diff --git a/Documentation/technical/api-argv-array.txt b/Documentation/technical/api-argv-array.txt
index 8076172a0..cfc063018 100644
--- a/Documentation/technical/api-argv-array.txt
+++ b/Documentation/technical/api-argv-array.txt
@@ -56,3 +56,10 @@ Functions
 `argv_array_clear`::
 	Free all memory associated with the array and return it to the
 	initial, empty state.
+
+`argv_array_detach`::
+	Disconnect the `argv` member from the `argv_array` struct and
+	return it. The caller is responsible for freeing the memory used
+	by the array, and by the strings it references. After detaching,
+	the `argv_array` is in a reinitialized state and can be pushed
+	into again.
diff --git a/argv-array.c b/argv-array.c
index eaed47712..5d370fa33 100644
--- a/argv-array.c
+++ b/argv-array.c
@@ -74,3 +74,14 @@ void argv_array_clear(struct argv_array *array)
 	}
 	argv_array_init(array);
 }
+
+const char **argv_array_detach(struct argv_array *array)
+{
+	if (array->argv == empty_argv)
+		return xcalloc(1, sizeof(const char *));
+	else {
+		const char **ret = array->argv;
+		argv_array_init(array);
+		return ret;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/argv-array.h b/argv-array.h
index a2fa0aa60..29056e49a 100644
--- a/argv-array.h
+++ b/argv-array.h
@@ -20,5 +20,6 @@ void argv_array_pushl(struct argv_array *, ...);
 void argv_array_pushv(struct argv_array *, const char **);
 void argv_array_pop(struct argv_array *);
 void argv_array_clear(struct argv_array *);
+const char **argv_array_detach(struct argv_array *);
 
 #endif /* ARGV_ARRAY_H */