diff --git a/plugins/git/receive-app b/plugins/git/receive-app
index 7fe95cc1a..7d51d025d 100755
--- a/plugins/git/receive-app
+++ b/plugins/git/receive-app
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ APP="$1"; REV="$2"
 
 # Don't trigger git build if there is no git repository.
 if [ ! -d "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/refs" ]; then
-  cat
+  cat || true
 else
   dokku git-build $APP $REV
 fi
diff --git a/plugins/tar/commands b/plugins/tar/commands
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..f18898e66
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/tar/commands
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -eo pipefail; [[ $DOKKU_TRACE ]] && set -x
+source "$(dirname $0)/../common/functions"
+
+case "$1" in
+  tar-from|tar:from)
+    verify_app_name "$2"
+    APP=$2
+    URL=$3
+    shift 3
+    curl -# --insecure -L "$URL" | dokku tar-in $APP "$@"
+    ;;
+
+  tar-in|tar:in)
+    APP="$2"
+    verify_app_name "$2"
+    tee "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/src.tar" | wc -c 
+    pluginhook -p receive-app $APP
+    ;;
+
+  tar-build)
+    verify_app_name "$2"
+    APP="$2"; APP_BUILD_LOCK="$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/.build.lock"
+    APP_BUILD_LOCK_MSG="$APP is currently being deployed or locked. Waiting..."
+    [[ $(flock -n "$APP_BUILD_LOCK" true &>/dev/null ; echo $?) -ne 0 ]] && echo "$APP_BUILD_LOCK_MSG"
+
+    shift 1
+    flock -o "$APP_BUILD_LOCK" dokku tar-build-locked "$@"
+    ;;
+
+  tar-build-locked)
+    APP="$2"
+    verify_app_name "$2"
+    shift 2
+
+    # clean up after ourselves
+    TMP_WORK_DIR=$(mktemp -d)
+    trap 'rm -rf "$TMP_WORK_DIR" > /dev/null' RETURN
+
+    # extract tar file
+    chmod 755 $TMP_WORK_DIR
+    pushd $TMP_WORK_DIR > /dev/null
+
+    # Detect a common prefix that all files in the tar have, and strip off each directory found in it
+    COMMON_PREFIX=$(tar -tf "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/src.tar" | sed -e 'N;s/^\(.*\).*\n\1.*$/\1\n\1/;D')
+    BOGUS_PARTS=$(echo "$COMMON_PREFIX " | awk 'BEGIN{FS="/"} {print NF-1}')
+
+    dokku_log_info1_quiet "Striping $BOGUS_PARTS worth of directories from tarball"
+
+    tar -x -C "$TMP_WORK_DIR" -f "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/src.tar" --strip-components=$BOGUS_PARTS
+    chmod -R u+r "$TMP_WORK_DIR"
+    #find -name .git -prune -exec rm -rf {} \; > /dev/null
+
+    if [[ -f Dockerfile ]] && [[ "$([[ -f .env ]] && grep -q BUILDPACK_URL .env; echo $?)" != "0" ]] && [[ ! -f ".buildpacks" ]]; then
+      dokku receive "$APP" "dockerfile" "$TMP_WORK_DIR" | sed -u "s/^/"$'\e[1G'"/"
+    else
+      dokku receive "$APP" "herokuish" "$TMP_WORK_DIR" | sed -u "s/^/"$'\e[1G'"/"
+    fi
+    ;;
+
+  help)
+    cat && cat<<EOF
+    tar:in <app>, Reads an tarball containing the app from stdin
+    tar:from <app> <url>, Loads an app tarball from url.
+EOF
+    ;;
+
+  *)
+    exit $DOKKU_NOT_IMPLEMENTED_EXIT
+    ;;
+
+esac
diff --git a/plugins/tar/receive-app b/plugins/tar/receive-app
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..1c9428ccb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/tar/receive-app
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -eo pipefail; [[ $DOKKU_TRACE ]] && set -x
+source "$(dirname $0)/../common/functions"
+
+APP="$1"; REV="$2"
+
+# Don't trigger tar build if there is no tarball.
+if [ ! -f "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/src.tar" ]; then
+  cat || true
+else
+  dokku tar-build $APP
+fi
diff --git a/tests/unit/tar.bats b/tests/unit/tar.bats
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fbbb3f20f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/tar.bats
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bats
+
+load test_helper
+
+setup() {
+  create_app
+}
+
+teardown() {
+  destroy_app
+}
+
+deploy_app_tar() {
+  APP_TYPE="$1"; APP_TYPE=${APP_TYPE:="nodejs-express"}
+  TMP=$(mktemp -d -t "dokku.me.XXXXX")
+  rmdir $TMP && cp -r ./tests/apps/$APP_TYPE $TMP
+  cd $TMP
+  shift 1
+  tar c . $* | ssh dokku@dokku.me tar:in $TEST_APP || destroy_app $?
+}
+
+@test "(tar) non-tarbomb deploy using tar:in" {
+  deploy_app_tar nodejs-express --transform 's,^,prefix/,'
+
+  run bash -c "response=\"$(curl -s -S my-cool-guy-test-app.dokku.me)\"; echo \$response; test \"\$response\" == \"nodejs/express\""
+  echo "output: "$output
+  echo "status: "$status
+  assert_success
+}
+
+@test "(tar) tarbomb deploy using tar:in" {
+  deploy_app_tar nodejs-express
+
+  run bash -c "response=\"$(curl -s -S my-cool-guy-test-app.dokku.me)\"; echo \$response; test \"\$response\" == \"nodejs/express\""
+  echo "output: "$output
+  echo "status: "$status
+  assert_success
+}