diff --git a/branch.c b/branch.c
index b4811671fc..3dc237adf6 100644
--- a/branch.c
+++ b/branch.c
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ static int install_branch_config_multiple_remotes(int flag, const char *local,
 			}
 
 	strbuf_addf(&key, "branch.%s.remote", local);
-	if (git_config_set_gently(key.buf, origin ? origin : ".") < 0)
+	if (repo_config_set_gently(the_repository, key.buf, origin ? origin : ".") < 0)
 		goto out_err;
 
 	strbuf_reset(&key);
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ static int install_branch_config_multiple_remotes(int flag, const char *local,
 	 * more than one is provided, use CONFIG_REGEX_NONE to preserve what
 	 * we've written so far.
 	 */
-	if (git_config_set_gently(key.buf, NULL) < 0)
+	if (repo_config_set_gently(the_repository, key.buf, NULL) < 0)
 		goto out_err;
 	for_each_string_list_item(item, remotes)
 		if (git_config_set_multivar_gently(key.buf, item->string, CONFIG_REGEX_NONE, 0) < 0)
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ static int install_branch_config_multiple_remotes(int flag, const char *local,
 	if (rebasing) {
 		strbuf_reset(&key);
 		strbuf_addf(&key, "branch.%s.rebase", local);
-		if (git_config_set_gently(key.buf, "true") < 0)
+		if (repo_config_set_gently(the_repository, key.buf, "true") < 0)
 			goto out_err;
 	}
 	strbuf_release(&key);
diff --git a/builtin/clone.c b/builtin/clone.c
index 34eea11db4..0d7dd5e8ec 100644
--- a/builtin/clone.c
+++ b/builtin/clone.c
@@ -1467,7 +1467,7 @@ int cmd_clone(int argc,
 			warning(_("failed to fetch objects from bundle URI '%s'"),
 				bundle_uri);
 		else if (has_heuristic)
-			git_config_set_gently("fetch.bundleuri", bundle_uri);
+			repo_config_set_gently(the_repository, "fetch.bundleuri", bundle_uri);
 
 		remote_state_clear(the_repository->remote_state);
 		free(the_repository->remote_state);
diff --git a/builtin/remote.c b/builtin/remote.c
index 826b2dcfd0..5c4dfc98af 100644
--- a/builtin/remote.c
+++ b/builtin/remote.c
@@ -694,8 +694,8 @@ static void handle_push_default(const char* old_name, const char* new_name)
 	if (push_default.scope >= CONFIG_SCOPE_COMMAND)
 		; /* pass */
 	else if (push_default.scope >= CONFIG_SCOPE_LOCAL) {
-		int result = git_config_set_gently("remote.pushDefault",
-						   new_name);
+		int result = repo_config_set_gently(the_repository, "remote.pushDefault",
+						    new_name);
 		if (new_name && result && result != CONFIG_NOTHING_SET)
 			die(_("could not set '%s'"), "remote.pushDefault");
 		else if (!new_name && result && result != CONFIG_NOTHING_SET)
@@ -934,7 +934,7 @@ static int rm(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix,
 				strbuf_reset(&buf);
 				strbuf_addf(&buf, "branch.%s.%s",
 						item->string, *k);
-				result = git_config_set_gently(buf.buf, NULL);
+				result = repo_config_set_gently(the_repository, buf.buf, NULL);
 				if (result && result != CONFIG_NOTHING_SET)
 					die(_("could not unset '%s'"), buf.buf);
 			}
@@ -942,7 +942,7 @@ static int rm(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix,
 		if (info->push_remote_name && !strcmp(info->push_remote_name, remote->name)) {
 			strbuf_reset(&buf);
 			strbuf_addf(&buf, "branch.%s.pushremote", item->string);
-			result = git_config_set_gently(buf.buf, NULL);
+			result = repo_config_set_gently(the_repository, buf.buf, NULL);
 			if (result && result != CONFIG_NOTHING_SET)
 				die(_("could not unset '%s'"), buf.buf);
 		}
diff --git a/builtin/submodule--helper.c b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
index 0be737ac4f..710a2a2004 100644
--- a/builtin/submodule--helper.c
+++ b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@ static void init_submodule(const char *path, const char *prefix,
 	 */
 	if (!is_submodule_active(the_repository, path)) {
 		strbuf_addf(&sb, "submodule.%s.active", sub->name);
-		git_config_set_gently(sb.buf, "true");
+		repo_config_set_gently(the_repository, sb.buf, "true");
 		strbuf_reset(&sb);
 	}
 
@@ -484,7 +484,7 @@ static void init_submodule(const char *path, const char *prefix,
 			free(oldurl);
 		}
 
-		if (git_config_set_gently(sb.buf, url))
+		if (repo_config_set_gently(the_repository, sb.buf, url))
 			die(_("Failed to register url for submodule path '%s'"),
 			    displaypath);
 		if (!(flags & OPT_QUIET))
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ static void init_submodule(const char *path, const char *prefix,
 			upd = submodule_update_type_to_string(sub->update_strategy.type);
 		}
 
