diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 6f0f8b30f39ba3..be1c640a4c845b 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
  */
 #include "cache.h"
 #include "config.h"
+#include "repository.h"
 #include "lockfile.h"
 #include "exec_cmd.h"
 #include "strbuf.h"
@@ -72,13 +73,6 @@ static int core_compression_seen;
 static int pack_compression_seen;
 static int zlib_compression_seen;
 
-/*
- * Default config_set that contains key-value pairs from the usual set of config
- * config files (i.e repo specific .git/config, user wide ~/.gitconfig, XDG
- * config file and the global /etc/gitconfig)
- */
-static struct config_set the_config_set;
-
 static int config_file_fgetc(struct config_source *conf)
 {
 	return getc_unlocked(conf->u.file);
@@ -1605,31 +1599,6 @@ int config_with_options(config_fn_t fn, void *data,
 	return do_git_config_sequence(opts, fn, data);
 }
 
-static void git_config_raw(config_fn_t fn, void *data)
-{
-	struct config_options opts = {0};
-
-	opts.respect_includes = 1;
-	if (have_git_dir()) {
-		opts.commondir = get_git_common_dir();
-		opts.git_dir = get_git_dir();
-	}
-
-	if (config_with_options(fn, data, NULL, &opts) < 0)
-		/*
-		 * config_with_options() normally returns only
-		 * zero, as most errors are fatal, and
-		 * non-fatal potential errors are guarded by "if"
-		 * statements that are entered only when no error is
-		 * possible.
-		 *
-		 * If we ever encounter a non-fatal error, it means
-		 * something went really wrong and we should stop
-		 * immediately.
-		 */
-		die(_("unknown error occurred while reading the configuration files"));
-}
-
 static void configset_iter(struct config_set *cs, config_fn_t fn, void *data)
 {
 	int i, value_index;
@@ -1683,14 +1652,6 @@ void read_early_config(config_fn_t cb, void *data)
 	strbuf_release(&gitdir);
 }
 
-static void git_config_check_init(void);
-
-void git_config(config_fn_t fn, void *data)
-{
-	git_config_check_init();
-	configset_iter(&the_config_set, fn, data);
-}
-
 static struct config_set_element *configset_find_element(struct config_set *cs, const char *key)
 {
 	struct config_set_element k;
@@ -1900,87 +1861,194 @@ int git_configset_get_pathname(struct config_set *cs, const char *key, const cha
 		return 1;
 }
 
-static void git_config_check_init(void)
+/* Functions use to read configuration from a repository */
+static void repo_read_config(struct repository *repo)
 {
-	if (the_config_set.hash_initialized)
+	struct config_options opts;
+
+	opts.respect_includes = 1;
+	opts.commondir = repo->commondir;
+	opts.git_dir = repo->gitdir;
+
+	if (!repo->config)
+		repo->config = xcalloc(1, sizeof(struct config_set));
+	else
+		git_configset_clear(repo->config);
+
+	git_configset_init(repo->config);
+
+	if (config_with_options(config_set_callback, repo->config, NULL, &opts) < 0)
+		/*
+		 * config_with_options() normally returns only
+		 * zero, as most errors are fatal, and
+		 * non-fatal potential errors are guarded by "if"
+		 * statements that are entered only when no error is
+		 * possible.
+		 *
+		 * If we ever encounter a non-fatal error, it means
+		 * something went really wrong and we should stop
+		 * immediately.
+		 */
+		die(_("unknown error occurred while reading the configuration files"));
+}
+
+static void git_config_check_init(struct repository *repo)
+{
+	if (repo->config && repo->config->hash_initialized)
 		return;
-	git_configset_init(&the_config_set);
-	git_config_raw(config_set_callback, &the_config_set);
+	repo_read_config(repo);
 }
 
-void git_config_clear(void)
+static void repo_config_clear(struct repository *repo)
 {
-	if (!the_config_set.hash_initialized)
+	if (!repo->config || !repo->config->hash_initialized)
 		return;
-	git_configset_clear(&the_config_set);
+	git_configset_clear(repo->config);
 }
 
