diff --git a/Documentation/config/maintenance.txt b/Documentation/config/maintenance.txt
index a0706d8f09..06db758172 100644
--- a/Documentation/config/maintenance.txt
+++ b/Documentation/config/maintenance.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+maintenance.auto::
+	This boolean config option controls whether some commands run
+	`git maintenance run --auto` after doing their normal work. Defaults
+	to true.
+
 maintenance.<task>.enabled::
 	This boolean config option controls whether the maintenance task
 	with name `<task>` is run when no `--task` option is specified to
diff --git a/run-command.c b/run-command.c
index 2ee59acdc8..ea4d0fb4b1 100644
--- a/run-command.c
+++ b/run-command.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include "strbuf.h"
 #include "string-list.h"
 #include "quote.h"
+#include "config.h"
 
 void child_process_init(struct child_process *child)
 {
@@ -1868,8 +1869,13 @@ int run_processes_parallel_tr2(int n, get_next_task_fn get_next_task,
 
 int run_auto_maintenance(int quiet)
 {
+	int enabled;
 	struct child_process maint = CHILD_PROCESS_INIT;
 
+	if (!git_config_get_bool("maintenance.auto", &enabled) &&
+	    !enabled)
+		return 0;
+
 	maint.git_cmd = 1;
 	strvec_pushl(&maint.args, "maintenance", "run", "--auto", NULL);
 	strvec_push(&maint.args, quiet ? "--quiet" : "--no-quiet");
diff --git a/t/t7900-maintenance.sh b/t/t7900-maintenance.sh
index 55116c2f04..c7caaa7a55 100755
--- a/t/t7900-maintenance.sh
+++ b/t/t7900-maintenance.sh
@@ -28,6 +28,19 @@ test_expect_success 'run [--auto|--quiet]' '
 	test_subcommand git gc --no-quiet <run-no-quiet.txt
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'maintenance.auto config option' '
+	GIT_TRACE2_EVENT="$(pwd)/default" git commit --quiet --allow-empty -m 1 &&
+	test_subcommand git maintenance run --auto --quiet <default &&
+	GIT_TRACE2_EVENT="$(pwd)/true" \
+		git -c maintenance.auto=true \
+		commit --quiet --allow-empty -m 2 &&
+	test_subcommand git maintenance run --auto --quiet  <true &&
+	GIT_TRACE2_EVENT="$(pwd)/false" \
+		git -c maintenance.auto=false \
+		commit --quiet --allow-empty -m 3 &&
+	test_subcommand ! git maintenance run --auto --quiet  <false
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'maintenance.<task>.enabled' '
 	git config maintenance.gc.enabled false &&
 	git config maintenance.commit-graph.enabled true &&