diff --git a/runtime/doc/builtin.txt b/runtime/doc/builtin.txt
index 487db826fa..74cb9666ff 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/builtin.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/builtin.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-*builtin.txt*	For Vim version 9.1.  Last change: 2025 Sep 15
+*builtin.txt*	For Vim version 9.1.  Last change: 2025 Sep 18
 
 
 		  VIM REFERENCE MANUAL	  by Bram Moolenaar
@@ -575,7 +575,7 @@ settabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val})
 settagstack({nr}, {dict} [, {action}])
 				Number	modify tag stack using {dict}
 setwinvar({nr}, {varname}, {val}) none	set {varname} in window {nr} to {val}
-sha256({string})		String	SHA256 checksum of {string}
+sha256({expr})			String	SHA256 checksum of String or Blob
 shellescape({string} [, {special}])
 				String	escape {string} for use as shell
 					command argument
@@ -10336,12 +10336,14 @@ setwinvar({winnr}, {varname}, {val})			*setwinvar()*
 		Return type: |Number|
 
 
-sha256({string})						*sha256()*
+sha256({expr})						*sha256()*
 		Returns a String with 64 hex characters, which is the SHA256
-		checksum of {string}.
+		checksum of {expr}.
+		{expr} is a String or a Blob.
 
 		Can also be used as a |method|: >
 			GetText()->sha256()
+			GetBlob()->sha256()
 <
 		Return type: |String|
 
diff --git a/runtime/doc/version9.txt b/runtime/doc/version9.txt
index 1522296433..1433cfb45b 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/version9.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/version9.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-*version9.txt*  For Vim version 9.1.  Last change: 2025 Sep 15
+*version9.txt*  For Vim version 9.1.  Last change: 2025 Sep 18
 
 
 		  VIM REFERENCE MANUAL    by Bram Moolenaar
@@ -41735,6 +41735,7 @@ Functions: ~
 - |chdir()| allows to optionally specify a scope argument
 - |matchfuzzy()| and |matchfuzzypos()| use an improved fuzzy matching
   algorithm (same as fzy).
+- |sha256()| also accepts a |Blob| as argument.
 
 Others: ~
 - the regex engines match correctly case-insensitive multi-byte characters
diff --git a/src/evalfunc.c b/src/evalfunc.c
index 3a0e9a77af..a1076f07dc 100644
--- a/src/evalfunc.c
+++ b/src/evalfunc.c
@@ -1257,6 +1257,7 @@ static argcheck_T arg1_string[] = {arg_string};
 static argcheck_T arg1_string_or_list_any[] = {arg_string_or_list_any};
 static argcheck_T arg1_string_or_list_string[] = {arg_string_or_list_string};
 static argcheck_T arg1_string_or_nr[] = {arg_string_or_nr};
+static argcheck_T arg1_string_or_blob[] = {arg_string_or_blob};
 static argcheck_T arg2_any_buffer[] = {arg_any, arg_buffer};
 static argcheck_T arg2_buffer_any[] = {arg_buffer, arg_any};
 static argcheck_T arg2_buffer_bool[] = {arg_buffer, arg_bool};
@@ -2842,7 +2843,7 @@ static const funcentry_T global_functions[] =
 			ret_number_bool,    f_settagstack},
     {"setwinvar",	3, 3, FEARG_3,	    arg3_number_string_any,
 			ret_void,	    f_setwinvar},
-    {"sha256",		1, 1, FEARG_1,	    arg1_string,
+    {"sha256",		1, 1, FEARG_1,	    arg1_string_or_blob,
 			ret_string,
 #ifdef FEAT_CRYPT
 	    f_sha256
@@ -11742,20 +11743,36 @@ f_settagstack(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv)
 
 #ifdef FEAT_CRYPT
 /*
- * "sha256({string})" function
+ * "sha256({expr})" function
  */
     static void
 f_sha256(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv)
 {
     char_u	*p;
+    int		len;
 
-    if (in_vim9script() && check_for_string_arg(argvars, 0) == FAIL)
+    if (in_vim9script() && check_for_string_or_blob_arg(argvars, 0) == FAIL)
 	return;
 
