diff --git a/archive.c b/archive.c
index 8be4e7ac8d..f4331aeb49 100644
--- a/archive.c
+++ b/archive.c
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ static int write_archive_entry(const struct object_id *oid, const char *base,
 	/* Stream it? */
 	if (S_ISREG(mode) && !args->convert &&
 	    oid_object_info(args->repo, oid, &size) == OBJ_BLOB &&
-	    size > big_file_threshold)
+	    size > repo_settings_get_big_file_threshold(the_repository))
 		return write_entry(args, oid, path.buf, path.len, mode, NULL, size);
 
 	buffer = object_file_to_archive(args, path.buf, oid, mode, &type, &size);
diff --git a/builtin/fast-import.c b/builtin/fast-import.c
index e1758aa951..ce52f78579 100644
--- a/builtin/fast-import.c
+++ b/builtin/fast-import.c
@@ -2021,7 +2021,7 @@ static void parse_and_store_blob(
 	static struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
 	uintmax_t len;
 
-	if (parse_data(&buf, big_file_threshold, &len))
+	if (parse_data(&buf, repo_settings_get_big_file_threshold(the_repository), &len))
 		store_object(OBJ_BLOB, &buf, last, oidout, mark);
 	else {
 		if (last) {
@@ -3402,7 +3402,7 @@ static int parse_one_option(const char *option)
 		unsigned long v;
 		if (!git_parse_ulong(option, &v))
 			return 0;
-		big_file_threshold = v;
+		repo_settings_set_big_file_threshold(the_repository, v);
 	} else if (skip_prefix(option, "depth=", &option)) {
 		option_depth(option);
 	} else if (skip_prefix(option, "active-branches=", &option)) {
diff --git a/builtin/index-pack.c b/builtin/index-pack.c
index 174e03afa6..09c0a8adf6 100644
--- a/builtin/index-pack.c
+++ b/builtin/index-pack.c
@@ -485,7 +485,8 @@ static void *unpack_entry_data(off_t offset, unsigned long size,
 		git_hash_update(&c, hdr, hdrlen);
 	} else
 		oid = NULL;
-	if (type == OBJ_BLOB && size > big_file_threshold)
+	if (type == OBJ_BLOB &&
+	    size > repo_settings_get_big_file_threshold(the_repository))
 		buf = fixed_buf;
 	else
 		buf = xmallocz(size);
@@ -799,7 +800,8 @@ static int check_collison(struct object_entry *entry)
 	enum object_type type;
 	unsigned long size;
 
-	if (entry->size <= big_file_threshold || entry->type != OBJ_BLOB)
+	if (entry->size <= repo_settings_get_big_file_threshold(the_repository) ||
+	    entry->type != OBJ_BLOB)
 		return -1;
 
 	memset(&data, 0, sizeof(data));
diff --git a/builtin/pack-objects.c b/builtin/pack-objects.c
index e05dfc4021..eefc6c7809 100644
--- a/builtin/pack-objects.c
+++ b/builtin/pack-objects.c
@@ -499,7 +499,8 @@ static unsigned long write_no_reuse_object(struct hashfile *f, struct object_ent
 
 	if (!usable_delta) {
 		if (oe_type(entry) == OBJ_BLOB &&
-		    oe_size_greater_than(&to_pack, entry, big_file_threshold) &&
+		    oe_size_greater_than(&to_pack, entry,
+					 repo_settings_get_big_file_threshold(the_repository)) &&
 		    (st = open_istream(the_repository, &entry->idx.oid, &type,
 				       &size, NULL)) != NULL)
 			buf = NULL;
@@ -2454,7 +2455,8 @@ static void get_object_details(void)
 		struct object_entry *entry = sorted_by_offset[i];
 		check_object(entry, i);
 		if (entry->type_valid &&
-		    oe_size_greater_than(&to_pack, entry, big_file_threshold))
+		    oe_size_greater_than(&to_pack, entry,
+					 repo_settings_get_big_file_threshold(the_repository)))
 			entry->no_try_delta = 1;
 		display_progress(progress_state, i + 1);
 	}
diff --git a/builtin/unpack-objects.c b/builtin/unpack-objects.c
index 8383bcf404..e20c120913 100644
--- a/builtin/unpack-objects.c
+++ b/builtin/unpack-objects.c
@@ -553,7 +553,8 @@ static void unpack_one(unsigned nr)
 
