diff --git a/contrib/git-add-vendor-branch.sh b/contrib/git-add-vendor-branch.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..04d39ed6b63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/git-add-vendor-branch.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+#! /bin/sh -xve
+
+# Create a new upstream vendor branch.
+
+# Usage:
+#  contrib/git-add-vendor-branch.sh <vendor>/<branch-name> <base>
+
+usage ()
+{
+    echo "Usage:"
+    echo "  $0 <vendor>/<branch-name> <start-point>"
+    echo
+    echo "<vendor> must have already been set up using contrib/git-fetch-vendor.sh"
+    exit 1
+}
+
+if [ $# != 2 ]
+then
+    usage
+fi
+
+vendor=$(echo "$1" | sed -r "s:([^/]*)/.*$:\1:")
+branch=$(echo "$1" | sed -r "s:[^/]*/(.*)$:\1:")
+start=$2
+
+if [ -z "$vendor" -o -z "$branch" ]
+then
+    usage
+fi
+
+# Check that we know about the vendor
+url=$(git config --get "remote.vendors/${vendor}.url"||true)
+if [ -z "$url" ]
+then
+    echo "Cannot locate remote data for vendor ${vendor}.  Have you set it up?"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+git branch --no-track ${vendor}/${branch} ${start}
+git push vendors/${vendor} ${vendor}/${branch}:refs/vendors/${vendor}/heads/${branch}
+git fetch -q vendors/${vendor}
+git branch --set-upstream-to=remotes/vendors/${vendor}/${branch} ${vendor}/$branch
+echo "Now ready to check out ${vendor}/${branch}"