diff --git a/compat/precompose_utf8.c b/compat/precompose_utf8.c
index 43b3be0114..0e94dbd862 100644
--- a/compat/precompose_utf8.c
+++ b/compat/precompose_utf8.c
@@ -48,16 +48,18 @@ void probe_utf8_pathname_composition(void)
 	static const char *auml_nfc = "\xc3\xa4";
 	static const char *auml_nfd = "\x61\xcc\x88";
 	int output_fd;
-	if (precomposed_unicode != -1)
+	struct repo_config_values *cfg = repo_config_values(the_repository);
+
+	if (cfg->precomposed_unicode != -1)
 		return; /* We found it defined in the global config, respect it */
 	repo_git_path_replace(the_repository, &path, "%s", auml_nfc);
 	output_fd = open(path.buf, O_CREAT|O_EXCL|O_RDWR, 0600);
 	if (output_fd >= 0) {
 		close(output_fd);
 		repo_git_path_replace(the_repository, &path, "%s", auml_nfd);
-		precomposed_unicode = access(path.buf, R_OK) ? 0 : 1;
+		cfg->precomposed_unicode = access(path.buf, R_OK) ? 0 : 1;
 		repo_config_set(the_repository, "core.precomposeunicode",
-				precomposed_unicode ? "true" : "false");
+				cfg->precomposed_unicode ? "true" : "false");
 		repo_git_path_replace(the_repository, &path, "%s", auml_nfc);
 		if (unlink(path.buf))
 			die_errno(_("failed to unlink '%s'"), path.buf);
@@ -69,14 +71,16 @@ const char *precompose_string_if_needed(const char *in)
 {
 	size_t inlen;
 	size_t outlen;
+	struct repo_config_values *cfg = repo_config_values(the_repository);
+
 	if (!in)
 		return NULL;
 	if (has_non_ascii(in, (size_t)-1, &inlen)) {
 		iconv_t ic_prec;
 		char *out;
-		if (precomposed_unicode < 0)
-			repo_config_get_bool(the_repository, "core.precomposeunicode", &precomposed_unicode);
-		if (precomposed_unicode != 1)
+		if (cfg->precomposed_unicode < 0)
+			repo_config_get_bool(the_repository, "core.precomposeunicode", &cfg->precomposed_unicode);
+		if (cfg->precomposed_unicode != 1)
 			return in;
 		ic_prec = iconv_open(repo_encoding, path_encoding);
 		if (ic_prec == (iconv_t) -1)
@@ -130,7 +134,9 @@ PREC_DIR *precompose_utf8_opendir(const char *dirname)
 
 struct dirent_prec_psx *precompose_utf8_readdir(PREC_DIR *prec_dir)
 {
+	struct repo_config_values *cfg = repo_config_values(the_repository);
 	struct dirent *res;
+
 	res = readdir(prec_dir->dirp);
 	if (res) {
 		size_t namelenz = strlen(res->d_name) + 1; /* \0 */
@@ -149,7 +155,7 @@ struct dirent_prec_psx *precompose_utf8_readdir(PREC_DIR *prec_dir)
 		prec_dir->dirent_nfc->d_ino  = res->d_ino;
 		prec_dir->dirent_nfc->d_type = res->d_type;
 
-		if ((precomposed_unicode == 1) && has_non_ascii(res->d_name, (size_t)-1, NULL)) {
+		if ((cfg->precomposed_unicode == 1) && has_non_ascii(res->d_name, (size_t)-1, NULL)) {
 			if (prec_dir->ic_precompose == (iconv_t)-1) {
 				die("iconv_open(%s,%s) failed, but needed:\n"
 						"    precomposed unicode is not supported.\n"
diff --git a/environment.c b/environment.c
index d0d3a4b7d2..739b647ebe 100644
--- a/environment.c
+++ b/environment.c
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@ enum object_creation_mode object_creation_mode = OBJECT_CREATION_MODE;
 int grafts_keep_true_parents;
 int core_sparse_checkout_cone;
 int sparse_expect_files_outside_of_patterns;
-int precomposed_unicode = -1; /* see probe_utf8_pathname_composition() */
 unsigned long pack_size_limit_cfg;
 
 #ifndef PROTECT_HFS_DEFAULT
@@ -532,7 +531,7 @@ int git_default_core_config(const char *var, const char *value,
 	}
 
 	if (!strcmp(var, "core.precomposeunicode")) {
-		precomposed_unicode = git_config_bool(var, value);
+		cfg->precomposed_unicode = git_config_bool(var, value);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -723,4 +722,5 @@ void repo_config_values_init(struct repo_config_values *cfg)
 	cfg->check_stat = 1;
 	cfg->zlib_compression_level = Z_BEST_SPEED;
 	cfg->pack_compression_level = Z_DEFAULT_COMPRESSION;
+	cfg->precomposed_unicode = -1; /* see probe_utf8_pathname_composition() */
 }
diff --git a/environment.h b/environment.h
index 514576b67a..508cb1afbc 100644
--- a/environment.h
+++ b/environment.h
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ struct repo_config_values {
 	int check_stat;
 	int zlib_compression_level;
 	int pack_compression_level;
+	int precomposed_unicode;
 
 	/* section "branch" config values */
 	enum branch_track branch_track;
@@ -174,7 +175,6 @@ extern char *apply_default_whitespace;
 extern char *apply_default_ignorewhitespace;
 extern unsigned long pack_size_limit_cfg;
 
-extern int precomposed_unicode;
 extern int protect_hfs;
 extern int protect_ntfs;
 
diff --git a/upload-pack.c b/upload-pack.c
index 9f6d6fe48c..3a52237134 100644
--- a/upload-pack.c
+++ b/upload-pack.c
@@ -1336,6 +1336,7 @@ static int upload_pack_config(const char *var, const char *value,
 			      void *cb_data)
 {
 	struct upload_pack_data *data = cb_data;
+	struct repo_config_values *cfg = repo_config_values(the_repository);
 
 	if (!strcmp("uploadpack.allowtipsha1inwant", var)) {
 		if (git_config_bool(var, value))
@@ -1366,7 +1367,7 @@ static int upload_pack_config(const char *var, const char *value,
 		if (value)
 			data->allow_packfile_uris = 1;
 	} else if (!strcmp("core.precomposeunicode", var)) {
-		precomposed_unicode = git_config_bool(var, value);
+		cfg->precomposed_unicode = git_config_bool(var, value);
 	} else if (!strcmp("transfer.advertisesid", var)) {
 		data->advertise_sid = git_config_bool(var, value);
 	}