diff --git a/core/commands/object/patch.go b/core/commands/object/patch.go
index 2668bfcf8..a53a4a062 100644
--- a/core/commands/object/patch.go
+++ b/core/commands/object/patch.go
@@ -325,13 +325,7 @@ to a file containing 'bar', and returns the hash of the new object.
 			return
 		}
 
-		chpb, ok := childnd.(*dag.ProtoNode)
-		if !ok {
-			res.SetError(dag.ErrNotProtobuf, cmdkit.ErrNormal)
-			return
-		}
-
-		err = e.InsertNodeAtPath(req.Context(), npath, chpb, createfunc)
+		err = e.InsertNodeAtPath(req.Context(), npath, childnd, createfunc)
 		if err != nil {
 			res.SetError(err, cmdkit.ErrNormal)
 			return
diff --git a/merkledag/utils/utils.go b/merkledag/utils/utils.go
index 790d98dc8..b976907dc 100644
--- a/merkledag/utils/utils.go
+++ b/merkledag/utils/utils.go
@@ -212,8 +212,9 @@ func copyDag(nd *dag.ProtoNode, from, to dag.DAGService) error {
 		}
 
 		childpb, ok := child.(*dag.ProtoNode)
-		if !ok {
-			return dag.ErrNotProtobuf
+		if !ok { // leaf node
+			_, err := to.Add(nd)
+			return err
 		}
 
 		err = copyDag(childpb, from, to)
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0051-object.sh b/test/sharness/t0051-object.sh
index 80913c78c..244dcc831 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0051-object.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0051-object.sh
@@ -216,6 +216,13 @@ test_object_cmd() {
     ipfs object stat /ipfs/$N3/foo/baz > /dev/null
   '
 
+  test_expect_success "'ipfs object patch add-link' allow linking IPLD objects" '
+    EMPTY_DIR=$(ipfs object new unixfs-dir) &&
+    OBJ=$(echo "123" | ipfs dag put) &&
+    N1=$(ipfs object patch $EMPTY_DIR add-link foo $OBJ) &&
+    ipfs object stat $N1 > /dev/null
+  '
+
   test_expect_success "object patch creation looks right" '
     echo "QmPc73aWK9dgFBXe86P4PvQizHo9e5Qt7n7DAMXWuigFuG" > hash_exp &&
     echo $N3 > hash_actual &&