diff --git a/builtin/config.c b/builtin/config.c
index af5d79eadc..f7e718c670 100644
--- a/builtin/config.c
+++ b/builtin/config.c
@@ -970,8 +970,8 @@ static int cmd_config_set(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix,
 							     argv[0], value, value_pattern,
 							     comment, flags);
 	} else {
-		ret = git_config_set_in_file_gently(location_opts.source.file,
-						    argv[0], comment, value);
+		ret = repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, location_opts.source.file,
+						     argv[0], comment, value);
 		if (ret == CONFIG_NOTHING_SET)
 			error(_("cannot overwrite multiple values with a single value\n"
 			"       Use a regexp, --add or --replace-all to change %s."), argv[0]);
@@ -1014,8 +1014,8 @@ static int cmd_config_unset(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix,
 							     argv[0], NULL, value_pattern,
 							     NULL, flags);
 	else
-		ret = git_config_set_in_file_gently(location_opts.source.file, argv[0],
-						    NULL, NULL);
+		ret = repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, location_opts.source.file, argv[0],
+						     NULL, NULL);
 
 	location_options_release(&location_opts);
 	return ret;
@@ -1296,7 +1296,7 @@ static int cmd_config_actions(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		check_write(&location_opts.source);
 		check_argc(argc, 2, 2);
 		value = normalize_value(argv[0], argv[1], display_opts.type, &default_kvi);
-		ret = git_config_set_in_file_gently(location_opts.source.file, argv[0], comment, value);
+		ret = repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, location_opts.source.file, argv[0], comment, value);
 		if (ret == CONFIG_NOTHING_SET)
 			error(_("cannot overwrite multiple values with a single value\n"
 			"       Use a regexp, --add or --replace-all to change %s."), argv[0]);
@@ -1354,8 +1354,8 @@ static int cmd_config_actions(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 								     argv[0], NULL, argv[1],
 								     NULL, flags);
 		else
-			ret = git_config_set_in_file_gently(location_opts.source.file,
-							    argv[0], NULL, NULL);
+			ret = repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, location_opts.source.file,
+							     argv[0], NULL, NULL);
 	}
 	else if (actions == ACTION_UNSET_ALL) {
 		check_write(&location_opts.source);
diff --git a/builtin/submodule--helper.c b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
index 710a2a2004..28f34f7bc1 100644
--- a/builtin/submodule--helper.c
+++ b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
@@ -1280,7 +1280,7 @@ static void sync_submodule(const char *path, const char *prefix,
 	submodule_to_gitdir(the_repository, &sb, path);
 	strbuf_addstr(&sb, "/config");
 
-	if (git_config_set_in_file_gently(sb.buf, remote_key, NULL, sub_origin_url))
+	if (repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, sb.buf, remote_key, NULL, sub_origin_url))
 		die(_("failed to update remote for submodule '%s'"),
 		      path);
 
diff --git a/builtin/worktree.c b/builtin/worktree.c
index b1306248de..fd517c82c4 100644
--- a/builtin/worktree.c
+++ b/builtin/worktree.c
@@ -384,8 +384,8 @@ static void copy_filtered_worktree_config(const char *worktree_git_dir)
 			error(_("failed to unset '%s' in '%s'"),
 				"core.bare", to_file);
 		if (!git_configset_get(&cs, "core.worktree") &&
-			git_config_set_in_file_gently(to_file,
-							"core.worktree", NULL, NULL))
+			repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, to_file,
+						       "core.worktree", NULL, NULL))
 			error(_("failed to unset '%s' in '%s'"),
 				"core.worktree", to_file);
 
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 43d06c279e..4e658e47f0 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -734,16 +734,6 @@ static inline int git_config_get_pathname(const char *key, char **dest)
 	return repo_config_get_pathname(the_repository, key, dest);
 }
 
-static inline int git_config_set_in_file_gently(
-	const char *config_filename,
-	const char *key,
-	const char *comment,
-	const char *value)
-{
-	return repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, config_filename,
-					      key, comment, value);
-}
-
 static inline int git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(
 	const char *config_filename,
 	const char *key, const char *value,
diff --git a/sequencer.c b/sequencer.c
index f8d9bb69df..8acb699f4f 100644
--- a/sequencer.c
+++ b/sequencer.c
@@ -3650,57 +3650,57 @@ static int save_opts(struct replay_opts *opts)
 	int res = 0;
 
