diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 83b385b0be..e9ad9f9ef1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1091,6 +1091,7 @@ LIB_OBJS += pack-write.o
 LIB_OBJS += packfile.o
 LIB_OBJS += pager.o
 LIB_OBJS += parallel-checkout.o
+LIB_OBJS += parse.o
 LIB_OBJS += parse-options-cb.o
 LIB_OBJS += parse-options.o
 LIB_OBJS += patch-delta.o
diff --git a/attr.c b/attr.c
index e9c81b6e07..cb047b4618 100644
--- a/attr.c
+++ b/attr.c
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
  */
 
 #include "git-compat-util.h"
-#include "config.h"
+#include "parse.h"
 #include "environment.h"
 #include "exec-cmd.h"
 #include "attr.h"
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 5b71ef1624..cdd70999aa 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "date.h"
 #include "branch.h"
 #include "config.h"
+#include "parse.h"
 #include "convert.h"
 #include "environment.h"
 #include "gettext.h"
@@ -1204,129 +1205,6 @@ static int git_parse_source(struct config_source *cs, config_fn_t fn,
 	return error_return;
 }
 
-static uintmax_t get_unit_factor(const char *end)
-{
-	if (!*end)
-		return 1;
-	else if (!strcasecmp(end, "k"))
-		return 1024;
-	else if (!strcasecmp(end, "m"))
-		return 1024 * 1024;
-	else if (!strcasecmp(end, "g"))
-		return 1024 * 1024 * 1024;
-	return 0;
-}
-
-static int git_parse_signed(const char *value, intmax_t *ret, intmax_t max)
-{
-	if (value && *value) {
-		char *end;
-		intmax_t val;
-		intmax_t factor;
-
-		if (max < 0)
-			BUG("max must be a positive integer");
-
-		errno = 0;
-		val = strtoimax(value, &end, 0);
-		if (errno == ERANGE)
-			return 0;
-		if (end == value) {
-			errno = EINVAL;
-			return 0;
-		}
-		factor = get_unit_factor(end);
-		if (!factor) {
-			errno = EINVAL;
-			return 0;
-		}
-		if ((val < 0 && -max / factor > val) ||
-		    (val > 0 && max / factor < val)) {
-			errno = ERANGE;
-			return 0;
-		}
-		val *= factor;
-		*ret = val;
-		return 1;
-	}
-	errno = EINVAL;
-	return 0;
-}
-
-static int git_parse_unsigned(const char *value, uintmax_t *ret, uintmax_t max)
-{
-	if (value && *value) {
-		char *end;
-		uintmax_t val;
-		uintmax_t factor;
-
-		/* negative values would be accepted by strtoumax */
-		if (strchr(value, '-')) {
-			errno = EINVAL;
-			return 0;
-		}
-		errno = 0;
-		val = strtoumax(value, &end, 0);
-		if (errno == ERANGE)
-			return 0;
-		if (end == value) {
-			errno = EINVAL;
-			return 0;
-		}
-		factor = get_unit_factor(end);
-		if (!factor) {
-			errno = EINVAL;
-			return 0;
-		}
-		if (unsigned_mult_overflows(factor, val) ||
-		    factor * val > max) {
-			errno = ERANGE;
-			return 0;
-		}
-		val *= factor;
-		*ret = val;
-		return 1;
-	}
-	errno = EINVAL;
-	return 0;
-}
-
-int git_parse_int(const char *value, int *ret)
-{
-	intmax_t tmp;
-	if (!git_parse_signed(value, &tmp, maximum_signed_value_of_type(int)))
-		return 0;
-	*ret = tmp;
-	return 1;
-}
-
-static int git_parse_int64(const char *value, int64_t *ret)
-{
-	intmax_t tmp;
-	if (!git_parse_signed(value, &tmp, maximum_signed_value_of_type(int64_t)))
-		return 0;
-	*ret = tmp;
-	return 1;
-}
-
-int git_parse_ulong(const char *value, unsigned long *ret)
-{
-	uintmax_t tmp;
-	if (!git_parse_unsigned(value, &tmp, maximum_unsigned_value_of_type(long)))
-		return 0;
-	*ret = tmp;
-	return 1;
-}
-
-int git_parse_ssize_t(const char *value, ssize_t *ret)
-{
-	intmax_t tmp;
-	if (!git_parse_signed(value, &tmp, maximum_signed_value_of_type(ssize_t)))
-		return 0;
-	*ret = tmp;
-	return 1;
-}
-
 static int reader_config_name(struct config_reader *reader, const char **out);
 static int reader_origin_type(struct config_reader *reader,
 			      enum config_origin_type *type);
@@ -1404,23 +1282,6 @@ ssize_t git_config_ssize_t(const char *name, const char *value)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static int git_parse_maybe_bool_text(const char *value)
-{
-	if (!value)
-		return 1;
-	if (!*value)
-		return 0;
-	if (!strcasecmp(value, "true")
-	    || !strcasecmp(value, "yes")
-	    || !strcasecmp(value, "on"))
-		return 1;
-	if (!strcasecmp(value, "false")
-	    || !strcasecmp(value, "no")
-	    || !strcasecmp(value, "off"))
-		return 0;
-	return -1;
-}
-
 static const struct fsync_component_name {
 	const char *name;
 	enum fsync_component component_bits;
@@ -1495,16 +1356,6 @@ static enum fsync_component parse_fsync_components(const char *var, const char *
 	return (current & ~negative) | positive;
 }
 
