It looks like git config --unset may leave an orphaned section, but a subsequent set adds a new section: $ git config --file=myconfig section.foo true $ git config --file=myconfig --unset section.foo $ cat myconfig [section] $ git config --file=myconfig section.foo true $ cat myconfig [section] [section] foo = true $ git --version git version 2.5.0.rc2.392.g76e840b -- 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