diff --git a/builtin/gc.c b/builtin/gc.c
index e94931ff48..f395cc57a1 100644
--- a/builtin/gc.c
+++ b/builtin/gc.c
@@ -1919,7 +1919,7 @@ static int maintenance_register(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix,
 	if (repo_config_get(the_repository, "maintenance.strategy"))
 		git_config_set("maintenance.strategy", "incremental");
 
-	if (!git_config_get_string_multi(key, &list)) {
+	if (!repo_config_get_string_multi(the_repository, key, &list)) {
 		for_each_string_list_item(item, list) {
 			if (!strcmp(maintpath, item->string)) {
 				found = 1;
@@ -1988,7 +1988,7 @@ static int maintenance_unregister(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefi
 	}
 	if (!(config_file
 	      ? git_configset_get_string_multi(&cs, key, &list)
-	      : git_config_get_string_multi(key, &list))) {
+	      : repo_config_get_string_multi(the_repository, key, &list))) {
 		for_each_string_list_item(item, list) {
 			if (!strcmp(maintpath, item->string)) {
 				found = 1;
diff --git a/builtin/log.c b/builtin/log.c
index 1bedc4ef35..b512f12e80 100644
--- a/builtin/log.c
+++ b/builtin/log.c
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ static void set_default_decoration_filter(struct decoration_filter *decoration_f
 	struct string_list *include = decoration_filter->include_ref_pattern;
 	const struct string_list *config_exclude;
 
-	if (!git_config_get_string_multi("log.excludeDecoration",
+	if (!repo_config_get_string_multi(the_repository, "log.excludeDecoration",
 					 &config_exclude)) {
 		struct string_list_item *item;
 		for_each_string_list_item(item, config_exclude)
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index e90c1c4d33..f6635e48c2 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -719,12 +719,6 @@ NORETURN void git_die_config_linenr(const char *key, const char *filename, int l
 int lookup_config(const char **mapping, int nr_mapping, const char *var);
 
 # ifdef USE_THE_REPOSITORY_VARIABLE
-static inline int git_config_get_string_multi(const char *key,
-				const struct string_list **dest)
-{
-	return repo_config_get_string_multi(the_repository, key, dest);
-}
-
 static inline int git_config_get_string(const char *key, char **dest)
 {
 	return repo_config_get_string(the_repository, key, dest);
diff --git a/reachable.c b/reachable.c
index e984b68a0c..8330a14fa8 100644
--- a/reachable.c
+++ b/reachable.c
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ static void load_gc_recent_objects(struct recent_data *data)
 
 	data->extra_recent_oids_loaded = 1;
 
-	if (git_config_get_string_multi("gc.recentobjectshook", &programs))
+	if (repo_config_get_string_multi(the_repository, "gc.recentobjectshook", &programs))
 		return;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < programs->nr; i++) {
diff --git a/versioncmp.c b/versioncmp.c
index b6eebdb989..3a81b17bc1 100644
--- a/versioncmp.c
+++ b/versioncmp.c
@@ -167,8 +167,8 @@ int versioncmp(const char *s1, const char *s2)
 		const char *const oldk = "versionsort.prereleasesuffix";
 		const struct string_list *newl;
 		const struct string_list *oldl;
-		int new = git_config_get_string_multi(newk, &newl);
-		int old = git_config_get_string_multi(oldk, &oldl);
+		int new = repo_config_get_string_multi(the_repository, newk, &newl);
+		int old = repo_config_get_string_multi(the_repository, oldk, &oldl);
 
 		if (!new && !old)
 			warning("ignoring %s because %s is set", oldk, newk);