-int git_parse_maybe_bool(const char *value)
-{
-	int v = git_parse_maybe_bool_text(value);
-	if (0 <= v)
-		return v;
-	if (git_parse_int(value, &v))
-		return !!v;
-	return -1;
-}
-
 int git_config_bool_or_int(const char *name, const char *value, int *is_bool)
 {
 	int v = git_parse_maybe_bool_text(value);
@@ -2165,35 +2016,6 @@ void git_global_config(char **user_out, char **xdg_out)
 	*xdg_out = xdg_config;
 }
 
-/*
- * Parse environment variable 'k' as a boolean (in various
- * possible spellings); if missing, use the default value 'def'.
- */
-int git_env_bool(const char *k, int def)
-{
-	const char *v = getenv(k);
-	int val;
-	if (!v)
-		return def;
-	val = git_parse_maybe_bool(v);
-	if (val < 0)
-		die(_("bad boolean environment value '%s' for '%s'"),
-		    v, k);
-	return val;
-}
-
-/*
- * Parse environment variable 'k' as ulong with possibly a unit
- * suffix; if missing, use the default value 'val'.
- */
-unsigned long git_env_ulong(const char *k, unsigned long val)
-{
-	const char *v = getenv(k);
-	if (v && !git_parse_ulong(v, &val))
-		die(_("failed to parse %s"), k);
-	return val;
-}
-
 int git_config_system(void)
 {
 	return !git_env_bool("GIT_CONFIG_NOSYSTEM", 0);
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 247b572b37..7a7f53e503 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 #include "hashmap.h"
 #include "string-list.h"
-
+#include "parse.h"
 
 /**
  * The config API gives callers a way to access Git configuration files
@@ -205,16 +205,6 @@ int config_with_options(config_fn_t fn, void *,
  * The following helper functions aid in parsing string values
  */
 
-int git_parse_ssize_t(const char *, ssize_t *);
-int git_parse_ulong(const char *, unsigned long *);
-int git_parse_int(const char *value, int *ret);
-
-/**
- * Same as `git_config_bool`, except that it returns -1 on error rather
- * than dying.
- */
-int git_parse_maybe_bool(const char *);
-
 /**
  * Parse the string to an integer, including unit factors. Dies on error;
  * otherwise, returns the parsed result.
@@ -343,8 +333,6 @@ int git_config_rename_section(const char *, const char *);
 int git_config_rename_section_in_file(const char *, const char *, const char *);
 int git_config_copy_section(const char *, const char *);
 int git_config_copy_section_in_file(const char *, const char *, const char *);
-int git_env_bool(const char *, int);
-unsigned long git_env_ulong(const char *, unsigned long);
 int git_config_system(void);
 int config_error_nonbool(const char *);
 #if defined(__GNUC__)
diff --git a/pack-objects.c b/pack-objects.c
index 1b8052bece..f403ca6986 100644
--- a/pack-objects.c
+++ b/pack-objects.c
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #include "pack.h"
 #include "pack-objects.h"
 #include "packfile.h"
-#include "config.h"
+#include "parse.h"
 
 static uint32_t locate_object_entry_hash(struct packing_data *pdata,
 					 const struct object_id *oid,
diff --git a/pack-revindex.c b/pack-revindex.c
index 7fffcad912..a01a2a4640 100644
--- a/pack-revindex.c
+++ b/pack-revindex.c
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 #include "packfile.h"
 #include "strbuf.h"
 #include "trace2.h"
-#include "config.h"
+#include "parse.h"
 #include "midx.h"
 #include "csum-file.h"
 
