diff --git a/builtin/config.c b/builtin/config.c
index f7e718c670..59fb113b07 100644
--- a/builtin/config.c
+++ b/builtin/config.c
@@ -966,9 +966,9 @@ static int cmd_config_set(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix,
 	value = normalize_value(argv[0], argv[1], type, &default_kvi);
 
 	if ((flags & CONFIG_FLAGS_MULTI_REPLACE) || value_pattern) {
-		ret = git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(location_opts.source.file,
-							     argv[0], value, value_pattern,
-							     comment, flags);
+		ret = repo_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(the_repository, location_opts.source.file,
+							      argv[0], value, value_pattern,
+							      comment, flags);
 	} else {
 		ret = repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, location_opts.source.file,
 						     argv[0], comment, value);
@@ -1010,9 +1010,9 @@ static int cmd_config_unset(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix,
 	check_write(&location_opts.source);
 
 	if ((flags & CONFIG_FLAGS_MULTI_REPLACE) || value_pattern)
-		ret = git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(location_opts.source.file,
-							     argv[0], NULL, value_pattern,
-							     NULL, flags);
+		ret = repo_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(the_repository, location_opts.source.file,
+							      argv[0], NULL, value_pattern,
+							      NULL, flags);
 	else
 		ret = repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, location_opts.source.file, argv[0],
 						     NULL, NULL);
@@ -1305,26 +1305,26 @@ static int cmd_config_actions(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		check_write(&location_opts.source);
 		check_argc(argc, 2, 3);
 		value = normalize_value(argv[0], argv[1], display_opts.type, &default_kvi);
-		ret = git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(location_opts.source.file,
-							     argv[0], value, argv[2],
-							     comment, flags);
+		ret = repo_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(the_repository, location_opts.source.file,
+							      argv[0], value, argv[2],
+							      comment, flags);
 	}
 	else if (actions == ACTION_ADD) {
 		check_write(&location_opts.source);
 		check_argc(argc, 2, 2);
 		value = normalize_value(argv[0], argv[1], display_opts.type, &default_kvi);
-		ret = git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(location_opts.source.file,
-							     argv[0], value,
-							     CONFIG_REGEX_NONE,
-							     comment, flags);
+		ret = repo_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(the_repository, location_opts.source.file,
+							      argv[0], value,
+							      CONFIG_REGEX_NONE,
+							      comment, flags);
 	}
 	else if (actions == ACTION_REPLACE_ALL) {
 		check_write(&location_opts.source);
 		check_argc(argc, 2, 3);
 		value = normalize_value(argv[0], argv[1], display_opts.type, &default_kvi);
-		ret = git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(location_opts.source.file,
-							     argv[0], value, argv[2],
-							     comment, flags | CONFIG_FLAGS_MULTI_REPLACE);
+		ret = repo_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(the_repository, location_opts.source.file,
+							      argv[0], value, argv[2],
+							      comment, flags | CONFIG_FLAGS_MULTI_REPLACE);
 	}
 	else if (actions == ACTION_GET) {
 		check_argc(argc, 1, 2);
@@ -1350,9 +1350,9 @@ static int cmd_config_actions(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		check_write(&location_opts.source);
 		check_argc(argc, 1, 2);
 		if (argc == 2)
-			ret = git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(location_opts.source.file,
-								     argv[0], NULL, argv[1],
-								     NULL, flags);
+			ret = repo_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(the_repository, location_opts.source.file,
+								      argv[0], NULL, argv[1],
+								      NULL, flags);
 		else
 			ret = repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, location_opts.source.file,
 							     argv[0], NULL, NULL);
@@ -1360,9 +1360,9 @@ static int cmd_config_actions(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	else if (actions == ACTION_UNSET_ALL) {
 		check_write(&location_opts.source);
 		check_argc(argc, 1, 2);
-		ret = git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(location_opts.source.file,
-							     argv[0], NULL, argv[1],
-							     NULL, flags | CONFIG_FLAGS_MULTI_REPLACE);
+		ret = repo_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(the_repository, location_opts.source.file,
+							      argv[0], NULL, argv[1],
+							      NULL, flags | CONFIG_FLAGS_MULTI_REPLACE);
 	}
 	else if (actions == ACTION_RENAME_SECTION) {
 		check_write(&location_opts.source);
diff --git a/builtin/gc.c b/builtin/gc.c
index c0fe4e7308..183798f0dc 100644
--- a/builtin/gc.c
+++ b/builtin/gc.c
@@ -1938,7 +1938,7 @@ static int maintenance_register(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix,
 		}
 		if (!config_file)
 			die(_("$HOME not set"));
-		rc = git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(
+		rc = repo_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(the_repository,
 			config_file, "maintenance.repo", maintpath,
 			CONFIG_REGEX_NONE, NULL, 0);
 		free(global_config_file);
@@ -2007,7 +2007,7 @@ static int maintenance_unregister(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefi
 		}
 		if (!config_file)
 			die(_("$HOME not set"));
-		rc = git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(
+		rc = repo_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(the_repository,
 			config_file, key, NULL, maintpath, NULL,
 			CONFIG_FLAGS_MULTI_REPLACE | CONFIG_FLAGS_FIXED_VALUE);
 		free(global_config_file);
diff --git a/builtin/worktree.c b/builtin/worktree.c
index fd517c82c4..812774a5ca 100644
--- a/builtin/worktree.c
+++ b/builtin/worktree.c
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ static void copy_filtered_worktree_config(const char *worktree_git_dir)
 
 		if (!git_configset_get_bool(&cs, "core.bare", &bare) &&
 			bare &&
-			git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(
+			repo_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(the_repository,
 				to_file, "core.bare", NULL, "true", NULL, 0))
 			error(_("failed to unset '%s' in '%s'"),
 				"core.bare", to_file);
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 4e658e47f0..e69592ada1 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -734,18 +734,6 @@ static inline int git_config_get_pathname(const char *key, char **dest)
 	return repo_config_get_pathname(the_repository, key, dest);
 }
 
-static inline int git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(
-	const char *config_filename,
-	const char *key, const char *value,
-	const char *value_pattern,
-	const char *comment,
-	unsigned flags)
-{
-	return repo_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(the_repository, config_filename,
-						       key, value, value_pattern,
-						       comment, flags);
-}
-
 static inline void git_config_set_multivar_in_file(
 	const char *config_filename,
 	const char *key,
diff --git a/sequencer.c b/sequencer.c
index 8acb699f4f..aaf2e4df64 100644
--- a/sequencer.c
+++ b/sequencer.c
@@ -3690,7 +3690,7 @@ static int save_opts(struct replay_opts *opts)
 		res |= repo_config_set_in_file_gently(the_repository, opts_file,
 					"options.gpg-sign", NULL, opts->gpg_sign);
 	for (size_t i = 0; i < opts->xopts.nr; i++)
-		res |= git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(opts_file,
+		res |= repo_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(the_repository, opts_file,
 				"options.strategy-option",
 				opts->xopts.v[i], "^$", NULL, 0);
 	if (opts->allow_rerere_auto)