-int git_config_get_value(const char *key, const char **value)
+void repo_config(struct repository *repo, config_fn_t fn, void *data)
 {
-	git_config_check_init();
-	return git_configset_get_value(&the_config_set, key, value);
+	git_config_check_init(repo);
+	configset_iter(repo->config, fn, data);
 }
 
-const struct string_list *git_config_get_value_multi(const char *key)
+int repo_config_get_value(struct repository *repo,
+			  const char *key, const char **value)
 {
-	git_config_check_init();
-	return git_configset_get_value_multi(&the_config_set, key);
+	git_config_check_init(repo);
+	return git_configset_get_value(repo->config, key, value);
 }
 
-int git_config_get_string_const(const char *key, const char **dest)
+const struct string_list *repo_config_get_value_multi(struct repository *repo,
+						      const char *key)
+{
+	git_config_check_init(repo);
+	return git_configset_get_value_multi(repo->config, key);
+}
+
+int repo_config_get_string_const(struct repository *repo,
+				 const char *key, const char **dest)
+{
+	int ret;
+	git_config_check_init(repo);
+	ret = git_configset_get_string_const(repo->config, key, dest);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		git_die_config(key, NULL);
+	return ret;
+}
+
+int repo_config_get_string(struct repository *repo,
+			   const char *key, char **dest)
+{
+	git_config_check_init(repo);
+	return repo_config_get_string_const(repo, key, (const char **)dest);
+}
+
+int repo_config_get_int(struct repository *repo,
+			const char *key, int *dest)
+{
+	git_config_check_init(repo);
+	return git_configset_get_int(repo->config, key, dest);
+}
+
+int repo_config_get_ulong(struct repository *repo,
+			  const char *key, unsigned long *dest)
+{
+	git_config_check_init(repo);
+	return git_configset_get_ulong(repo->config, key, dest);
+}
+
+int repo_config_get_bool(struct repository *repo,
+			 const char *key, int *dest)
+{
+	git_config_check_init(repo);
+	return git_configset_get_bool(repo->config, key, dest);
+}
+
+int repo_config_get_bool_or_int(struct repository *repo,
+				const char *key, int *is_bool, int *dest)
+{
+	git_config_check_init(repo);
+	return git_configset_get_bool_or_int(repo->config, key, is_bool, dest);
+}
+
+int repo_config_get_maybe_bool(struct repository *repo,
+			       const char *key, int *dest)
+{
+	git_config_check_init(repo);
+	return git_configset_get_maybe_bool(repo->config, key, dest);
+}
+
+int repo_config_get_pathname(struct repository *repo,
+			     const char *key, const char **dest)
 {
 	int ret;
-	git_config_check_init();
-	ret = git_configset_get_string_const(&the_config_set, key, dest);
+	git_config_check_init(repo);
+	ret = git_configset_get_pathname(repo->config, key, dest);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		git_die_config(key, NULL);
 	return ret;
 }
 
+/* Functions used historically to read configuration from 'the_repository' */
+void git_config(config_fn_t fn, void *data)
+{
+	repo_config(the_repository, fn, data);
+}
+
+void git_config_clear(void)
+{
+	repo_config_clear(the_repository);
+}
+
+int git_config_get_value(const char *key, const char **value)
+{
+	return repo_config_get_value(the_repository, key, value);
+}
+
+const struct string_list *git_config_get_value_multi(const char *key)
+{
+	return repo_config_get_value_multi(the_repository, key);
+}
+
+int git_config_get_string_const(const char *key, const char **dest)
+{
+	return repo_config_get_string_const(the_repository, key, dest);
+}
+
 int git_config_get_string(const char *key, char **dest)
 {
-	git_config_check_init();
-	return git_config_get_string_const(key, (const char **)dest);
+	return repo_config_get_string(the_repository, key, dest);
 }
 
 int git_config_get_int(const char *key, int *dest)
 {
-	git_config_check_init();
-	return git_configset_get_int(&the_config_set, key, dest);
+	return repo_config_get_int(the_repository, key, dest);
 }
 
 int git_config_get_ulong(const char *key, unsigned long *dest)
 {
-	git_config_check_init();
-	return git_configset_get_ulong(&the_config_set, key, dest);
+	return repo_config_get_ulong(the_repository, key, dest);
 }
 
