@@ -699,10 +699,8 @@ int cmd_config(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		config_options.respect_includes = !given_config_source.file;
 	else
 		config_options.respect_includes = respect_includes_opt;
-	if (!nongit) {
-		config_options.commondir = get_git_common_dir();
-		config_options.git_dir = get_git_dir();
-	}
+	if (!nongit)
+		config_options.repo = the_repository;
 
 	if (end_nul) {
 		term = '\0';

@@ -222,8 +222,8 @@ static int include_by_gitdir(const struct config_options *opts,
 	const char *git_dir;
 	int already_tried_absolute = 0;
 
-	if (opts->git_dir)
-		git_dir = opts->git_dir;
+	if (opts->repo && opts->repo->gitdir)
+		git_dir = opts->repo->gitdir;
 	else
 		goto done;
 

@@ -1720,10 +1720,10 @@ static int do_git_config_sequence(const struct config_options *opts,
 	char *repo_config;
 	enum config_scope prev_parsing_scope = current_parsing_scope;
 
-	if (opts->commondir)
-		repo_config = mkpathdup("%s/config", opts->commondir);
-	else if (opts->git_dir)
-		BUG("git_dir without commondir");
+	if (opts->repo && opts->repo->commondir)
+		repo_config = mkpathdup("%s/config", opts->repo->commondir);
+	else if (opts->repo && opts->repo->gitdir)
+		BUG("gitdir without commondir");
 	else
 		repo_config = NULL;
 

@@ -1824,27 +1824,33 @@ void read_early_config(config_fn_t cb, void *data)
 	struct config_options opts = {0};
 	struct strbuf commondir = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct strbuf gitdir = STRBUF_INIT;
+	struct repository the_early_repo = {0};
 
 	opts.respect_includes = 1;
 
 	if (have_git_dir()) {
-		opts.commondir = get_git_common_dir();
-		opts.git_dir = get_git_dir();
+		opts.repo = the_repository;
 	/*
 	 * When setup_git_directory() was not yet asked to discover the
 	 * GIT_DIR, we ask discover_git_directory() to figure out whether there
 	 * is any repository config we should use (but unlike
-	 * setup_git_directory_gently(), no global state is changed, most
+	 * setup_git_directory_gently(), no global state is changed; most
 	 * notably, the current working directory is still the same after the
 	 * call).
+	 *
+	 * NEEDSWORK: There is some duplicate work between
+	 * discover_git_directory and repo_init.  Update to use a variant of
+	 * repo_init that does its own repository discovery once available.
 	 */
 	} else if (!discover_git_directory(&commondir, &gitdir)) {
-		opts.commondir = commondir.buf;
-		opts.git_dir = gitdir.buf;
+		repo_init(&the_early_repo, gitdir.buf, NULL);
+		opts.repo = &the_early_repo;
 	}
 
 	config_with_options(cb, data, NULL, &opts);
 
+	if (the_early_repo.settings.initialized)
+		repo_clear(&the_early_repo);
 	strbuf_release(&commondir);
 	strbuf_release(&gitdir);
 }

@@ -2097,8 +2103,7 @@ static void repo_read_config(struct repository *repo)
 	struct config_options opts = { 0 };
 
 	opts.respect_includes = 1;
-	opts.commondir = repo->commondir;
-	opts.git_dir = repo->gitdir;
+	opts.repo = repo;
 
 	if (!repo->config)
 		repo->config = xcalloc(1, sizeof(struct config_set));

@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
  */
 
 struct object_id;
+struct repository;
 
 /* git_config_parse_key() returns these negated: */
 #define CONFIG_INVALID_KEY 1

@@ -87,8 +88,7 @@ struct config_options {
 	unsigned int ignore_worktree : 1;
 	unsigned int ignore_cmdline : 1;
 	unsigned int system_gently : 1;
-	const char *commondir;
-	const char *git_dir;
+	struct repository *repo;
 	config_parser_event_fn_t event_fn;
 	void *event_fn_data;
 	enum config_error_action {