 	switch (type) {
 	case OBJ_BLOB:
-		if (!dry_run && size > big_file_threshold) {
+		if (!dry_run &&
+		    size > repo_settings_get_big_file_threshold(the_repository)) {
 			stream_blob(size, nr);
 			return;
 		}
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index dfd03b9421..dc95608f74 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -1490,11 +1490,6 @@ static int git_default_core_config(const char *var, const char *value,
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	if (!strcmp(var, "core.bigfilethreshold")) {
-		big_file_threshold = git_config_ulong(var, value, ctx->kvi);
-		return 0;
-	}
-
 	if (!strcmp(var, "core.autocrlf")) {
 		if (value && !strcasecmp(value, "input")) {
 			auto_crlf = AUTO_CRLF_INPUT;
diff --git a/diff.c b/diff.c
index c89c15d98e..4f802b4251 100644
--- a/diff.c
+++ b/diff.c
@@ -4193,7 +4193,8 @@ int diff_populate_filespec(struct repository *r,
 		 * is probably fine.
 		 */
 		if (check_binary &&
-		    s->size > big_file_threshold && s->is_binary == -1) {
+		    s->size > repo_settings_get_big_file_threshold(the_repository) &&
+		    s->is_binary == -1) {
 			s->is_binary = 1;
 			return 0;
 		}
@@ -4243,7 +4244,8 @@ object_read:
 		if (size_only || check_binary) {
 			if (size_only)
 				return 0;
-			if (s->size > big_file_threshold && s->is_binary == -1) {
+			if (s->size > repo_settings_get_big_file_threshold(the_repository) &&
+			    s->is_binary == -1) {
 				s->is_binary = 1;
 				return 0;
 			}
diff --git a/environment.c b/environment.c
index 9e4c7781be..3c32367c28 100644
--- a/environment.c
+++ b/environment.c
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ int fsync_object_files = -1;
 int use_fsync = -1;
 enum fsync_method fsync_method = FSYNC_METHOD_DEFAULT;
 enum fsync_component fsync_components = FSYNC_COMPONENTS_DEFAULT;
-unsigned long big_file_threshold = 512 * 1024 * 1024;
 char *editor_program;
 char *askpass_program;
 char *excludes_file;
diff --git a/environment.h b/environment.h
index 45e690f203..91d854dcb0 100644
--- a/environment.h
+++ b/environment.h
@@ -154,7 +154,6 @@ extern int zlib_compression_level;
 extern int pack_compression_level;
 extern size_t packed_git_window_size;
 extern size_t packed_git_limit;
-extern unsigned long big_file_threshold;
 extern unsigned long pack_size_limit_cfg;
 extern int max_allowed_tree_depth;
 
diff --git a/object-file.c b/object-file.c
index 726e41a047..b3e0276b2a 100644
--- a/object-file.c
+++ b/object-file.c
@@ -2803,7 +2803,8 @@ int index_fd(struct index_state *istate, struct object_id *oid,
 		ret = index_stream_convert_blob(istate, oid, fd, path, flags);
 	else if (!S_ISREG(st->st_mode))
 		ret = index_pipe(istate, oid, fd, type, path, flags);
-	else if (st->st_size <= big_file_threshold || type != OBJ_BLOB ||
+	else if (st->st_size <= repo_settings_get_big_file_threshold(the_repository) ||
+		 type != OBJ_BLOB ||
 		 (path && would_convert_to_git(istate, path)))
 		ret = index_core(istate, oid, fd, xsize_t(st->st_size),
 				 type, path, flags);
@@ -3137,7 +3138,8 @@ int read_loose_object(const char *path,
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	if (*oi->typep == OBJ_BLOB && *size > big_file_threshold) {
+	if (*oi->typep == OBJ_BLOB &&
+	    *size > repo_settings_get_big_file_threshold(the_repository)) {
 		if (check_stream_oid(&stream, hdr, *size, path, expected_oid) < 0)
 			goto out;
 	} else {
diff --git a/pack-check.c b/pack-check.c
index 6bcadc1e67..017dc740f7 100644
--- a/pack-check.c
+++ b/pack-check.c
@@ -131,7 +131,8 @@ static int verify_packfile(struct repository *r,
 		type = unpack_object_header(p, w_curs, &curpos, &size);
 		unuse_pack(w_curs);
 