diff --git a/parse-options.c b/parse-options.c
index f8a155ee13..9f542950a7 100644
--- a/parse-options.c
+++ b/parse-options.c
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 #include "git-compat-util.h"
 #include "parse-options.h"
 #include "abspath.h"
-#include "config.h"
+#include "parse.h"
 #include "commit.h"
 #include "color.h"
 #include "gettext.h"
 #include "strbuf.h"
+#include "string-list.h"
 #include "utf8.h"
 
 static int disallow_abbreviated_options;
diff --git a/parse.c b/parse.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..42d691a0fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/parse.c
@@ -0,0 +1,182 @@
+#include "git-compat-util.h"
+#include "gettext.h"
+#include "parse.h"
+
+static uintmax_t get_unit_factor(const char *end)
+{
+	if (!*end)
+		return 1;
+	else if (!strcasecmp(end, "k"))
+		return 1024;
+	else if (!strcasecmp(end, "m"))
+		return 1024 * 1024;
+	else if (!strcasecmp(end, "g"))
+		return 1024 * 1024 * 1024;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int git_parse_signed(const char *value, intmax_t *ret, intmax_t max)
+{
+	if (value && *value) {
+		char *end;
+		intmax_t val;
+		intmax_t factor;
+
+		if (max < 0)
+			BUG("max must be a positive integer");
+
+		errno = 0;
+		val = strtoimax(value, &end, 0);
+		if (errno == ERANGE)
+			return 0;
+		if (end == value) {
+			errno = EINVAL;
+			return 0;
+		}
+		factor = get_unit_factor(end);
+		if (!factor) {
+			errno = EINVAL;
+			return 0;
+		}
+		if ((val < 0 && -max / factor > val) ||
+		    (val > 0 && max / factor < val)) {
+			errno = ERANGE;
+			return 0;
+		}
+		val *= factor;
+		*ret = val;
+		return 1;
+	}
+	errno = EINVAL;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int git_parse_unsigned(const char *value, uintmax_t *ret, uintmax_t max)
+{
+	if (value && *value) {
+		char *end;
+		uintmax_t val;
+		uintmax_t factor;
+
+		/* negative values would be accepted by strtoumax */
+		if (strchr(value, '-')) {
+			errno = EINVAL;
+			return 0;
+		}
+		errno = 0;
+		val = strtoumax(value, &end, 0);
+		if (errno == ERANGE)
+			return 0;
+		if (end == value) {
+			errno = EINVAL;
+			return 0;
+		}
+		factor = get_unit_factor(end);
+		if (!factor) {
+			errno = EINVAL;
+			return 0;
+		}
+		if (unsigned_mult_overflows(factor, val) ||
+		    factor * val > max) {
+			errno = ERANGE;
+			return 0;
+		}
+		val *= factor;
+		*ret = val;
+		return 1;
+	}
+	errno = EINVAL;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int git_parse_int(const char *value, int *ret)
+{
+	intmax_t tmp;
+	if (!git_parse_signed(value, &tmp, maximum_signed_value_of_type(int)))
+		return 0;
+	*ret = tmp;
+	return 1;
+}
+
+int git_parse_int64(const char *value, int64_t *ret)
+{
+	intmax_t tmp;
+	if (!git_parse_signed(value, &tmp, maximum_signed_value_of_type(int64_t)))
+		return 0;
+	*ret = tmp;
+	return 1;
+}
+
+int git_parse_ulong(const char *value, unsigned long *ret)
+{
+	uintmax_t tmp;
+	if (!git_parse_unsigned(value, &tmp, maximum_unsigned_value_of_type(long)))
+		return 0;
+	*ret = tmp;
+	return 1;
+}
+
+int git_parse_ssize_t(const char *value, ssize_t *ret)
+{
+	intmax_t tmp;
+	if (!git_parse_signed(value, &tmp, maximum_signed_value_of_type(ssize_t)))
+		return 0;
+	*ret = tmp;
+	return 1;
+}
+
+int git_parse_maybe_bool_text(const char *value)
+{
+	if (!value)
+		return 1;
+	if (!*value)
+		return 0;
+	if (!strcasecmp(value, "true")
+	    || !strcasecmp(value, "yes")
+	    || !strcasecmp(value, "on"))
+		return 1;
+	if (!strcasecmp(value, "false")
+	    || !strcasecmp(value, "no")
+	    || !strcasecmp(value, "off"))
+		return 0;
+	return -1;
+}
+
+int git_parse_maybe_bool(const char *value)
+{
+	int v = git_parse_maybe_bool_text(value);
+	if (0 <= v)
+		return v;
+	if (git_parse_int(value, &v))
+		return !!v;
+	return -1;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Parse environment variable 'k' as a boolean (in various
+ * possible spellings); if missing, use the default value 'def'.
+ */
+int git_env_bool(const char *k, int def)
+{
+	const char *v = getenv(k);
+	int val;
+	if (!v)
+		return def;
+	val = git_parse_maybe_bool(v);
+	if (val < 0)
+		die(_("bad boolean environment value '%s' for '%s'"),
+		    v, k);
+	return val;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Parse environment variable 'k' as ulong with possibly a unit
+ * suffix; if missing, use the default value 'val'.
+ */
+unsigned long git_env_ulong(const char *k, unsigned long val)
+{
+	const char *v = getenv(k);
+	if (v && !git_parse_ulong(v, &val))
+		die(_("failed to parse %s"), k);
+	return val;
+}
diff --git a/parse.h b/parse.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..07d2193d69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/parse.h
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#ifndef PARSE_H
+#define PARSE_H
+
+int git_parse_signed(const char *value, intmax_t *ret, intmax_t max);
+int git_parse_ssize_t(const char *, ssize_t *);
+int git_parse_ulong(const char *, unsigned long *);
+int git_parse_int(const char *value, int *ret);
+int git_parse_int64(const char *value, int64_t *ret);
+
+/**
+ * Same as `git_config_bool`, except that it returns -1 on error rather
+ * than dying.
+ */
+int git_parse_maybe_bool(const char *);
+int git_parse_maybe_bool_text(const char *value);
+
+int git_env_bool(const char *, int);
+unsigned long git_env_ulong(const char *, unsigned long);
+
+#endif /* PARSE_H */
diff --git a/pathspec.c b/pathspec.c
index 4991455281..39337999d4 100644
--- a/pathspec.c
+++ b/pathspec.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #include "git-compat-util.h"
 #include "abspath.h"
-#include "config.h"
+#include "parse.h"
 #include "dir.h"
 #include "environment.h"
 #include "gettext.h"
diff --git a/preload-index.c b/preload-index.c
index e44530c80c..63fd35d64b 100644
--- a/preload-index.c
+++ b/preload-index.c
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 #include "environment.h"
 #include "fsmonitor.h"
 #include "gettext.h"
-#include "config.h"
+#include "parse.h"
 #include "preload-index.h"
 #include "progress.h"
 #include "read-cache.h"
diff --git a/progress.c b/progress.c
index f695798aca..c83cb60bf1 100644
--- a/progress.c
+++ b/progress.c
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 #include "trace.h"
 #include "trace2.h"
 #include "utf8.h"
-#include "config.h"
+#include "parse.h"
 
