diff --git a/git-pull.sh b/git-pull.sh
index 0991d5f14c..6caf1aad47 100755
--- a/git-pull.sh
+++ b/git-pull.sh
@@ -70,21 +70,21 @@ case "$merge_head" in
 	exit 0
 	;;
 ?*' '?*)
-	var=`git-var -l | sed -ne 's/^pull\.octopus=/-s /p'`
+	var=`git repo-config --get pull.octopus`
 	if test '' = "$var"
 	then
 		strategy_default_args='-s octopus'
 	else
-		strategy_default_args=$var
+		strategy_default_args="-s $var"
 	fi
 	;;
 *)
-	var=`git-var -l | sed -ne 's/^pull\.twohead=/-s /p'`
+	var=`git repo-config --get pull.twohead`
 	if test '' = "$var"
 	then
 		strategy_default_args='-s recursive'
 	else
-		strategy_default_args=$var
+		strategy_default_args="-s $var"
 	fi
 	;;
 esac
diff --git a/git-sh-setup.sh b/git-sh-setup.sh
index 1e638e493d..157c7e4d6c 100755
--- a/git-sh-setup.sh
+++ b/git-sh-setup.sh
@@ -41,7 +41,11 @@ then
 	: ${GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY="$GIT_DIR/objects"}
 
 	# Make sure we are in a valid repository of a vintage we understand.
-	GIT_DIR="$GIT_DIR" git-var GIT_AUTHOR_IDENT >/dev/null || exit
+	GIT_DIR="$GIT_DIR" git repo-config --get core.nosuch >/dev/null
+	if test $? == 128
+	then
+	    exit
+	fi
 else
 	GIT_DIR=$(git-rev-parse --git-dir) || exit
 fi