diff --git a/debian/tools/patchinstall.sh.in b/debian/tools/patchinstall.sh.in
index b7f09498..64a34926 100644
--- a/debian/tools/patchinstall.sh.in
+++ b/debian/tools/patchinstall.sh.in
@@ -30,15 +30,16 @@ usage()
 	echo "using a Makefile."
 	echo ""
 	echo "Configuration:"
-	echo "  DESTDIR=path        Specify the path to the wine source tree"
-	echo "  --all          		Select all patches"
-	echo "  --help    	     	Display this help and exit"
-	echo "  --no-autoupdate  	Do not apply patchlist and don't auto-update files"
-	echo "  -W patchset        	Exclude a specific patchset"
+	echo "  DESTDIR=path         Specify the path to the wine source tree"
+	echo "  --all          		 Select all patches"
+	echo "  --help    	     	 Display this help and exit"
+	echo "  --no-autoupdate  	 Do not apply patchlist and don't auto-update files"
+	echo "  -W patchset        	 Exclude a specific patchset"
 	echo ""
 	echo "Backends:"
-	echo "  --backend=patch     Use regular 'patch' utility to apply patches (default)"
-	echo "  --backend=git       Use 'git am' to apply patches"
+	echo "  --backend=patch      Use regular 'patch' utility to apply patches (default)"
+	echo "  --backend=git-am     Use 'git am' to apply patches"
+	echo "  --backend=git-apply  Use 'git apply' to apply patches"
 	echo ""
 }}
 
@@ -126,7 +127,7 @@ if [ "$backend" == "patch" ]; then
 	}}
 
 # GIT backend - apply patches using 'git am'
-elif [ "$backend" == "git" ]; then
+elif [ "$backend" == "git" -o "$backend" == "git-am" ]; then
 
 	patch_apply ()
 	{{
@@ -136,6 +137,17 @@ elif [ "$backend" == "git" ]; then
 		fi
 	}}
 
+# Git apply backend
+elif [ "$backend" == "git-apply" ]; then
+
+	patch_apply ()
+	{{
+		echo "Applying $1"
+		if ! cat "$1" | (cd "$DESTDIR" && git apply); then
+			abort "Failed to apply patch, aborting!"
+		fi
+	}}
+
 # Stacked GIT backend - import the patches (mainly for developers)
 elif [ "$backend" == "stg" ]; then
 
diff --git a/patches/Makefile b/patches/Makefile
index d2eab00b..ac9c4228 100644
--- a/patches/Makefile
+++ b/patches/Makefile
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ install:
 .PHONY: install-git
 install-git:
 	@echo "WARNING: Using this Makefile is deprecated!" >&2
-	"$(CURDIR)/patchinstall.sh" DESTDIR="$(DESTDIR)" --all --backend=git
+	"$(CURDIR)/patchinstall.sh" DESTDIR="$(DESTDIR)" --all --backend=git-am
 
 .PHONY: series
 series:
diff --git a/patches/patchinstall.sh b/patches/patchinstall.sh
index 649c0252..53c6fe41 100755
--- a/patches/patchinstall.sh
+++ b/patches/patchinstall.sh
@@ -30,15 +30,16 @@ usage()
 	echo "using a Makefile."
 	echo ""
 	echo "Configuration:"
-	echo "  DESTDIR=path        Specify the path to the wine source tree"
-	echo "  --all          		Select all patches"
-	echo "  --help    	     	Display this help and exit"
-	echo "  --no-autoupdate  	Do not apply patchlist and don't auto-update files"
-	echo "  -W patchset        	Exclude a specific patchset"
+	echo "  DESTDIR=path         Specify the path to the wine source tree"
+	echo "  --all          		 Select all patches"
+	echo "  --help    	     	 Display this help and exit"
+	echo "  --no-autoupdate  	 Do not apply patchlist and don't auto-update files"
+	echo "  -W patchset        	 Exclude a specific patchset"
 	echo ""
 	echo "Backends:"
-	echo "  --backend=patch     Use regular 'patch' utility to apply patches (default)"
-	echo "  --backend=git       Use 'git am' to apply patches"
+	echo "  --backend=patch      Use regular 'patch' utility to apply patches (default)"
+	echo "  --backend=git-am     Use 'git am' to apply patches"
+	echo "  --backend=git-apply  Use 'git apply' to apply patches"
 	echo ""
 }
 
@@ -668,7 +669,7 @@ if [ "$backend" == "patch" ]; then
 	}
 
 # GIT backend - apply patches using 'git am'
-elif [ "$backend" == "git" ]; then
+elif [ "$backend" == "git" -o "$backend" == "git-am" ]; then
 
 	patch_apply ()
 	{
@@ -678,6 +679,17 @@ elif [ "$backend" == "git" ]; then
 		fi
 	}
 
+# Git apply backend
+elif [ "$backend" == "git-apply" ]; then
+
+	patch_apply ()
+	{
+		echo "Applying $1"
+		if ! cat "$1" | (cd "$DESTDIR" && git apply); then
+			abort "Failed to apply patch, aborting!"
+		fi
+	}
+
 # Stacked GIT backend - import the patches (mainly for developers)
 elif [ "$backend" == "stg" ]; then