 #define TP_IDX_MAX      8
 
diff --git a/prompt.c b/prompt.c
index 3baa33f63d..8935fe4dfb 100644
--- a/prompt.c
+++ b/prompt.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #include "git-compat-util.h"
-#include "config.h"
+#include "parse.h"
 #include "environment.h"
 #include "run-command.h"
 #include "strbuf.h"
diff --git a/rebase.c b/rebase.c
index 17a570f1ff..69a1822da3 100644
--- a/rebase.c
+++ b/rebase.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #include "git-compat-util.h"
 #include "rebase.h"
-#include "config.h"
+#include "parse.h"
 #include "gettext.h"
 
 /*
diff --git a/t/helper/test-env-helper.c b/t/helper/test-env-helper.c
index 66c88b8ff3..1c486888a4 100644
--- a/t/helper/test-env-helper.c
+++ b/t/helper/test-env-helper.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #include "test-tool.h"
-#include "config.h"
+#include "parse.h"
 #include "parse-options.h"
 
 static char const * const env__helper_usage[] = {
diff --git a/unpack-trees.c b/unpack-trees.c
index 87517364dc..761562a96e 100644
--- a/unpack-trees.c
+++ b/unpack-trees.c
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #include "advice.h"
 #include "strvec.h"
 #include "repository.h"
-#include "config.h"
+#include "parse.h"
 #include "dir.h"
 #include "environment.h"
 #include "gettext.h"
diff --git a/wrapper.c b/wrapper.c
index 118d3033de..a6249cc30e 100644
--- a/wrapper.c
+++ b/wrapper.c
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  */
 #include "git-compat-util.h"
 #include "abspath.h"
-#include "config.h"
+#include "parse.h"
 #include "gettext.h"
 #include "repository.h"
 #include "strbuf.h"
diff --git a/write-or-die.c b/write-or-die.c
index d8355c0c3e..42a2dc73cd 100644
--- a/write-or-die.c
+++ b/write-or-die.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #include "git-compat-util.h"
-#include "config.h"
+#include "parse.h"
 #include "run-command.h"
 #include "write-or-die.h"
 
