diff --git a/Documentation/git-config.txt b/Documentation/git-config.txt
index 0e9351d3cb..72ccea4419 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-config.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-config.txt
@@ -346,6 +346,22 @@ GIT_CONFIG_NOSYSTEM::
 
 See also <<FILES>>.
 
+GIT_CONFIG_COUNT::
+GIT_CONFIG_KEY_<n>::
+GIT_CONFIG_VALUE_<n>::
+	If GIT_CONFIG_COUNT is set to a positive number, all environment pairs
+	GIT_CONFIG_KEY_<n> and GIT_CONFIG_VALUE_<n> up to that number will be
+	added to the process's runtime configuration. The config pairs are
+	zero-indexed. Any missing key or value is treated as an error. An empty
+	GIT_CONFIG_COUNT is treated the same as GIT_CONFIG_COUNT=0, namely no
+	pairs are processed. These environment variables will override values
+	in configuration files, but will be overridden by any explicit options
+	passed via `git -c`.
+
+	This is useful for cases where you want to spawn multiple git commands
+	with a common configuration but cannot depend on a configuration file,
+	for example when writing scripts.
+
 
 [[EXAMPLES]]
 EXAMPLES
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 8d279bc110..294841fca7 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -472,6 +472,7 @@ static inline enum object_type object_type(unsigned int mode)
 #define TEMPLATE_DIR_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR"
 #define CONFIG_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_CONFIG"
 #define CONFIG_DATA_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_CONFIG_PARAMETERS"
+#define CONFIG_COUNT_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_CONFIG_COUNT"
 #define EXEC_PATH_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_EXEC_PATH"
 #define CEILING_DIRECTORIES_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_CEILING_DIRECTORIES"
 #define NO_REPLACE_OBJECTS_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_NO_REPLACE_OBJECTS"
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 60a7261807..1742aefa3e 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include "cache.h"
 #include "branch.h"
 #include "config.h"
+#include "environment.h"
 #include "repository.h"
 #include "lockfile.h"
 #include "exec-cmd.h"
@@ -594,23 +595,73 @@ static int parse_config_env_list(char *env, config_fn_t fn, void *data)
 
 int git_config_from_parameters(config_fn_t fn, void *data)
 {
-	const char *env = getenv(CONFIG_DATA_ENVIRONMENT);
+	const char *env;
+	struct strbuf envvar = STRBUF_INIT;
+	struct strvec to_free = STRVEC_INIT;
 	int ret = 0;
-	char *envw;
+	char *envw = NULL;
 	struct config_source source;
 
-	if (!env)
-		return 0;
-
 	memset(&source, 0, sizeof(source));
 	source.prev = cf;
 	source.origin_type = CONFIG_ORIGIN_CMDLINE;
 	cf = &source;
 
-	/* sq_dequote will write over it */
-	envw = xstrdup(env);
-	ret = parse_config_env_list(envw, fn, data);
+	env = getenv(CONFIG_COUNT_ENVIRONMENT);
+	if (env) {
+		unsigned long count;
+		char *endp;
+		int i;
 
