diff --git a/core/commands/object/patch.go b/core/commands/object/patch.go
index c22b1172c06..837424e007b 100644
--- a/core/commands/object/patch.go
+++ b/core/commands/object/patch.go
@@ -79,7 +79,13 @@ the limit will not be respected by the network.
 			return
 		}
 
-		data, err := ioutil.ReadAll(req.Files())
+		fi, err := req.Files().NextFile()
+		if err != nil {
+			res.SetError(err, cmds.ErrNormal)
+			return
+		}
+
+		data, err := ioutil.ReadAll(fi)
 		if err != nil {
 			res.SetError(err, cmds.ErrNormal)
 			return
@@ -102,7 +108,16 @@ the limit will not be respected by the network.
 }
 
 var patchSetDataCmd = &cmds.Command{
-	Helptext: cmds.HelpText{},
+	Helptext: cmds.HelpText{
+		Tagline: "set data field of an ipfs object",
+		ShortDescription: `
+Set the data of an ipfs object from stdin or with the contents of a file
+
+EXAMPLE:
+
+    $ echo "my data" | ipfs object patch $MYHASH set-data
+`,
+	},
 	Arguments: []cmds.Argument{
 		cmds.StringArg("root", true, false, "the hash of the node to modify"),
 		cmds.FileArg("data", true, false, "data fill with").EnableStdin(),
@@ -126,7 +141,13 @@ var patchSetDataCmd = &cmds.Command{
 			return
 		}
 
-		data, err := ioutil.ReadAll(req.Files())
+		fi, err := req.Files().NextFile()
+		if err != nil {
+			res.SetError(err, cmds.ErrNormal)
+			return
+		}
+
+		data, err := ioutil.ReadAll(fi)
 		if err != nil {
 			res.SetError(err, cmds.ErrNormal)
 			return
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0051-object.sh b/test/sharness/t0051-object.sh
index 89164e92f8a..00bdff0e134 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0051-object.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0051-object.sh
@@ -241,7 +241,28 @@ test_object_cmd() {
 	test_patch_create_path $BLANK a $FILE
 
 	test_expect_success "create bad path fails" '
-		test_must_fail ipfs object patch --create $EMPTY add-link / $FILE
+		test_must_fail ipfs object patch $EMPTY add-link --create / $FILE
+	'
+
+	test_expect_success "patch set-data works" '
+		EMPTY=$(ipfs object new) &&
+		HASH=$(printf "foo" | ipfs object patch $EMPTY set-data)
+	'
+
+	test_expect_success "output looks good" '
+		echo "{\"Links\":[],\"Data\":\"foo\"}" > exp_data_set &&
+		ipfs object get $HASH > actual_data_set &&
+		test_cmp exp_data_set actual_data_set
+	'
+
+	test_expect_success "patch append-data works" '
+		HASH=$(printf "bar" | ipfs object patch $HASH append-data)
+	'
+
+	test_expect_success "output looks good" '
+		echo "{\"Links\":[],\"Data\":\"foobar\"}" > exp_data_append &&
+		ipfs object get $HASH > actual_data_append &&
+		test_cmp exp_data_append actual_data_append
 	'
 }