diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 8c1c4071f0..85b37f2ee0 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -1525,8 +1525,19 @@ static int git_default_core_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 	if (!strcmp(var, "core.attributesfile"))
 		return git_config_pathname(&git_attributes_file, var, value);
 
-	if (!strcmp(var, "core.hookspath"))
+	if (!strcmp(var, "core.hookspath")) {
+		if (current_config_scope() == CONFIG_SCOPE_LOCAL &&
+		    git_env_bool("GIT_CLONE_PROTECTION_ACTIVE", 0))
+			die(_("active `core.hooksPath` found in the local "
+			      "repository config:\n\t%s\nFor security "
+			      "reasons, this is disallowed by default.\nIf "
+			      "this is intentional and the hook should "
+			      "actually be run, please\nrun the command "
+			      "again with "
+			      "`GIT_CLONE_PROTECTION_ACTIVE=false`"),
+			    value);
 		return git_config_pathname(&git_hooks_path, var, value);
+	}
 
 	if (!strcmp(var, "core.bare")) {
 		is_bare_repository_cfg = git_config_bool(var, value);
diff --git a/t/t1800-hook.sh b/t/t1800-hook.sh
index 2ef3579fa7..7ee12e6f48 100755
--- a/t/t1800-hook.sh
+++ b/t/t1800-hook.sh
@@ -177,4 +177,19 @@ test_expect_success 'git hook run a hook with a bad shebang' '
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'clone protections' '
+	test_config core.hooksPath "$(pwd)/my-hooks" &&
+	mkdir -p my-hooks &&
+	write_script my-hooks/test-hook <<-\EOF &&
+	echo Hook ran $1
+	EOF
+
+	git hook run test-hook 2>err &&
+	grep "Hook ran" err &&
+	test_must_fail env GIT_CLONE_PROTECTION_ACTIVE=true \
+		git hook run test-hook 2>err &&
+	grep "active .core.hooksPath" err &&
+	! grep "Hook ran" err
+'
+
 test_done