diff --git a/builtin/config.c b/builtin/config.c
index e1c33e0691..505bbc7ddd 100644
--- a/builtin/config.c
+++ b/builtin/config.c
@@ -129,7 +129,8 @@ static int show_config(const char *key_, const char *value_, void *cb)
 		else
 			sprintf(value, "%d", v);
 	} else if (types == TYPE_PATH) {
-		git_config_pathname(&vptr, key_, value_);
+		if (git_config_pathname(&vptr, key_, value_) < 0)
+			return -1;
 		must_free_vptr = 1;
 	} else if (value_) {
 		vptr = value_;
diff --git a/t/t1300-repo-config.sh b/t/t1300-repo-config.sh
index e127f35db9..7c4c372e37 100755
--- a/t/t1300-repo-config.sh
+++ b/t/t1300-repo-config.sh
@@ -803,6 +803,11 @@ test_expect_success NOT_MINGW 'get --path copes with unset $HOME' '
 	test_cmp expect result
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'get --path barfs on boolean variable' '
+	echo "[path]bool" >.git/config &&
+	test_must_fail git config --get --path path.bool
+'
+
 cat > expect << EOF
 [quote]
 	leading = " test"