diff --git a/bisect.c b/bisect.c
index 7a3c77c6d8..269a98bf97 100644
--- a/bisect.c
+++ b/bisect.c
@@ -930,7 +930,7 @@ static enum bisect_error check_good_are_ancestors_of_bad(struct repository *r,
 	if (!current_bad_oid)
 		return error(_("a %s revision is needed"), term_bad);
 
-	filename = git_pathdup("BISECT_ANCESTORS_OK");
+	filename = repo_git_path(the_repository, "BISECT_ANCESTORS_OK");
 
 	/* Check if file BISECT_ANCESTORS_OK exists. */
 	if (!stat(filename, &st) && S_ISREG(st.st_mode))
diff --git a/builtin/am.c b/builtin/am.c
index 390b463144..2921bb89ef 100644
--- a/builtin/am.c
+++ b/builtin/am.c
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ static void am_state_init(struct am_state *state)
 
 	memset(state, 0, sizeof(*state));
 
-	state->dir = git_pathdup("rebase-apply");
+	state->dir = repo_git_path(the_repository, "rebase-apply");
 
 	state->prec = 4;
 
diff --git a/builtin/clone.c b/builtin/clone.c
index fd001d800c..5ae6ee9db9 100644
--- a/builtin/clone.c
+++ b/builtin/clone.c
@@ -938,7 +938,7 @@ static void write_refspec_config(const char *src_ref_prefix,
 
 static void dissociate_from_references(void)
 {
-	char *alternates = git_pathdup("objects/info/alternates");
+	char *alternates = repo_git_path(the_repository, "objects/info/alternates");
 
 	if (!access(alternates, F_OK)) {
 		struct child_process cmd = CHILD_PROCESS_INIT;
diff --git a/builtin/config.c b/builtin/config.c
index 16e6e30555..53a90094e3 100644
--- a/builtin/config.c
+++ b/builtin/config.c
@@ -775,13 +775,13 @@ static void location_options_init(struct config_location_options *opts,
 		opts->source.file = opts->file_to_free = git_system_config();
 		opts->source.scope = CONFIG_SCOPE_SYSTEM;
 	} else if (opts->use_local_config) {
-		opts->source.file = opts->file_to_free = git_pathdup("config");
+		opts->source.file = opts->file_to_free = repo_git_path(the_repository, "config");
 		opts->source.scope = CONFIG_SCOPE_LOCAL;
 	} else if (opts->use_worktree_config) {
 		struct worktree **worktrees = get_worktrees();
 		if (the_repository->repository_format_worktree_config)
 			opts->source.file = opts->file_to_free =
-				git_pathdup("config.worktree");
+				repo_git_path(the_repository, "config.worktree");
 		else if (worktrees[0] && worktrees[1])
 			die(_("--worktree cannot be used with multiple "
 			      "working trees unless the config\n"
@@ -790,7 +790,7 @@ static void location_options_init(struct config_location_options *opts,
 			      "section in \"git help worktree\" for details"));
 		else
 			opts->source.file = opts->file_to_free =
-				git_pathdup("config");
+				repo_git_path(the_repository, "config");
 		opts->source.scope = CONFIG_SCOPE_LOCAL;
 		free_worktrees(worktrees);
 	} else if (opts->source.file) {
@@ -1087,7 +1087,7 @@ static int show_editor(struct config_location_options *opts)
 	git_config(git_default_config, NULL);
 	config_file = opts->source.file ?
 			xstrdup(opts->source.file) :
-			git_pathdup("config");
+			repo_git_path(the_repository, "config");
 	if (opts->use_global_config) {
 		int fd = open(config_file, O_CREAT | O_EXCL | O_WRONLY, 0666);
 		if (fd >= 0) {
diff --git a/builtin/fast-import.c b/builtin/fast-import.c
index a6a84058cd..c6f5147e8b 100644
--- a/builtin/fast-import.c
+++ b/builtin/fast-import.c
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ static void write_branch_report(FILE *rpt, struct branch *b)
 