-		if (git_config_set_gently(sb.buf, upd))
+		if (repo_config_set_gently(the_repository, sb.buf, upd))
 			die(_("Failed to register update mode for submodule path '%s'"), displaypath);
 	}
 	strbuf_release(&sb);
@@ -1262,7 +1262,7 @@ static void sync_submodule(const char *path, const char *prefix,
 
 	strbuf_reset(&sb);
 	strbuf_addf(&sb, "submodule.%s.url", sub->name);
-	if (git_config_set_gently(sb.buf, super_config_url))
+	if (repo_config_set_gently(the_repository, sb.buf, super_config_url))
 		die(_("failed to register url for submodule path '%s'"),
 		      displaypath);
 
@@ -3309,7 +3309,7 @@ static void configure_added_submodule(struct add_data *add_data)
 	struct child_process add_gitmodules = CHILD_PROCESS_INIT;
 
 	key = xstrfmt("submodule.%s.url", add_data->sm_name);
-	git_config_set_gently(key, add_data->realrepo);
+	repo_config_set_gently(the_repository, key, add_data->realrepo);
 	free(key);
 
 	add_submod.git_cmd = 1;
@@ -3356,12 +3356,12 @@ static void configure_added_submodule(struct add_data *add_data)
 		 */
 		if (!is_submodule_active(the_repository, add_data->sm_path)) {
 			key = xstrfmt("submodule.%s.active", add_data->sm_name);
-			git_config_set_gently(key, "true");
+			repo_config_set_gently(the_repository, key, "true");
 			free(key);
 		}
 	} else {
 		key = xstrfmt("submodule.%s.active", add_data->sm_name);
-		git_config_set_gently(key, "true");
+		repo_config_set_gently(the_repository, key, "true");
 		free(key);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index b4f79d4d4c..90977441c3 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -734,11 +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_gently(const char *key, const char *value)
-{
-	return repo_config_set_gently(the_repository, key, value);
-}
-
 static inline void git_config_set(const char *key, const char *value)
 {
 	repo_config_set(the_repository, key, value);
diff --git a/scalar.c b/scalar.c
index 07f855c991..c09c5ca194 100644
--- a/scalar.c
+++ b/scalar.c
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ static int set_scalar_config(const struct scalar_config *config, int reconfigure
 	if ((reconfigure && config->overwrite_on_reconfigure) ||
 	    repo_config_get_string(the_repository, config->key, &value)) {
 		trace2_data_string("scalar", the_repository, config->key, "created");
-		res = git_config_set_gently(config->key, config->value);
+		res = repo_config_set_gently(the_repository, config->key, config->value);
 	} else {
 		trace2_data_string("scalar", the_repository, config->key, "exists");
 		res = 0;
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ static int set_config(const char *fmt, ...)
 	value = strchr(buf.buf, '=');
 	if (value)
 		*(value++) = '\0';
-	res = git_config_set_gently(buf.buf, value);
+	res = repo_config_set_gently(the_repository, buf.buf, value);
 	strbuf_release(&buf);
 
 	return res;
diff --git a/setup.c b/setup.c
index a06bb921b3..a05c348dcd 100644
--- a/setup.c
+++ b/setup.c
@@ -2236,13 +2236,13 @@ void initialize_repository_version(int hash_algo,
 		git_config_set("extensions.objectformat",
 			       hash_algos[hash_algo].name);
 	else if (reinit)
-		git_config_set_gently("extensions.objectformat", NULL);
+		repo_config_set_gently(the_repository, "extensions.objectformat", NULL);
 
 	if (ref_storage_format != REF_STORAGE_FORMAT_FILES)
 		git_config_set("extensions.refstorage",
 			       ref_storage_format_to_name(ref_storage_format));
 	else if (reinit)
-		git_config_set_gently("extensions.refstorage", NULL);
+		repo_config_set_gently(the_repository, "extensions.refstorage", NULL);
 
 	if (reinit) {
 		struct strbuf config = STRBUF_INIT;
diff --git a/worktree.c b/worktree.c
index c34b9eb74e..981a271337 100644
--- a/worktree.c
+++ b/worktree.c
@@ -1013,7 +1013,7 @@ int init_worktree_config(struct repository *r)
 	 */
 	if (r->repository_format_worktree_config)
 		return 0;
-	if ((res = git_config_set_gently("extensions.worktreeConfig", "true")))
+	if ((res = repo_config_set_gently(the_repository, "extensions.worktreeConfig", "true")))
 		return error(_("failed to set extensions.worktreeConfig setting"));
 
 	common_config_file = xstrfmt("%s/config", r->commondir);
@@ -1077,7 +1077,7 @@ void write_worktree_linking_files(struct strbuf dotgit, struct strbuf gitdir,
 	if (use_relative_paths && !the_repository->repository_format_relative_worktrees) {
 		if (upgrade_repository_format(1) < 0)
 			die(_("unable to upgrade repository format to support relative worktrees"));
-		if (git_config_set_gently("extensions.relativeWorktrees", "true"))
+		if (repo_config_set_gently(the_repository, "extensions.relativeWorktrees", "true"))
 			die(_("unable to set extensions.relativeWorktrees setting"));
 		the_repository->repository_format_relative_worktrees = 1;
 	}