other_string, *len))
+		return;
+
+	for (;;) {
+		char c = p->string[*len];
+
+		/*
+		 * Is `p` a strict prefix of `other`? Or have we exhausted the
+		 * maximal length of the prefix? Or is the current character a
+		 * multi-byte UTF-8 one? If so, there is no valid, unique
+		 * prefix.
+		 */
+		if (!c || ++*len > max_length || !isascii(c)) {
+			*len = 0;
+			break;
+		}
+
+		if (c != other_string[*len - 1])
+			break;
+	}
+}
+
+static void find_unique_prefixes(struct prefix_item_list *list)
+{
+	size_t i;
+
+	if (list->sorted.nr == list->items.nr)
+		return;
+
+	string_list_clear(&list->sorted, 0);
+	/* Avoid reallocating incrementally */
+	list->sorted.items = xmalloc(st_mult(sizeof(*list->sorted.items),
+					     list->items.nr));
+	list->sorted.nr = list->sorted.alloc = list->items.nr;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < list->items.nr; i++) {
+		list->sorted.items[i].string = list->items.items[i].string;
+		list->sorted.items[i].util = list->items.items + i;
+	}
+
+	string_list_sort(&list->sorted);
+
+	for (i = 0; i < list->sorted.nr; i++) {
+		struct string_list_item *sorted_item = list->sorted.items + i;
+		struct string_list_item *item = sorted_item->util;
+		size_t *len = item->util;
+
+		*len = 0;
+		while (*len < list->min_length) {
+			char c = item->string[(*len)++];
+
+			if (!c || !isascii(c)) {
+				*len = 0;
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+
+		if (i > 0)
+			extend_prefix_length(item, sorted_item[-1].string,
+					     list->max_length);
+		if (i + 1 < list->sorted.nr)
+			extend_prefix_length(item, sorted_item[1].string,
+					     list->max_length);
+	}
+}
+
+static ssize_t find_unique(const char *string, struct prefix_item_list *list)
+{
+	int index = string_list_find_insert_index(&list->sorted, string, 1);
+	struct string_list_item *item;
+
+	if (list->items.nr != list->sorted.nr)
+		BUG("prefix_item_list in inconsistent state (%"PRIuMAX
+		    " vs %"PRIuMAX")",
+		    (uintmax_t)list->items.nr, (uintmax_t)list->sorted.nr);
+
+	if (index < 0)
+		item = list->sorted.items[-1 - index].util;
+	else if (index > 0 &&
+		 starts_with(list->sorted.items[index - 1].string, string))
+		return -1;
+	else if (index + 1 < list->sorted.nr &&
+		 starts_with(list->sorted.items[index + 1].string, string))
+		return -1;
+	else if (index < list->sorted.nr)
+		item = list->sorted.items[index].util;
+	else
+		return -1;
+	return item - list->items.items;
+}
+
 struct list_options {
 	int columns;
 	const char *header;
@@ -95,18 +221,21 @@ struct list_and_choose_options {
  * If an error occurred, returns `LIST_AND_CHOOSE_ERROR`. Upon EOF,
  * `LIST_AND_CHOOSE_QUIT` is returned.
  */
-static ssize_t list_and_choose(struct add_i_state *s, struct string_list *items,
+static ssize_t list_and_choose(struct add_i_state *s,
+			       struct prefix_item_list *items,
 			       struct list_and_choose_options *opts)
 {
 	struct strbuf input = STRBUF_INIT;
 	ssize_t res = LIST_AND_CHOOSE_ERROR;
 
+	find_unique_prefixes(items);
+
 	for (;;) {
 		char *p;
 
 		strbuf_reset(&input);
 