 static void write_crash_report(const char *err)
 {
-	char *loc = git_pathdup("fast_import_crash_%"PRIuMAX, (uintmax_t) getpid());
+	char *loc = repo_git_path(the_repository, "fast_import_crash_%"PRIuMAX, (uintmax_t) getpid());
 	FILE *rpt = fopen(loc, "w");
 	struct branch *b;
 	unsigned long lu;
@@ -3280,7 +3280,7 @@ static char* make_fast_import_path(const char *path)
 {
 	if (!relative_marks_paths || is_absolute_path(path))
 		return prefix_filename(global_prefix, path);
-	return git_pathdup("info/fast-import/%s", path);
+	return repo_git_path(the_repository, "info/fast-import/%s", path);
 }
 
 static void option_import_marks(const char *marks,
diff --git a/builtin/fsck.c b/builtin/fsck.c
index 7a4dcb0716..c12203e012 100644
--- a/builtin/fsck.c
+++ b/builtin/fsck.c
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ static void check_unreachable_object(struct object *obj)
 				  printable_type(&obj->oid, obj->type),
 				  describe_object(&obj->oid));
 		if (write_lost_and_found) {
-			char *filename = git_pathdup("lost-found/%s/%s",
+			char *filename = repo_git_path(the_repository, "lost-found/%s/%s",
 				obj->type == OBJ_COMMIT ? "commit" : "other",
 				describe_object(&obj->oid));
 			FILE *f;
diff --git a/builtin/gc.c b/builtin/gc.c
index 0bf3533494..57f6aee174 100644
--- a/builtin/gc.c
+++ b/builtin/gc.c
@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@ static const char *lock_repo_for_gc(int force, pid_t* ret_pid)
 	if (xgethostname(my_host, sizeof(my_host)))
 		xsnprintf(my_host, sizeof(my_host), "unknown");
 
-	pidfile_path = git_pathdup("gc.pid");
+	pidfile_path = repo_git_path(the_repository, "gc.pid");
 	fd = hold_lock_file_for_update(&lock, pidfile_path,
 				       LOCK_DIE_ON_ERROR);
 	if (!force) {
@@ -607,7 +607,7 @@ static int report_last_gc_error(void)
 	int ret = 0;
 	ssize_t len;
 	struct stat st;
-	char *gc_log_path = git_pathdup("gc.log");
+	char *gc_log_path = repo_git_path(the_repository, "gc.log");
 
 	if (stat(gc_log_path, &st)) {
 		if (errno == ENOENT)
diff --git a/builtin/notes.c b/builtin/notes.c
index d051abf6df..18bcbb2f91 100644
--- a/builtin/notes.c
+++ b/builtin/notes.c
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ static void prepare_note_data(const struct object_id *object, struct note_data *
 		struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
 
 		/* write the template message before editing: */
-		d->edit_path = git_pathdup("NOTES_EDITMSG");
+		d->edit_path = repo_git_path(the_repository, "NOTES_EDITMSG");
 		fd = xopen(d->edit_path, O_CREAT | O_TRUNC | O_WRONLY, 0600);
 
 		if (d->msg_nr)
diff --git a/builtin/replace.c b/builtin/replace.c
index a4eaadff91..15ec0922ce 100644
--- a/builtin/replace.c
+++ b/builtin/replace.c
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ static int edit_and_replace(const char *object_ref, int force, int raw)
 	}
 	strbuf_release(&ref);
 
-	tmpfile = git_pathdup("REPLACE_EDITOBJ");
+	tmpfile = repo_git_path(the_repository, "REPLACE_EDITOBJ");
 	if (export_object(&old_oid, type, raw, tmpfile)) {
 		free(tmpfile);
 		return -1;
diff --git a/builtin/tag.c b/builtin/tag.c
index e8a344b926..d3e0943b73 100644
--- a/builtin/tag.c
+++ b/builtin/tag.c
@@ -667,7 +667,7 @@ int cmd_tag(int argc,
 	if (create_tag_object) {
 		if (force_sign_annotate && !annotate)
 			opt.sign = 1;
-		path = git_pathdup("TAG_EDITMSG");
+		path = repo_git_path(the_repository, "TAG_EDITMSG");
 		create_tag(&object, object_ref, tag, &buf, &opt, &prev, &object,
 			   &trailer_args, path);
 	}
diff --git a/builtin/worktree.c b/builtin/worktree.c
index c043d4d523..c84e6aa2cb 100644
--- a/builtin/worktree.c
+++ b/builtin/worktree.c
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ static void check_candidate_path(const char *path,
 
