diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index c53b01c52b..d988a969ed 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ git-annex (6.20170322) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
     ignored, a reversion introduced in 6.20160527.
   * gcrypt: Support re-enabling to change eg, encryption parameters.
     This was never supported before.
+  * git annex add -u now supported, analagous to git add -u
 
  -- Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>  Wed, 29 Mar 2017 12:41:46 -0400
 
diff --git a/Command/Add.hs b/Command/Add.hs
index f9cfbb9a14..beea48e0b7 100644
--- a/Command/Add.hs
+++ b/Command/Add.hs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {- git-annex command
  -
- - Copyright 2010, 2013 Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>
+ - Copyright 2010-2017 Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>
  -
  - Licensed under the GNU GPL version 3 or higher.
  -}
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ data AddOptions = AddOptions
 	{ addThese :: CmdParams
 	, includeDotFiles :: Bool
 	, batchOption :: BatchMode
+	, updateOnly :: Bool
 	}
 
 optParser :: CmdParamsDesc -> Parser AddOptions
@@ -40,6 +41,11 @@ optParser desc = AddOptions
 		<> help "don't skip dotfiles"
 		)
 	<*> parseBatchOption
+	<*> switch
+		( long "update"
+		<> short 'u'
+		<> help "only update tracked files"
+		)
 
 seek :: AddOptions -> CommandSeek
 seek o = allowConcurrentOutput $ do
@@ -52,10 +58,14 @@ seek o = allowConcurrentOutput $ do
 			)
 		)
 	case batchOption o of
-		Batch -> batchFiles gofile
+		Batch
+			| updateOnly o ->
+				giveup "--update --batch is not supported"
+			| otherwise -> batchFiles gofile
 		NoBatch -> do
 			let go a = a gofile (addThese o)
-			go (withFilesNotInGit (not $ includeDotFiles o))
+			unless (updateOnly o) $
+				go (withFilesNotInGit (not $ includeDotFiles o))
 			go withFilesMaybeModified
 			unlessM (versionSupportsUnlockedPointers <||> isDirect) $
 				go withFilesOldUnlocked
diff --git a/doc/git-annex-add.mdwn b/doc/git-annex-add.mdwn
index 15bb8a6a0c..2ebbbac06c 100644
--- a/doc/git-annex-add.mdwn
+++ b/doc/git-annex-add.mdwn
@@ -56,6 +56,11 @@ annexed content, and other symlinks.
   Adds multiple files in parallel. This may be faster.
   For example: `-J4`  
 
+* `--update` `-u`
+
+  Like `git add --update`, this does not add new files, but any updates
+  to tracked files will be added to the index.
+
 * `--json`
 
   Enable JSON output. This is intended to be parsed by programs that use
diff --git a/doc/todo/annex_add___40__-u__124__--update__41___mode.mdwn b/doc/todo/annex_add___40__-u__124__--update__41___mode.mdwn
index 8331176528..ab0eac108a 100644
--- a/doc/todo/annex_add___40__-u__124__--update__41___mode.mdwn
+++ b/doc/todo/annex_add___40__-u__124__--update__41___mode.mdwn
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 to supplement 'git add -u' behavior -- to add only updated (tracked only, no untracked) files to be committed.  ATM all files would be added, including untracked.
 
 [[!meta author=yoh]]
+
+> [[done]]
diff --git a/doc/todo/annex_add___40__-u__124__--update__41___mode/comment_1_bde2b1e2c45e110d56ce98b43dd77743._comment b/doc/todo/annex_add___40__-u__124__--update__41___mode/comment_1_bde2b1e2c45e110d56ce98b43dd77743._comment
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e6a632902e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/todo/annex_add___40__-u__124__--update__41___mode/comment_1_bde2b1e2c45e110d56ce98b43dd77743._comment
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+[[!comment format=mdwn
+ username="joey"
+ subject="""comment 1"""
+ date="2017-04-07T19:41:02Z"
+ content="""
+Good idea, adding.
+"""]]