$ git --version git version 2.14.1.581 This does not work: $ git --git-dir ~/foo/.git --work-tree ~/foo stash create fatal: /usr/lib/git-core/git-stash cannot be used without a working tree. This does: $ git --git-dir ~/foo/.git --work-tree ~/foo -C ~/foo stash create I found a description of the bug here: https://stackoverflow.com/a/5863555