diff --git a/attr.c b/attr.c
index 0793859b71..124337d2b7 100644
--- a/attr.c
+++ b/attr.c
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@ static const char git_attr__unknown[] = "(builtin)unknown";
 #define ATTR__UNSET NULL
 #define ATTR__UNKNOWN git_attr__unknown
 
-static const char *attributes_file;
-
 /* This is a randomly chosen prime. */
 #define HASHSIZE 257
 
@@ -494,14 +492,6 @@ static int git_attr_system(void)
 	return !git_env_bool("GIT_ATTR_NOSYSTEM", 0);
 }
 
-static int git_attr_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *dummy)
-{
-	if (!strcmp(var, "core.attributesfile"))
-		return git_config_pathname(&attributes_file, var, value);
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static void bootstrap_attr_stack(void)
 {
 	if (!attr_stack) {
@@ -521,9 +511,8 @@ static void bootstrap_attr_stack(void)
 			}
 		}
 
-		git_config(git_attr_config, NULL);
-		if (attributes_file) {
-			elem = read_attr_from_file(attributes_file, 1);
+		if (git_attributes_file) {
+			elem = read_attr_from_file(git_attributes_file, 1);
 			if (elem) {
 				elem->origin = NULL;
 				elem->prev = attr_stack;
diff --git a/builtin/check-attr.c b/builtin/check-attr.c
index 708988a0e1..abb11650fd 100644
--- a/builtin/check-attr.c
+++ b/builtin/check-attr.c
@@ -92,6 +92,8 @@ int cmd_check_attr(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	struct git_attr_check *check;
 	int cnt, i, doubledash, filei;
 
+	git_config(git_default_config, NULL);
+
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, check_attr_options,
 			     check_attr_usage, PARSE_OPT_KEEP_DASHDASH);
 
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 607c2ea612..8d95fb25a2 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -589,6 +589,7 @@ extern int warn_ambiguous_refs;
 extern int shared_repository;
 extern const char *apply_default_whitespace;
 extern const char *apply_default_ignorewhitespace;
+extern const char *git_attributes_file;
 extern int zlib_compression_level;
 extern int core_compression_level;
 extern int core_compression_seen;
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 4183f80262..d3bcaa023d 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -491,6 +491,9 @@ static int git_default_core_config(const char *var, const char *value)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
+	if (!strcmp(var, "core.attributesfile"))
+		return git_config_pathname(&git_attributes_file, var, value);
+
 	if (!strcmp(var, "core.bare")) {
 		is_bare_repository_cfg = git_config_bool(var, value);
 		return 0;
diff --git a/environment.c b/environment.c
index e96edcfebc..d60b73f6a5 100644
--- a/environment.c
+++ b/environment.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ const char *git_log_output_encoding;
 int shared_repository = PERM_UMASK;
 const char *apply_default_whitespace;
 const char *apply_default_ignorewhitespace;
+const char *git_attributes_file;
 int zlib_compression_level = Z_BEST_SPEED;
 int core_compression_level;
 int core_compression_seen;