diff --git a/dir.c b/dir.c
index bf224986db..79465e7f4c 100644
--- a/dir.c
+++ b/dir.c
@@ -1473,14 +1473,6 @@ int remove_path(const char *name)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int limit_pathspec_to_literal(void)
-{
-	static int flag = -1;
-	if (flag < 0)
-		flag = git_env_bool(GIT_LITERAL_PATHSPECS_ENVIRONMENT, 0);
-	return flag;
-}
-
 /*
  * Frees memory within dir which was allocated for exclude lists and
  * the exclude_stack.  Does not free dir itself.
diff --git a/pathspec.c b/pathspec.c
index 82ede57206..b2e3a8778c 100644
--- a/pathspec.c
+++ b/pathspec.c
@@ -91,11 +91,15 @@ static unsigned prefix_pathspec(struct pathspec_item *item,
 				const char *prefix, int prefixlen,
 				const char *elt)
 {
+	static int literal_global = -1;
 	unsigned magic = 0, short_magic = 0;
 	const char *copyfrom = elt, *long_magic_end = NULL;
 	char *match;
 	int i, pathspec_prefix = -1;
 
+	if (literal_global < 0)
+		literal_global = git_env_bool(GIT_LITERAL_PATHSPECS_ENVIRONMENT, 0);
+
 	if (elt[0] != ':') {
 		; /* nothing to do */
 	} else if (elt[1] == '(') {
@@ -184,7 +188,7 @@ static unsigned prefix_pathspec(struct pathspec_item *item,
 	if (flags & PATHSPEC_PREFIX_ORIGIN) {
 		struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
 		const char *start = elt;
-		if (prefixlen && !limit_pathspec_to_literal()) {
+		if (prefixlen && !literal_global) {
 			/* Preserve the actual prefix length of each pattern */
 			if (long_magic_end) {
 				strbuf_add(&sb, start, long_magic_end - start);
@@ -232,7 +236,7 @@ static unsigned prefix_pathspec(struct pathspec_item *item,
 				     elt, ce_len, ce->name);
 		}
 
-	if (limit_pathspec_to_literal())
+	if (literal_global)
 		item->nowildcard_len = item->len;
 	else {
 		item->nowildcard_len = simple_length(item->match);
diff --git a/pathspec.h b/pathspec.h
index 2f3532e8f1..7ef9896edb 100644
--- a/pathspec.h
+++ b/pathspec.h
@@ -61,8 +61,6 @@ extern void parse_pathspec(struct pathspec *pathspec,
 extern void copy_pathspec(struct pathspec *dst, const struct pathspec *src);
 extern void free_pathspec(struct pathspec *);
 
-extern int limit_pathspec_to_literal(void);
-
 extern char *find_pathspecs_matching_against_index(const struct pathspec *pathspec);
 extern void add_pathspec_matches_against_index(const struct pathspec *pathspec, char *seen);
 extern const char *check_path_for_gitlink(const char *path);