 	if (opts->no_commit)
-		res |= git_config_set_in_file_gently(opts_file,
+		res |= repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, opts_file,
 					"options.no-commit", NULL, "true");
 	if (opts->edit >= 0)
-		res |= git_config_set_in_file_gently(opts_file, "options.edit", NULL,
+		res |= repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, opts_file, "options.edit", NULL,
 						     opts->edit ? "true" : "false");
 	if (opts->allow_empty)
-		res |= git_config_set_in_file_gently(opts_file,
+		res |= repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, opts_file,
 					"options.allow-empty", NULL, "true");
 	if (opts->allow_empty_message)
-		res |= git_config_set_in_file_gently(opts_file,
+		res |= repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, opts_file,
 				"options.allow-empty-message", NULL, "true");
 	if (opts->drop_redundant_commits)
-		res |= git_config_set_in_file_gently(opts_file,
+		res |= repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, opts_file,
 				"options.drop-redundant-commits", NULL, "true");
 	if (opts->keep_redundant_commits)
-		res |= git_config_set_in_file_gently(opts_file,
+		res |= repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, opts_file,
 				"options.keep-redundant-commits", NULL, "true");
 	if (opts->signoff)
-		res |= git_config_set_in_file_gently(opts_file,
+		res |= repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, opts_file,
 					"options.signoff", NULL, "true");
 	if (opts->record_origin)
-		res |= git_config_set_in_file_gently(opts_file,
+		res |= repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, opts_file,
 					"options.record-origin", NULL, "true");
 	if (opts->allow_ff)
-		res |= git_config_set_in_file_gently(opts_file,
+		res |= repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, opts_file,
 					"options.allow-ff", NULL, "true");
 	if (opts->mainline) {
 		struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
 		strbuf_addf(&buf, "%d", opts->mainline);
-		res |= git_config_set_in_file_gently(opts_file,
+		res |= repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, opts_file,
 					"options.mainline", NULL, buf.buf);
 		strbuf_release(&buf);
 	}
 	if (opts->strategy)
-		res |= git_config_set_in_file_gently(opts_file,
+		res |= repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, opts_file,
 					"options.strategy", NULL, opts->strategy);
 	if (opts->gpg_sign)
-		res |= git_config_set_in_file_gently(opts_file,
+		res |= repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, opts_file,
 					"options.gpg-sign", NULL, opts->gpg_sign);
 	for (size_t i = 0; i < opts->xopts.nr; i++)
 		res |= git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(opts_file,
 				"options.strategy-option",
 				opts->xopts.v[i], "^$", NULL, 0);
 	if (opts->allow_rerere_auto)
-		res |= git_config_set_in_file_gently(opts_file,
+		res |= repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, opts_file,
 				"options.allow-rerere-auto", NULL,
 				opts->allow_rerere_auto == RERERE_AUTOUPDATE ?
 				"true" : "false");
 
 	if (opts->explicit_cleanup)
-		res |= git_config_set_in_file_gently(opts_file,
+		res |= repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, opts_file,
 				"options.default-msg-cleanup", NULL,
 				describe_cleanup_mode(opts->default_msg_cleanup));
 	return res;
diff --git a/submodule-config.c b/submodule-config.c
index 70324da383..1f19fe2077 100644
--- a/submodule-config.c
+++ b/submodule-config.c
@@ -983,7 +983,7 @@ int config_set_in_gitmodules_file_gently(const char *key, const char *value)
 {
 	int ret;
 
-	ret = git_config_set_in_file_gently(GITMODULES_FILE, key, NULL, value);
+	ret = repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, GITMODULES_FILE, key, NULL, value);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		/* Maybe the user already did that, don't error out here */
 		warning(_("Could not update .gitmodules entry %s"), key);
diff --git a/submodule.c b/submodule.c
index f8373a9ea7..fff3c75570 100644
--- a/submodule.c
+++ b/submodule.c
@@ -2058,7 +2058,7 @@ void submodule_unset_core_worktree(const struct submodule *sub)
 	submodule_name_to_gitdir(&config_path, the_repository, sub->name);
 	strbuf_addstr(&config_path, "/config");
 
-	if (git_config_set_in_file_gently(config_path.buf, "core.worktree", NULL, NULL))
+	if (repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, config_path.buf, "core.worktree", NULL, NULL))
 		warning(_("Could not unset core.worktree setting in submodule '%s'"),
 			  sub->path);
 
diff --git a/worktree.c b/worktree.c
index 981a271337..a2a5f51f29 100644
--- a/worktree.c
+++ b/worktree.c
@@ -991,9 +991,9 @@ done:
 static int move_config_setting(const char *key, const char *value,
 			       const char *from_file, const char *to_file)
 {
-	if (git_config_set_in_file_gently(to_file, key, NULL, value))
+	if (repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, to_file, key, NULL, value))
 		return error(_("unable to set %s in '%s'"), key, to_file);
-	if (git_config_set_in_file_gently(from_file, key, NULL, NULL))
+	if (repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, from_file, key, NULL, NULL))
 		return error(_("unable to unset %s in '%s'"), key, from_file);
 	return 0;
 }