-		if (type == OBJ_BLOB && big_file_threshold <= size) {
+		if (type == OBJ_BLOB &&
+		    repo_settings_get_big_file_threshold(the_repository) <= size) {
 			/*
 			 * Let stream_object_signature() check it with
 			 * the streaming interface; no point slurping
diff --git a/repo-settings.c b/repo-settings.c
index 67e9cfd2e6..4129f8fb2b 100644
--- a/repo-settings.c
+++ b/repo-settings.c
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@ static void repo_cfg_int(struct repository *r, const char *key, int *dest,
 		*dest = def;
 }
 
+static void repo_cfg_ulong(struct repository *r, const char *key, unsigned long *dest,
+			   unsigned long def)
+{
+	if (repo_config_get_ulong(r, key, dest))
+		*dest = def;
+}
+
 void prepare_repo_settings(struct repository *r)
 {
 	int experimental;
@@ -151,6 +158,19 @@ void repo_settings_clear(struct repository *r)
 	r->settings = empty;
 }
 
+unsigned long repo_settings_get_big_file_threshold(struct repository *repo)
+{
+	if (!repo->settings.big_file_threshold)
+		repo_cfg_ulong(repo, "core.bigfilethreshold",
+			       &repo->settings.big_file_threshold, 512 * 1024 * 1024);
+	return repo->settings.big_file_threshold;
+}
+
+void repo_settings_set_big_file_threshold(struct repository *repo, unsigned long value)
+{
+	repo->settings.big_file_threshold = value;
+}
+
 enum log_refs_config repo_settings_get_log_all_ref_updates(struct repository *repo)
 {
 	const char *value;
diff --git a/repo-settings.h b/repo-settings.h
index ddc11967e0..2bf24b2597 100644
--- a/repo-settings.h
+++ b/repo-settings.h
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ struct repo_settings {
 	size_t delta_base_cache_limit;
 	size_t packed_git_window_size;
 	size_t packed_git_limit;
+	unsigned long big_file_threshold;
 
 	char *hooks_path;
 };
@@ -88,6 +89,10 @@ int repo_settings_get_warn_ambiguous_refs(struct repository *repo);
 /* Read the value for "core.hooksPath". */
 const char *repo_settings_get_hooks_path(struct repository *repo);
 
+/* Read and set the value for "core.bigFileThreshold". */
+unsigned long repo_settings_get_big_file_threshold(struct repository *repo);
+void repo_settings_set_big_file_threshold(struct repository *repo, unsigned long value);
+
 /* Read, set or reset the value for "core.sharedRepository". */
 int repo_settings_get_shared_repository(struct repository *repo);
 void repo_settings_set_shared_repository(struct repository *repo, int value);
diff --git a/streaming.c b/streaming.c
index 38839511af..018b794d25 100644
--- a/streaming.c
+++ b/streaming.c
@@ -431,7 +431,8 @@ static int istream_source(struct git_istream *st,
 		st->open = open_istream_loose;
 		return 0;
 	case OI_PACKED:
-		if (!oi.u.packed.is_delta && big_file_threshold < size) {
+		if (!oi.u.packed.is_delta &&
+		    repo_settings_get_big_file_threshold(the_repository) < size) {
 			st->u.in_pack.pack = oi.u.packed.pack;
 			st->u.in_pack.pos = oi.u.packed.offset;
 			st->open = open_istream_pack_non_delta;
diff --git a/t/t1050-large.sh b/t/t1050-large.sh
index c71932b024..5be273611a 100755
--- a/t/t1050-large.sh
+++ b/t/t1050-large.sh
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ test_description='adding and checking out large blobs'
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
 test_expect_success 'core.bigFileThreshold must be non-negative' '
-	test_must_fail git -c core.bigFileThreshold=-1 rev-parse >out 2>err &&
+	: >input &&
+	test_must_fail git -c core.bigFileThreshold=-1 hash-object input >out 2>err &&
 	grep "bad numeric config value" err &&
 	test_must_be_empty out
 '