diff --git a/core/commands/ls.go b/core/commands/ls.go
index 7c993be6498..c52a30100df 100644
--- a/core/commands/ls.go
+++ b/core/commands/ls.go
@@ -6,8 +6,10 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"text/tabwriter"
 
+	blockservice "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/blockservice"
 	cmds "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/commands"
 	core "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core"
+	offline "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/exchange/offline"
 	merkledag "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/merkledag"
 	path "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/path"
 	unixfs "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/unixfs"
@@ -71,6 +73,13 @@ The JSON output contains type information.
 			return
 		}
 
+		dserv := nd.DAG
+		if !resolve {
+			offlineexch := offline.Exchange(nd.Blockstore)
+			bserv := blockservice.New(nd.Blockstore, offlineexch)
+			dserv = merkledag.NewDAGService(bserv)
+		}
+
 		paths := req.Arguments()
 
 		var dagnodes []node.Node
@@ -101,39 +110,19 @@ The JSON output contains type information.
 				Links: make([]LsLink, len(dagnode.Links())),
 			}
 			for j, link := range dagnode.Links() {
-				var linkNode *merkledag.ProtoNode
 				t := unixfspb.Data_DataType(-1)
-				linkKey := link.Cid
-				if ok, err := nd.Blockstore.Has(linkKey); ok && err == nil {
-					b, err := nd.Blockstore.Get(linkKey)
-					if err != nil {
-						res.SetError(err, cmds.ErrNormal)
-						return
-					}
-					linkNode, err = merkledag.DecodeProtobuf(b.RawData())
-					if err != nil {
-						res.SetError(err, cmds.ErrNormal)
-						return
-					}
-				}
-
-				if linkNode == nil && resolve {
-					nd, err := link.GetNode(req.Context(), nd.DAG)
-					if err != nil {
-						res.SetError(err, cmds.ErrNormal)
-						return
-					}
 
-					pbnd, ok := nd.(*merkledag.ProtoNode)
-					if !ok {
-						res.SetError(merkledag.ErrNotProtobuf, cmds.ErrNormal)
-						return
-					}
-
-					linkNode = pbnd
+				linkNode, err := link.GetNode(req.Context(), dserv)
+				if err == merkledag.ErrNotFound && !resolve {
+					// not an error
+					linkNode = nil
+				} else if err != nil {
+					res.SetError(err, cmds.ErrNormal)
+					return
 				}
-				if linkNode != nil {
-					d, err := unixfs.FromBytes(linkNode.Data())
+
+				if pn, ok := linkNode.(*merkledag.ProtoNode); ok {
+					d, err := unixfs.FromBytes(pn.Data())
 					if err != nil {
 						res.SetError(err, cmds.ErrNormal)
 						return
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0045-ls.sh b/test/sharness/t0045-ls.sh
index 9708023ff78..8952486a579 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0045-ls.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0045-ls.sh
@@ -90,12 +90,25 @@ test_ls_cmd() {
 	'
 }
 
+test_ls_cmd_raw_leaves() {
+	test_expect_success "'ipfs add -r --raw-leaves' then 'ipfs ls' works as expected" '
+		mkdir -p somedir &&
+		echo bar > somedir/foo &&
+		ipfs add --raw-leaves -r somedir/ > /dev/null &&
+		ipfs ls QmThNTdtKaVoCVrYmM5EBS6U3S5vfKFue2TxbxxAxRcKKE > ls-actual
+		echo "zb2rhf6GzX4ckKZtjy8yy8iyq1KttCrRyqDedD6xubhY3sw2F 4 foo" > ls-expect
+		test_cmp ls-actual ls-expect
+	'
+}
+
 # should work offline
 test_ls_cmd
+test_ls_cmd_raw_leaves
 
 # should work online
 test_launch_ipfs_daemon
 test_ls_cmd
+test_ls_cmd_raw_leaves
 test_kill_ipfs_daemon
 
 test_done