 static void copy_sparse_checkout(const char *worktree_git_dir)
 {
-	char *from_file = git_pathdup("info/sparse-checkout");
+	char *from_file = repo_git_path(the_repository, "info/sparse-checkout");
 	char *to_file = xstrfmt("%s/info/sparse-checkout", worktree_git_dir);
 
 	if (file_exists(from_file)) {
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ static void copy_sparse_checkout(const char *worktree_git_dir)
 
 static void copy_filtered_worktree_config(const char *worktree_git_dir)
 {
-	char *from_file = git_pathdup("config.worktree");
+	char *from_file = repo_git_path(the_repository, "config.worktree");
 	char *to_file = xstrfmt("%s/config.worktree", worktree_git_dir);
 
 	if (file_exists(from_file)) {
diff --git a/dir.c b/dir.c
index 5b2181e589..4122f6513d 100644
--- a/dir.c
+++ b/dir.c
@@ -3455,7 +3455,7 @@ void setup_standard_excludes(struct dir_struct *dir)
 
 char *get_sparse_checkout_filename(void)
 {
-	return git_pathdup("info/sparse-checkout");
+	return repo_git_path(the_repository, "info/sparse-checkout");
 }
 
 int get_sparse_checkout_patterns(struct pattern_list *pl)
diff --git a/http-backend.c b/http-backend.c
index 33cf378282..50b2858fad 100644
--- a/http-backend.c
+++ b/http-backend.c
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ static void send_strbuf(struct strbuf *hdr,
 static void send_local_file(struct strbuf *hdr, const char *the_type,
 				const char *name)
 {
-	char *p = git_pathdup("%s", name);
+	char *p = repo_git_path(the_repository, "%s", name);
 	size_t buf_alloc = 8192;
 	char *buf = xmalloc(buf_alloc);
 	int fd;
diff --git a/notes-merge.c b/notes-merge.c
index 8d701ed428..c997c0c1e3 100644
--- a/notes-merge.c
+++ b/notes-merge.c
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ static void write_buf_to_worktree(const struct object_id *obj,
 				  const char *buf, unsigned long size)
 {
 	int fd;
-	char *path = git_pathdup(NOTES_MERGE_WORKTREE "/%s", oid_to_hex(obj));
+	char *path = repo_git_path(the_repository, NOTES_MERGE_WORKTREE "/%s", oid_to_hex(obj));
 	if (safe_create_leading_directories_const(path))
 		die_errno("unable to create directory for '%s'", path);
 
diff --git a/object-file.c b/object-file.c
index 6ce1caacae..335cc2a5da 100644
--- a/object-file.c
+++ b/object-file.c
@@ -717,7 +717,7 @@ static void read_info_alternates(struct repository *r,
 void add_to_alternates_file(const char *reference)
 {
 	struct lock_file lock = LOCK_INIT;
-	char *alts = git_pathdup("objects/info/alternates");
+	char *alts = repo_git_path(the_repository, "objects/info/alternates");
 	FILE *in, *out;
 	int found = 0;
 
diff --git a/path.h b/path.h
index cebc93cb0a..df16dd23bd 100644
--- a/path.h
+++ b/path.h
@@ -292,24 +292,10 @@ static inline const char *git_path(const char *fmt, ...)
 	{ \
 		static char *ret; \
 		if (!ret) \
-			ret = git_pathdup(filename); \
+			ret = repo_git_path(the_repository, filename); \
 		return ret; \
 	}
 
-/*
- * Return a path into the main repository's (the_repository) git directory.
- */
-__attribute__((format (printf, 1, 2)))
-static inline char *git_pathdup(const char *fmt, ...)
-{
-	struct strbuf path = STRBUF_INIT;
-	va_list args;
-	va_start(args, fmt);
-	repo_git_pathv(the_repository, NULL, &path, fmt, args);
-	va_end(args);
-	return strbuf_detach(&path, NULL);
-}
-
 # endif /* USE_THE_REPOSITORY_VARIABLE */
 
 #endif /* PATH_H */
