diff --git a/builtin/init-db.c b/builtin/init-db.c
index ea064784db..e3af9eaa87 100644
--- a/builtin/init-db.c
+++ b/builtin/init-db.c
@@ -414,6 +414,7 @@ static const char *const init_db_usage[] = {
 int cmd_init_db(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
 	const char *git_dir;
+	const char *work_tree;
 	const char *template_dir = NULL;
 	unsigned int flags = 0;
 	const struct option init_db_options[] = {
@@ -480,8 +481,8 @@ int cmd_init_db(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	 * without --bare.  Catch the error early.
 	 */
 	git_dir = getenv(GIT_DIR_ENVIRONMENT);
-	if ((!git_dir || is_bare_repository_cfg == 1)
-	    && getenv(GIT_WORK_TREE_ENVIRONMENT))
+	work_tree = getenv(GIT_WORK_TREE_ENVIRONMENT);
+	if ((!git_dir || is_bare_repository_cfg == 1) && work_tree)
 		die("%s (or --work-tree=<directory>) not allowed without "
 		    "specifying %s (or --git-dir=<directory>)",
 		    GIT_WORK_TREE_ENVIRONMENT,
@@ -496,7 +497,6 @@ int cmd_init_db(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	if (is_bare_repository_cfg < 0)
 		is_bare_repository_cfg = guess_repository_type(git_dir);
 
-	startup_info->setup_explicit = 1;
 	if (!is_bare_repository_cfg) {
 		if (git_dir) {
 			const char *git_dir_parent = strrchr(git_dir, '/');
@@ -511,10 +511,18 @@ int cmd_init_db(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			if (!getcwd(git_work_tree_cfg, PATH_MAX))
 				die_errno ("Cannot access current working directory");
 		}
+		if (work_tree)
+			set_git_work_tree(make_absolute_path(work_tree));
+		else
+			set_git_work_tree(git_work_tree_cfg);
 		if (access(get_git_work_tree(), X_OK))
 			die_errno ("Cannot access work tree '%s'",
 				   get_git_work_tree());
 	}
+	else {
+		if (work_tree)
+			set_git_work_tree(make_absolute_path(work_tree));
+	}
 
 	set_git_dir(make_absolute_path(git_dir));
 
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index b2cdda7142..123dd4bb93 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -1119,7 +1119,6 @@ const char *split_cmdline_strerror(int cmdline_errno);
 /* git.c */
 struct startup_info {
 	int have_repository;
-	int setup_explicit;
 };
 extern struct startup_info *startup_info;
 
diff --git a/environment.c b/environment.c
index d811049a7d..149c132304 100644
--- a/environment.c
+++ b/environment.c
@@ -137,36 +137,20 @@ static int git_work_tree_initialized;
  */
 void set_git_work_tree(const char *new_work_tree)
 {
+	if (git_work_tree_initialized) {
+		new_work_tree = make_absolute_path(new_work_tree);
+		if (strcmp(new_work_tree, work_tree))
+			die("internal error: work tree has already been set\n"
+			    "Current worktree: %s\nNew worktree: %s",
+			    work_tree, new_work_tree);
+		return;
+	}
 	git_work_tree_initialized = 1;
-	free(work_tree);
 	work_tree = xstrdup(make_absolute_path(new_work_tree));
-	is_bare_repository_cfg = 0;
 }
 
 const char *get_git_work_tree(void)
 {
-	if (startup_info && !startup_info->setup_explicit) {
-		if (is_bare_repository_cfg == 1)
-			return NULL;
-		if (work_tree)
-			is_bare_repository_cfg = 0;
-		return work_tree;
-	}
-
-	if (!git_work_tree_initialized) {
-		work_tree = getenv(GIT_WORK_TREE_ENVIRONMENT);
-		/* core.bare = true overrides implicit and config work tree */
-		if (!work_tree && is_bare_repository_cfg < 1) {
-			work_tree = git_work_tree_cfg;
-			/* make_absolute_path also normalizes the path */
-			if (work_tree && !is_absolute_path(work_tree))
-				work_tree = xstrdup(make_absolute_path(git_path("%s", work_tree)));
-		} else if (work_tree)
-			work_tree = xstrdup(make_absolute_path(work_tree));
-		git_work_tree_initialized = 1;
-		if (work_tree)
-			is_bare_repository_cfg = 0;
-	}
 	return work_tree;
 }