diff --git a/git/index/base.py b/git/index/base.py
index 12097922d..c834971a0 100644
--- a/git/index/base.py
+++ b/git/index/base.py
@@ -562,7 +562,48 @@ def _preprocess_add_items(self, items):
 		# END for each item
 		return (paths, entries)
 
+
+	@git_working_dir
+	def _store_path(self, filepath, fprogress):
+		"""Store file at filepath in the database and return the base index entry"""
+		st = os.lstat(filepath)		# handles non-symlinks as well
+		stream = None
+		if S_ISLNK(st.st_mode):
+			stream = StringIO(os.readlink(filepath))
+		else:
+			stream = open(filepath, 'rb')
+		# END handle stream
+		fprogress(filepath, False, filepath)
+		istream = self.repo.odb.store(IStream(Blob.type, st.st_size, stream))
+		fprogress(filepath, True, filepath)
+		return BaseIndexEntry((stat_mode_to_index_mode(st.st_mode), 
+							istream.binsha, 0, to_native_path_linux(filepath)))
+
 	@git_working_dir
+	def _entries_for_paths(self, paths, path_rewriter, fprogress):
+		entries_added = list()
+		if path_rewriter:
+			for path in paths:
+				abspath = os.path.abspath(path)
+				gitrelative_path = abspath[len(self.repo.working_tree_dir)+1:]
+				blob = Blob(self.repo, Blob.NULL_BIN_SHA, 
+							stat_mode_to_index_mode(os.stat(abspath).st_mode), 
+							to_native_path_linux(gitrelative_path))
+				entries.append(BaseIndexEntry.from_blob(blob))
+			# END for each path
+			del(paths[:])
+		# END rewrite paths
+
+		# HANDLE PATHS
+		assert len(entries_added) == 0
+		added_files = list()
+		for filepath in self._iter_expand_paths(paths):
+			entries_added.append(self._store_path(filepath, fprogress))
+		# END for each filepath
+		# END path handling
+		return entries_added
+
+
 	def add(self, items, force=True, fprogress=lambda *args: None, path_rewriter=None, 
 				write=True):
 		"""Add files from the working tree, specific blobs or BaseIndexEntries
@@ -651,47 +692,10 @@ def add(self, items, force=True, fprogress=lambda *args: None, path_rewriter=Non
 		# sort the entries into strings and Entries, Blobs are converted to entries
 		# automatically
 		# paths can be git-added, for everything else we use git-update-index
-		entries_added = list()
 		paths, entries = self._preprocess_add_items(items)
-		if paths and path_rewriter:
-			for path in paths:
-				abspath = os.path.abspath(path)
-				gitrelative_path = abspath[len(self.repo.working_tree_dir)+1:]
-				blob = Blob(self.repo, Blob.NULL_BIN_SHA, 
-							stat_mode_to_index_mode(os.stat(abspath).st_mode), 
-							to_native_path_linux(gitrelative_path))
-				entries.append(BaseIndexEntry.from_blob(blob))
-			# END for each path
-			del(paths[:])
-		# END rewrite paths
-
-
-		def store_path(filepath):
-			"""Store file at filepath in the database and return the base index entry"""
-			st = os.lstat(filepath)		# handles non-symlinks as well
-			stream = None
-			if S_ISLNK(st.st_mode):
-				stream = StringIO(os.readlink(filepath))
-			else:
-				stream = open(filepath, 'rb')
-			# END handle stream
-			fprogress(filepath, False, filepath)
-			istream = self.repo.odb.store(IStream(Blob.type, st.st_size, stream))
-			fprogress(filepath, True, filepath)
-			return BaseIndexEntry((stat_mode_to_index_mode(st.st_mode), 
-									istream.binsha, 0, to_native_path_linux(filepath)))
-		# END utility method
-
-
-		# HANDLE PATHS
+		entries_added = list()
 		if paths:
-			assert len(entries_added) == 0
-			added_files = list()
-			for filepath in self._iter_expand_paths(paths):
-				entries_added.append(store_path(filepath))
-			# END for each filepath
-		# END path handling
-
+			entries_added.extend(self._entries_for_paths(paths, path_rewriter, fprogress))
 
 		# HANDLE ENTRIES
 		if entries:
@@ -706,7 +710,7 @@ def store_path(filepath):
 			if null_entries_indices:
 				for ei in null_entries_indices:
 					null_entry = entries[ei]
-					new_entry = store_path(null_entry.path)
+					new_entry = self._store_path(null_entry.path, fprogress)
 					
 					# update null entry
 					entries[ei] = BaseIndexEntry((null_entry.mode, new_entry.binsha, null_entry.stage, null_entry.path))
diff --git a/git/test/test_index.py b/git/test/test_index.py
index 7d65cb9bb..c512468b6 100644
--- a/git/test/test_index.py
+++ b/git/test/test_index.py
@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@
 import time
 from stat import *
 
+from StringIO import StringIO
+from gitdb.base import IStream
+from git.objects import Blob
+from git.index.typ import BaseIndexEntry
+
+
 class TestIndex(TestBase):
 	
 	def __init__(self, *args):
@@ -646,6 +652,34 @@ def make_paths():
 		for absfile in absfiles:
 			assert os.path.isfile(absfile)
 				
+	@with_rw_repo('HEAD', bare=True)
+	def test_index_bare_add(self, rw_bare_repo):
+		# Something is wrong after cloning to a bare repo, reading the
+		# property rw_bare_repo.working_tree_dir will return '/tmp'
+		# instead of throwing the Exception we are expecting. This is
+		# a quick hack to make this test fail when expected.
+		rw_bare_repo._working_tree_dir = None
+		contents = 'This is a StringIO file'
+		filesize = len(contents)
+		fileobj = StringIO(contents)
+		filename = 'my-imaginary-file'
+		istream = rw_bare_repo.odb.store(
+				IStream(Blob.type, filesize, fileobj))
+		entry = BaseIndexEntry((100644, istream.binsha, 0, filename))
+		try:
+		rw_bare_repo.index.add([entry])
+		except AssertionError, e:
+			self.fail("Adding to the index of a bare repo is not allowed.")
+
+		# Adding using a path should still require a non-bare repository.
+		asserted = False
+		path = os.path.join('git', 'test', 'test_index.py')
+		try:
+			rw_bare_repo.index.add([path])
+		except Exception, e:
+			asserted = "does not have a working tree" in e.message
+		assert asserted, "Adding using a filename is not correctly asserted."
+
 		
 	@with_rw_repo('HEAD')
 	def test_compare_write_tree(self, rw_repo):