diff --git a/contrib/workdir/git-new-workdir b/contrib/workdir/git-new-workdir
index f2a3615bbc..709b2a3ac0 100755
--- a/contrib/workdir/git-new-workdir
+++ b/contrib/workdir/git-new-workdir
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ git_dir=$(cd "$orig_git" 2>/dev/null &&
   git rev-parse --git-dir 2>/dev/null) ||
   die "\"$orig_git\" is not a git repository!"
 
+if test "$git_dir" == ".git"
+then
+	git_dir="$orig_git/.git"
+fi
+
 # don't link to a workdir
 if test -L "$git_dir/config"
 then