 int git_config_get_bool(const char *key, int *dest)
 {
-	git_config_check_init();
-	return git_configset_get_bool(&the_config_set, key, dest);
+	return repo_config_get_bool(the_repository, key, dest);
 }
 
 int git_config_get_bool_or_int(const char *key, int *is_bool, int *dest)
 {
-	git_config_check_init();
-	return git_configset_get_bool_or_int(&the_config_set, key, is_bool, dest);
+	return repo_config_get_bool_or_int(the_repository, key, is_bool, dest);
 }
 
 int git_config_get_maybe_bool(const char *key, int *dest)
 {
-	git_config_check_init();
-	return git_configset_get_maybe_bool(&the_config_set, key, dest);
+	return repo_config_get_maybe_bool(the_repository, key, dest);
 }
 
 int git_config_get_pathname(const char *key, const char **dest)
 {
-	int ret;
-	git_config_check_init();
-	ret = git_configset_get_pathname(&the_config_set, key, dest);
-	if (ret < 0)
-		git_die_config(key, NULL);
-	return ret;
+	return repo_config_get_pathname(the_repository, key, dest);
 }
 
 int git_config_get_expiry(const char *key, const char **output)
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 9e038cce256fb1..0352da117b9a61 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -163,6 +163,30 @@ extern int git_configset_get_bool_or_int(struct config_set *cs, const char *key,
 extern int git_configset_get_maybe_bool(struct config_set *cs, const char *key, int *dest);
 extern int git_configset_get_pathname(struct config_set *cs, const char *key, const char **dest);
 
+/* Functions for reading a repository's config */
+struct repository;
+extern void repo_config(struct repository *repo, config_fn_t fn, void *data);
+extern int repo_config_get_value(struct repository *repo,
+				 const char *key, const char **value);
+extern const struct string_list *repo_config_get_value_multi(struct repository *repo,
+							     const char *key);
+extern int repo_config_get_string_const(struct repository *repo,
+					const char *key, const char **dest);
+extern int repo_config_get_string(struct repository *repo,
+				  const char *key, char **dest);
+extern int repo_config_get_int(struct repository *repo,
+			       const char *key, int *dest);
+extern int repo_config_get_ulong(struct repository *repo,
+				 const char *key, unsigned long *dest);
+extern int repo_config_get_bool(struct repository *repo,
+				const char *key, int *dest);
+extern int repo_config_get_bool_or_int(struct repository *repo,
+				       const char *key, int *is_bool, int *dest);
+extern int repo_config_get_maybe_bool(struct repository *repo,
+				      const char *key, int *dest);
+extern int repo_config_get_pathname(struct repository *repo,
+				    const char *key, const char **dest);
+
 extern int git_config_get_value(const char *key, const char **value);
 extern const struct string_list *git_config_get_value_multi(const char *key);
 extern void git_config_clear(void);
diff --git a/repository.c b/repository.c
index cf440405a81e6f..686a964ad6e6a2 100644
--- a/repository.c
+++ b/repository.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "cache.h"
 #include "repository.h"
+#include "config.h"
 
 /* The main repository */
 static struct repository the_repo;
@@ -156,4 +157,10 @@ void repo_clear(struct repository *repo)
 	repo->index_file = NULL;
 	free(repo->worktree);
 	repo->worktree = NULL;
+
+	if (repo->config) {
+		git_configset_clear(repo->config);
+		free(repo->config);
+		repo->config = NULL;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/repository.h b/repository.h
index 0a1db9633f7b64..8ae5e8653a1ae3 100644
--- a/repository.h
+++ b/repository.h
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #ifndef REPOSITORY_H
 #define REPOSITORY_H
 
+struct config_set;
+
 struct repository {
 	/* Environment */
 	/*
@@ -39,6 +41,14 @@ struct repository {
 	 */
 	char *worktree;
 
+	/* Subsystems */
+	/*
+	 * Repository's config which contains key-value pairs from the usual
+	 * set of config files (i.e. repo specific .git/config, user wide
+	 * ~/.gitconfig, XDG config file and the global /etc/gitconfig)
+	 */
+	struct config_set *config;
+
 	/* Configurations */
 	/*
 	 * Bit used during initialization to indicate if repository state (like