-    p = tv_get_string(&argvars[0]);
-    rettv->vval.v_string = vim_strsave(
-				    sha256_bytes(p, (int)STRLEN(p), NULL, 0));
     rettv->v_type = VAR_STRING;
+    rettv->vval.v_string = NULL;
+
+    if (argvars[0].v_type == VAR_BLOB)
+    {
+	blob_T *blob = argvars[0].vval.v_blob;
+	if (blob != NULL)
+	{
+	    p = (char_u *)blob->bv_ga.ga_data;
+	    len = blob->bv_ga.ga_len;
+	    rettv->vval.v_string = vim_strsave(sha256_bytes(p, len, NULL, 0));
+	}
+    }
+    else
+    {
+	p = tv_get_string(&argvars[0]);
+	rettv->vval.v_string = vim_strsave(
+				    sha256_bytes(p, (int)STRLEN(p), NULL, 0));
+    }
 }
 #endif // FEAT_CRYPT
 
diff --git a/src/testdir/test_sha256.vim b/src/testdir/test_sha256.vim
index 3db1b2a99c..4da4a6f94e 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_sha256.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_sha256.vim
@@ -18,6 +18,16 @@ function Test_sha256()
 
   " test for contains non-ascii char:
   call assert_equal('5f78c33274e43fa9de5659265c1d917e25c03722dcb0b8d27db8d5feaa813953', sha256("\xde\xad\xbe\xef"))
+
+  " test for blob:
+  " empty blob
+  call assert_equal('e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855', sha256(0z))
+  " blob with single byte
+  call assert_equal('ca978112ca1bbdcafac231b39a23dc4da786eff8147c4e72b9807785afee48bb', sha256(0z61))
+  " blob with "abc"
+  call assert_equal('ba7816bf8f01cfea414140de5dae2223b00361a396177a9cb410ff61f20015ad', sha256(0z616263))
+  " blob with non-ascii bytes
+  call assert_equal('5f78c33274e43fa9de5659265c1d917e25c03722dcb0b8d27db8d5feaa813953', sha256(0zdeadbeef))
 endfunction
 
 " vim: shiftwidth=2 sts=2 expandtab
diff --git a/src/testdir/test_vim9_builtin.vim b/src/testdir/test_vim9_builtin.vim
index 1cf4010cd8..339506bac9 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_vim9_builtin.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_vim9_builtin.vim
@@ -4162,10 +4162,14 @@ def Test_setwinvar()
 enddef
 
 def Test_sha256()
-  v9.CheckSourceDefAndScriptFailure(['sha256(100)'], ['E1013: Argument 1: type mismatch, expected string but got number', 'E1174: String required for argument 1'])
-  v9.CheckSourceDefAndScriptFailure(['sha256(0zABCD)'], ['E1013: Argument 1: type mismatch, expected string but got blob', 'E1174: String required for argument 1'])
+  v9.CheckSourceDefAndScriptFailure(['sha256(100)'], ['E1013: Argument 1: type mismatch, expected string but got number', 'E1221: String or Blob required for argument 1'])
   assert_equal('ba7816bf8f01cfea414140de5dae2223b00361a396177a9cb410ff61f20015ad', sha256('abc'))
   assert_equal('e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855', sha256(''))
+
+  assert_equal('ba7816bf8f01cfea414140de5dae2223b00361a396177a9cb410ff61f20015ad', sha256(0z616263))
+  assert_equal('e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855', sha256(0z))
+  assert_equal('ca978112ca1bbdcafac231b39a23dc4da786eff8147c4e72b9807785afee48bb', sha256(0z61))
+  assert_equal('5f78c33274e43fa9de5659265c1d917e25c03722dcb0b8d27db8d5feaa813953', sha256(0zdeadbeef))
 enddef
 
 def Test_shiftwidth()
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index 2e0c771771..a1e0521959 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -724,6 +724,8 @@ static char *(features[]) =
 
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
+/**/
+    1774,
 /**/
     1773,
 /**/