diff --git a/Documentation/config.txt b/Documentation/config.txt
index 465eb13e76..e669003f72 100644
--- a/Documentation/config.txt
+++ b/Documentation/config.txt
@@ -116,6 +116,10 @@ apply.whitespace::
 	Tells `git-apply` how to handle whitespaces, in the same way
 	as the '--whitespace' option. See gitlink:git-apply[1].
 
+pager.color::
+	A boolean to enable/disable colored output when the pager is in
+	use (default is true).
+
 diff.color::
 	When true (or `always`), always use colors in patch.
 	When false (or `never`), never.  When set to `auto`, use
diff --git a/builtin-log.c b/builtin-log.c
index 82c69d1d05..bba1496bf2 100644
--- a/builtin-log.c
+++ b/builtin-log.c
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ static int cmd_log_walk(struct rev_info *rev)
 	struct commit *commit;
 
 	prepare_revision_walk(rev);
-	setup_pager();
 	while ((commit = get_revision(rev)) != NULL) {
 		log_tree_commit(rev, commit);
 		free(commit->buffer);
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index c575b8a996..b8c21e07b2 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -386,6 +386,7 @@ extern int receive_keep_pack(int fd[2], const char *me, int quiet, int);
 /* pager.c */
 extern void setup_pager(void);
 extern int pager_in_use;
+extern int pager_use_color;
 
 /* base85 */
 int decode_85(char *dst, char *line, int linelen);
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 0ac6aebbbc..82b3562454 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -309,6 +309,11 @@ int git_default_config(const char *var, const char *value)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
+	if (!strcmp(var, "pager.color")) {
+		pager_use_color = git_config_bool(var,value);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	/* Add other config variables here and to Documentation/config.txt. */
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/diff.c b/diff.c
index 6a71376483..607c357f5a 100644
--- a/diff.c
+++ b/diff.c
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ int git_diff_ui_config(const char *var, const char *value)
 			diff_use_color_default = 1; /* bool */
 		else if (!strcasecmp(value, "auto")) {
 			diff_use_color_default = 0;
-			if (isatty(1) || pager_in_use) {
+			if (isatty(1) || (pager_in_use && pager_use_color)) {
 				char *term = getenv("TERM");
 				if (term && strcmp(term, "dumb"))
 					diff_use_color_default = 1;
diff --git a/environment.c b/environment.c
index 42f39d657e..87162b2572 100644
--- a/environment.c
+++ b/environment.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ int shared_repository = PERM_UMASK;
 const char *apply_default_whitespace = NULL;
 int zlib_compression_level = Z_DEFAULT_COMPRESSION;
 int pager_in_use;
+int pager_use_color = 1;
 
 static char *git_dir, *git_object_dir, *git_index_file, *git_refs_dir,
 	*git_graft_file;
diff --git a/git.c b/git.c
index 7321d6c3f6..d031eb9a18 100644
--- a/git.c
+++ b/git.c
@@ -211,6 +211,7 @@ static int handle_alias(int *argcp, const char ***argv)
 const char git_version_string[] = GIT_VERSION;
 
 #define NEEDS_PREFIX 1
+#define USE_PAGER 2
 
 static void handle_internal_command(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 {
@@ -218,13 +219,13 @@ static void handle_internal_command(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 	static struct cmd_struct {
 		const char *cmd;
 		int (*fn)(int, const char **, const char *);
-		int prefix;
+		int option;
 	} commands[] = {
 		{ "version", cmd_version },
 		{ "help", cmd_help },
-		{ "log", cmd_log, NEEDS_PREFIX },
-		{ "whatchanged", cmd_whatchanged, NEEDS_PREFIX },
-		{ "show", cmd_show, NEEDS_PREFIX },
+		{ "log", cmd_log, NEEDS_PREFIX | USE_PAGER },
+		{ "whatchanged", cmd_whatchanged, NEEDS_PREFIX | USE_PAGER },
+		{ "show", cmd_show, NEEDS_PREFIX | USE_PAGER },
 		{ "push", cmd_push },
 		{ "format-patch", cmd_format_patch, NEEDS_PREFIX },
 		{ "count-objects", cmd_count_objects },
@@ -275,8 +276,10 @@ static void handle_internal_command(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 			continue;
 
 		prefix = NULL;
-		if (p->prefix)
+		if (p->option & NEEDS_PREFIX)
 			prefix = setup_git_directory();
+		if (p->option & USE_PAGER)
+			setup_pager();
 		if (getenv("GIT_TRACE")) {
 			int i;
 			fprintf(stderr, "trace: built-in: git");