+		count = strtoul(env, &endp, 10);
+		if (*endp) {
+			ret = error(_("bogus count in %s"), CONFIG_COUNT_ENVIRONMENT);
+			goto out;
+		}
+		if (count > INT_MAX) {
+			ret = error(_("too many entries in %s"), CONFIG_COUNT_ENVIRONMENT);
+			goto out;
+		}
+
+		for (i = 0; i < count; i++) {
+			const char *key, *value;
+
+			strbuf_addf(&envvar, "GIT_CONFIG_KEY_%d", i);
+			key = getenv_safe(&to_free, envvar.buf);
+			if (!key) {
+				ret = error(_("missing config key %s"), envvar.buf);
+				goto out;
+			}
+			strbuf_reset(&envvar);
+
+			strbuf_addf(&envvar, "GIT_CONFIG_VALUE_%d", i);
+			value = getenv_safe(&to_free, envvar.buf);
+			if (!value) {
+				ret = error(_("missing config value %s"), envvar.buf);
+				goto out;
+			}
+			strbuf_reset(&envvar);
+
+			if (config_parse_pair(key, value, fn, data) < 0) {
+				ret = -1;
+				goto out;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	env = getenv(CONFIG_DATA_ENVIRONMENT);
+	if (env) {
+		/* sq_dequote will write over it */
+		envw = xstrdup(env);
+		if (parse_config_env_list(envw, fn, data) < 0) {
+			ret = -1;
+			goto out;
+		}
+	}
+
+out:
+	strbuf_release(&envvar);
+	strvec_clear(&to_free);
 	free(envw);
 	cf = source.prev;
 	return ret;
diff --git a/environment.c b/environment.c
index 2234af462c..2f27008424 100644
--- a/environment.c
+++ b/environment.c
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ const char * const local_repo_env[] = {
 	ALTERNATE_DB_ENVIRONMENT,
 	CONFIG_ENVIRONMENT,
 	CONFIG_DATA_ENVIRONMENT,
+	CONFIG_COUNT_ENVIRONMENT,
 	DB_ENVIRONMENT,
 	GIT_DIR_ENVIRONMENT,
 	GIT_WORK_TREE_ENVIRONMENT,
diff --git a/t/t1300-config.sh b/t/t1300-config.sh
index 35a1a6e8b1..e06961767f 100755
--- a/t/t1300-config.sh
+++ b/t/t1300-config.sh
@@ -1421,6 +1421,117 @@ test_expect_success '--config-env handles keys with equals' '
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'git config handles environment config pairs' '
+	GIT_CONFIG_COUNT=2 \
+		GIT_CONFIG_KEY_0="pair.one" GIT_CONFIG_VALUE_0="foo" \
+		GIT_CONFIG_KEY_1="pair.two" GIT_CONFIG_VALUE_1="bar" \
+		git config --get-regexp "pair.*" >actual &&
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	pair.one foo
+	pair.two bar
+	EOF
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git config ignores pairs without count' '
+	test_must_fail env GIT_CONFIG_KEY_0="pair.one" GIT_CONFIG_VALUE_0="value" \
+		git config pair.one 2>error &&
+	test_must_be_empty error
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git config ignores pairs with zero count' '
+	test_must_fail env \
+		GIT_CONFIG_COUNT=0 \
+		GIT_CONFIG_KEY_0="pair.one" GIT_CONFIG_VALUE_0="value" \
+		git config pair.one
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git config ignores pairs exceeding count' '
+	GIT_CONFIG_COUNT=1 \
+		GIT_CONFIG_KEY_0="pair.one" GIT_CONFIG_VALUE_0="value" \
+		GIT_CONFIG_KEY_1="pair.two" GIT_CONFIG_VALUE_1="value" \
+		git config --get-regexp "pair.*" >actual &&
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	pair.one value
+	EOF
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git config ignores pairs with zero count' '
+	test_must_fail env \
+		GIT_CONFIG_COUNT=0 GIT_CONFIG_KEY_0="pair.one" GIT_CONFIG_VALUE_0="value" \
+		git config pair.one >error &&
+	test_must_be_empty error
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git config ignores pairs with empty count' '
+	test_must_fail env \
+		GIT_CONFIG_COUNT= GIT_CONFIG_KEY_0="pair.one" GIT_CONFIG_VALUE_0="value" \
+		git config pair.one >error &&
+	test_must_be_empty error
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git config fails with invalid count' '
+	test_must_fail env GIT_CONFIG_COUNT=10a git config --list 2>error &&
+	test_i18ngrep "bogus count" error &&
+	test_must_fail env GIT_CONFIG_COUNT=9999999999999999 git config --list 2>error &&
+	test_i18ngrep "too many entries" error
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git config fails with missing config key' '
+	test_must_fail env GIT_CONFIG_COUNT=1 GIT_CONFIG_VALUE_0="value" \
+		git config --list 2>error &&
+	test_i18ngrep "missing config key" error
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git config fails with missing config value' '
+	test_must_fail env GIT_CONFIG_COUNT=1 GIT_CONFIG_KEY_0="pair.one" \
+		git config --list 2>error &&
+	test_i18ngrep "missing config value" error
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git config fails with invalid config pair key' '
+	test_must_fail env GIT_CONFIG_COUNT=1 \
+		GIT_CONFIG_KEY_0= GIT_CONFIG_VALUE_0=value \
+		git config --list &&
+	test_must_fail env GIT_CONFIG_COUNT=1 \
+		GIT_CONFIG_KEY_0=missing-section GIT_CONFIG_VALUE_0=value \
+		git config --list
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'environment overrides config file' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -f .git/config" &&
+	cat >.git/config <<-EOF &&
+	[pair]
+	one = value
+	EOF
+	GIT_CONFIG_COUNT=1 GIT_CONFIG_KEY_0=pair.one GIT_CONFIG_VALUE_0=override \
+		git config pair.one >actual &&
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	override
+	EOF
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'GIT_CONFIG_PARAMETERS overrides environment config' '
+	GIT_CONFIG_COUNT=1 GIT_CONFIG_KEY_0=pair.one GIT_CONFIG_VALUE_0=value \
+		GIT_CONFIG_PARAMETERS="${SQ}pair.one=override${SQ}" \
+		git config pair.one >actual &&
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	override
+	EOF
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'command line overrides environment config' '
+	GIT_CONFIG_COUNT=1 GIT_CONFIG_KEY_0=pair.one GIT_CONFIG_VALUE_0=value \
+		git -c pair.one=override config pair.one >actual &&
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	override
+	EOF
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'git config --edit works' '
 	git config -f tmp test.value no &&
 	echo test.value=yes >expect &&
@@ -1766,9 +1877,11 @@ test_expect_success '--show-origin with --list' '
 	file:.git/config	user.override=local
 	file:.git/config	include.path=../include/relative.include
 	file:.git/../include/relative.include	user.relative=include
+	command line:	user.environ=true
 	command line:	user.cmdline=true
 	EOF
-	git -c user.cmdline=true config --list --show-origin >output &&
+	GIT_CONFIG_COUNT=1 GIT_CONFIG_KEY_0=user.environ GIT_CONFIG_VALUE_0=true\
+		git -c user.cmdline=true config --list --show-origin >output &&
 	test_cmp expect output
 '
 
