diff --git a/run-command.c b/run-command.c
index c146a56532..28202a81d8 100644
--- a/run-command.c
+++ b/run-command.c
@@ -1944,10 +1944,14 @@ void run_processes_parallel(const struct run_process_parallel_opts *opts)
 int prepare_auto_maintenance(struct repository *r, int quiet,
 			     struct child_process *maint)
 {
-	int enabled, auto_detach;
+	int enabled = 1, auto_detach;
 
-	if (!repo_config_get_bool(r, "maintenance.auto", &enabled) &&
-	    !enabled)
+	if (repo_config_get_bool(r, "maintenance.auto", &enabled)) {
+		int gc_threshold;
+		if (!repo_config_get_int(r, "gc.auto", &gc_threshold))
+			enabled = gc_threshold > 0;
+	}
+	if (!enabled)
 		return 0;
 
 	/*
diff --git a/t/t7900-maintenance.sh b/t/t7900-maintenance.sh
index df0bbc1669..97c8c701bb 100755
--- a/t/t7900-maintenance.sh
+++ b/t/t7900-maintenance.sh
@@ -73,6 +73,31 @@ test_expect_success 'maintenance.auto config option' '
 	test_subcommand ! git maintenance run --auto --quiet --detach <false
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'gc.auto config option' '
+	GIT_TRACE2_EVENT="$(pwd)/default" git commit --quiet --allow-empty -m 1 &&
+	test_subcommand git maintenance run --auto --quiet --detach <default &&
+	GIT_TRACE2_EVENT="$(pwd)/true" \
+		git -c gc.auto=1 commit --quiet --allow-empty -m 2 &&
+	test_subcommand git maintenance run --auto --quiet --detach <true &&
+	GIT_TRACE2_EVENT="$(pwd)/false" \
+		git -c gc.auto=0 commit --quiet --allow-empty -m 3 &&
+	test_subcommand ! git maintenance run --auto --quiet --detach <false
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'maintenance.auto overrides gc.auto' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -f trace" &&
+
+	test_config maintenance.auto false &&
+	test_config gc.auto 1 &&
+	GIT_TRACE2_EVENT="$(pwd)/trace" git commit --quiet --allow-empty -m 1 &&
+	test_subcommand ! git maintenance run --auto --quiet --detach <trace &&
+
+	test_config maintenance.auto true &&
+	test_config gc.auto 0 &&
+	GIT_TRACE2_EVENT="$(pwd)/trace" git commit --quiet --allow-empty -m 1 &&
+	test_subcommand git maintenance run --auto --quiet --detach <trace
+'
+
 for cfg in maintenance.autoDetach gc.autoDetach
 do
 	test_expect_success "$cfg=true config option" '