-		list(s, items, &opts->list_opts);
+		list(s, &items->items, &opts->list_opts);
 
 		printf("%s%s", opts->prompt, "> ");
 		fflush(stdout);
@@ -141,7 +270,10 @@ static ssize_t list_and_choose(struct add_i_state *s, struct string_list *items,
 			}
 
 			p[sep] = '\0';
-			if (index < 0 || index >= items->nr)
+			if (index < 0)
+				index = find_unique(p, items);
+
+			if (index < 0 || index >= items->items.nr)
 				printf(_("Huh (%s)?\n"), p);
 			else {
 				res = index;
@@ -307,6 +439,23 @@ static void render_adddel(struct strbuf *buf,
 		strbuf_addstr(buf, no_changes);
 }
 
+/* filters out prefixes which have special meaning to list_and_choose() */
+static int is_valid_prefix(const char *prefix, size_t prefix_len)
+{
+	return prefix_len && prefix &&
+		/*
+		 * We expect `prefix` to be NUL terminated, therefore this
+		 * `strcspn()` call is okay, even if it might do much more
+		 * work than strictly necessary.
+		 */
+		strcspn(prefix, " \t\r\n,") >= prefix_len &&	/* separators */
+		*prefix != '-' &&				/* deselection */
+		!isdigit(*prefix) &&				/* selection */
+		(prefix_len != 1 ||
+		 (*prefix != '*' &&				/* "all" wildcard */
+		  *prefix != '?'));				/* prompt help */
+}
+
 struct print_file_item_data {
 	const char *modified_fmt;
 	struct strbuf buf, index, worktree;
@@ -346,10 +495,23 @@ typedef int (*command_t)(struct add_i_state *s, const struct pathspec *ps,
 			 struct string_list *files,
 			 struct list_options *opts);
 
+struct command_item {
+	size_t prefix_length;
+	command_t command;
+};
+
 static void print_command_item(int i, struct string_list_item *item,
 			       void *print_command_item_data)
 {
-	printf(" %2d: %s", i + 1, item->string);
+	struct command_item *util = item->util;
+
+	if (!util->prefix_length ||
+	    !is_valid_prefix(item->string, util->prefix_length))
+		printf(" %2d: %s", i + 1, item->string);
+	else
+		printf(" %2d: [%.*s]%s", i + 1,
+		       (int)util->prefix_length, item->string,
+		       item->string + util->prefix_length);
 }
 
 int run_add_i(struct repository *r, const struct pathspec *ps)
@@ -365,7 +527,7 @@ int run_add_i(struct repository *r, const struct pathspec *ps)
 	} command_list[] = {
 		{ "status", run_status },
 	};
-	struct string_list commands = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
+	struct prefix_item_list commands = PREFIX_ITEM_LIST_INIT;
 
 	struct print_file_item_data print_file_item_data = {
 		"%12s %12s %s", STRBUF_INIT, STRBUF_INIT, STRBUF_INIT
@@ -378,9 +540,12 @@ int run_add_i(struct repository *r, const struct pathspec *ps)
 	ssize_t i;
 	int res = 0;
 
-	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(command_list); i++)
-		string_list_append(&commands, command_list[i].string)
-			->util = command_list[i].command;
+	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(command_list); i++) {
+		struct command_item *util = xcalloc(sizeof(*util), 1);
+		util->command = command_list[i].command;
+		string_list_append(&commands.items, command_list[i].string)
+			->util = util;
+	}
 
 	init_add_i_state(&s, r);
 
@@ -405,8 +570,9 @@ int run_add_i(struct repository *r, const struct pathspec *ps)
 			break;
 		}
 		if (i != LIST_AND_CHOOSE_ERROR) {
-			command_t command = commands.items[i].util;
-			res = command(&s, ps, &files, &opts);
+			struct command_item *util =
+				commands.items.items[i].util;
+			res = util->command(&s, ps, &files, &opts);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -415,7 +581,7 @@ int run_add_i(struct repository *r, const struct pathspec *ps)
 	strbuf_release(&print_file_item_data.index);
 	strbuf_release(&print_file_item_data.worktree);
 	strbuf_release(&header);
-	string_list_clear(&commands, 0);
+	prefix_item_list_clear(&commands);
 
 	return res;
 }
