diff --git a/Documentation/config.txt b/Documentation/config.txt
index 87a3512073..c80262bc37 100644
--- a/Documentation/config.txt
+++ b/Documentation/config.txt
@@ -1210,6 +1210,10 @@ imap::
 	The configuration variables in the 'imap' section are described
 	in linkgit:git-imap-send[1].
 
+init.templatedir::
+	Specify the directory from which templates will be copied.
+	(See the "TEMPLATE DIRECTORY" section of linkgit:git-init[1].)
+
 instaweb.browser::
 	Specify the program that will be used to browse your working
 	repository in gitweb. See linkgit:git-instaweb[1].
diff --git a/Documentation/git-clone.txt b/Documentation/git-clone.txt
index 88ea6246a1..4cb7d78cfc 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-clone.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-clone.txt
@@ -149,8 +149,7 @@ objects from the source repository into a pack in the cloned repository.
 
 --template=<template_directory>::
 	Specify the directory from which templates will be used;
-	if unset the templates are taken from the installation
-	defined default, typically `/usr/share/git-core/templates`.
+	(See the "TEMPLATE DIRECTORY" section of linkgit:git-init[1].)
 
 --depth <depth>::
 	Create a 'shallow' clone with a history truncated to the
diff --git a/Documentation/git-init.txt b/Documentation/git-init.txt
index 7ee102da48..246b07ebf9 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-init.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-init.txt
@@ -28,14 +28,8 @@ current working directory.
 
 --template=<template_directory>::
 
-Provide the directory from which templates will be used.  The default template
-directory is `/usr/share/git-core/templates`.
-
-When specified, `<template_directory>` is used as the source of the template
-files rather than the default.  The template files include some directory
-structure, some suggested "exclude patterns", and copies of non-executing
-"hook" files.  The suggested patterns and hook files are all modifiable and
-extensible.
+Specify the directory from which templates will be used.  (See the "TEMPLATE
+DIRECTORY" section below.)
 
 --shared[={false|true|umask|group|all|world|everybody|0xxx}]::
 
@@ -106,6 +100,25 @@ of the repository, such as installing the default hooks and
 setting the configuration variables.  The old name is retained
 for backward compatibility reasons.
 
+TEMPLATE DIRECTORY
+------------------
+
+The template directory contains files and directories that will be copied to
+the `$GIT_DIR` after it is created.
+
+The template directory used will (in order):
+
+ - The argument given with the `--template` option.
+
+ - The contents of the `$GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR` environment variable.
+
+ - The `init.templatedir` configuration variable.
+
+ - The default template directory: `/usr/share/git-core/templates`.
+
+The default template directory includes some directory structure, some
+suggested "exclude patterns", and copies of sample "hook" files.
+The suggested patterns and hook files are all modifiable and extensible.
 
 EXAMPLES
 --------
diff --git a/builtin/init-db.c b/builtin/init-db.c
index aae7a4d7ee..edc40ff574 100644
--- a/builtin/init-db.c
+++ b/builtin/init-db.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 static int init_is_bare_repository = 0;
 static int init_shared_repository = -1;
+static const char *init_db_template_dir;
 
 static void safe_create_dir(const char *dir, int share)
 {
@@ -120,6 +121,8 @@ static void copy_templates(const char *template_dir)
 
 	if (!template_dir)
 		template_dir = getenv(TEMPLATE_DIR_ENVIRONMENT);
+	if (!template_dir)
+		template_dir = init_db_template_dir;
 	if (!template_dir)
 		template_dir = system_path(DEFAULT_GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR);
 	if (!template_dir[0])
@@ -165,6 +168,14 @@ static void copy_templates(const char *template_dir)
 	closedir(dir);
 }
 
+static int git_init_db_config(const char *k, const char *v, void *cb)
+{
+	if (!strcmp(k, "init.templatedir"))
+		return git_config_pathname(&init_db_template_dir, k, v);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int create_default_files(const char *template_path)
 {
 	const char *git_dir = get_git_dir();
@@ -190,6 +201,9 @@ static int create_default_files(const char *template_path)
 	safe_create_dir(git_path("refs/heads"), 1);
 	safe_create_dir(git_path("refs/tags"), 1);
 
+	/* Just look for `init.templatedir` */
+	git_config(git_init_db_config, NULL);
+
 	/* First copy the templates -- we might have the default
 	 * config file there, in which case we would want to read
 	 * from it after installing.
diff --git a/t/t0001-init.sh b/t/t0001-init.sh
index 5386504790..675773479a 100755
--- a/t/t0001-init.sh
+++ b/t/t0001-init.sh
@@ -167,6 +167,25 @@ test_expect_success 'init with --template (blank)' '
 	! test -f template-blank/.git/info/exclude
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'init with init.templatedir set' '
+	mkdir templatedir-source &&
+	echo Content >templatedir-source/file &&
+	(
+		HOME="`pwd`" &&
+		export HOME &&
+		test_config="${HOME}/.gitconfig" &&
+		git config -f "$test_config"  init.templatedir "${HOME}/templatedir-source" &&
+		mkdir templatedir-set &&
+		cd templatedir-set &&
+		unset GIT_CONFIG_NOGLOBAL &&
+		unset GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR &&
+		NO_SET_GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR=t &&
+		export NO_SET_GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR &&
+		git init
+	) &&
+	test_cmp templatedir-source/file templatedir-set/.git/file
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'init --bare/--shared overrides system/global config' '
 	(
 		HOME="`pwd`" &&
diff --git a/wrap-for-bin.sh b/wrap-for-bin.sh
index c5075c9c61..09feb1f737 100644
--- a/wrap-for-bin.sh
+++ b/wrap-for-bin.sh
@@ -7,9 +7,15 @@
 # @@BUILD_DIR@@ and @@PROG@@.
 
 GIT_EXEC_PATH='@@BUILD_DIR@@'
-GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR='@@BUILD_DIR@@/templates/blt'
+if test -n "$NO_SET_GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR"
+then
+	unset GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR
+else
+	GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR='@@BUILD_DIR@@/templates/blt'
+	export GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR
+fi
 GITPERLLIB='@@BUILD_DIR@@/perl/blib/lib'
 PATH='@@BUILD_DIR@@/bin-wrappers:'"$PATH"
-export GIT_EXEC_PATH GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR GITPERLLIB PATH
+export GIT_EXEC_PATH GITPERLLIB PATH
 
 exec "${GIT_EXEC_PATH}/@@PROG@@" "$@"