diff --git a/remote.c b/remote.c
index ff04da1ec6..98c190a041 100644
--- a/remote.c
+++ b/remote.c
@@ -352,8 +352,12 @@ static int handle_config(const char *key, const char *value, void *cb)
 	struct remote_state *remote_state = cb;
 
 	if (parse_config_key(key, "branch", &name, &namelen, &subkey) >= 0) {
+		/* There is no subsection. */
 		if (!name)
 			return 0;
+		/* There is a subsection, but it is empty. */
+		if (!namelen)
+			return -1;
 		branch = make_branch(remote_state, name, namelen);
 		if (!strcmp(subkey, "remote")) {
 			return git_config_string(&branch->remote_name, key, value);
diff --git a/t/t5516-fetch-push.sh b/t/t5516-fetch-push.sh
index de0bab398e..ff38563fb7 100755
--- a/t/t5516-fetch-push.sh
+++ b/t/t5516-fetch-push.sh
@@ -602,13 +602,23 @@ test_expect_success 'branch.*.pushremote config order is irrelevant' '
 	check_push_result two_repo $the_commit heads/main
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'push ignores empty branch name entries' '
+test_expect_success 'push rejects empty branch name entries' '
 	mk_test one_repo heads/main &&
 	test_config remote.one.url one_repo &&
 	test_config branch..remote one &&
 	test_config branch..merge refs/heads/ &&
 	test_config branch.main.remote one &&
 	test_config branch.main.merge refs/heads/main &&
+	test_must_fail git push 2>err &&
+	grep "bad config variable .branch\.\." err
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'push ignores "branch." config without subsection' '
+	mk_test one_repo heads/main &&
+	test_config remote.one.url one_repo &&
+	test_config branch.autoSetupMerge true &&
+	test_config branch.main.remote one &&
+	test_config branch.main.merge refs/heads/main &&
 	git push
 '