According to git-config(1) core.worktree Set the path to the working tree. The value will not be used in combination with repositories found automatically in a .git directory (i.e. $GIT_DIR is not set). This can be overridden by the GIT_WORK_TREE environment variable and the --work-tree command line option. It can be a absolute path or relative path to the directory specified by --git-dir or GIT_DIR. Note: If --git-dir or GIT_DIR are specified but none of --work-tree, GIT_WORK_TREE and core.worktree is specified, the current working directory is regarded as the top directory of your working tree. this setting is not used if GIT_DIR is set. But when I try it out $ mkdir r1 $ mkdir r2 $ cd r2 $ git init Initialized empty Git repository in /home/me/tmp/r2/.git/ $ date >f $ git add f $ git commit -m "f" f 1 files changed, 1 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-) create mode 100644 f $ git status # On branch master nothing to commit (working directory clean) => Nothing interesting here. It comes here: $ git config core.worktree $(cd ../r1;pwd) $ git status # On branch master # Changed but not updated: # (use "git add/rm <file>..." to update what will be committed) # (use "git checkout -- <file>..." to discard changes in working directory) # # deleted: f # no changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a") => Seems the config is actually honored even though GIT_DIR is not set. Bisect tells me 4f38f6b5bafb1f7f85c7b54d0bb0a0e977cd947c broke it. My main point is that I am implementing this in JGit so I want the same behaviour. Question: Should we try to fix this in git so it matches the documentation or fix the documentation to match behaviour. The breakage appeared over a year ago and no one has complained. -- robin My bisection script: #!/bin/bash test_description="CEILING" . ./test-lib.sh test_expect_success \ "ceiling" \ " rm -rf r1 r2 && mkdir r1 r2 && (cd r2 && git init && date >f && git add f && echo ADD && git commit -m f && echo COMMIT && git diff --exit-code f && echo DIFF && git config core.worktree \$(cd ../r1/..;pwd) && echo CONFIG && (unset GIT_DIR;git diff --exit-code -- f) && echo DIFF ) " test_don -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe git" in the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html