diff --git a/Documentation/config.txt b/Documentation/config.txt
index 98c1f3e2e3..88e0bf00c2 100644
--- a/Documentation/config.txt
+++ b/Documentation/config.txt
@@ -224,6 +224,10 @@ pull.octopus::
 pull.twohead::
 	The default merge strategy to use when pulling a single branch.
 
+repack.usedeltabaseoffset::
+	Allow gitlink:git-repack[1] to create packs that uses
+	delta-base offset.  Defaults to false.
+
 show.difftree::
 	The default gitlink:git-diff-tree[1] arguments to be used
 	for gitlink:git-show[1].
diff --git a/Documentation/git-repack.txt b/Documentation/git-repack.txt
index 49f7e0a4a4..4e6631a27f 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-repack.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-repack.txt
@@ -66,6 +66,20 @@ OPTIONS
 	to be applied that many times to get to the necessary object.
 
 
+Configuration
+-------------
+
+When configuration variable `repack.UseDeltaBaseOffset` is set
+for the repository, the command passes `--delta-base-offset`
+option to `git-pack-objects`; this typically results in slightly
+smaller packs, but the generated packs are incompatible with
+versions of git older than (and including) v1.4.3; do not set
+the variable in a repository that older version of git needs to
+be able to read (this includes repositories from which packs can
+be copied out over http or rsync, and people who obtained packs
+that way can try to use older git with it).
+
+
 Author
 ------
 Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org>
diff --git a/git-repack.sh b/git-repack.sh
index b525fc5dfd..2a214891a8 100755
--- a/git-repack.sh
+++ b/git-repack.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2005 Linus Torvalds
 #
 
-USAGE='[-a] [-d] [-f] [-l] [-n] [-q]'
+USAGE='[-a] [-d] [-f] [-l] [-n] [-q] [--window=N] [--depth=N]'
 . git-sh-setup
 
 no_update_info= all_into_one= remove_redundant=
@@ -24,6 +24,15 @@ do
 	shift
 done
 
+# Later we will default repack.UseDeltaBaseOffset to true
+default_dbo=false
+
+case "`git repo-config --bool repack.usedeltabaseoffset ||
+       echo $default_dbo`" in
+true)
+	extra="$extra --delta-base-offset" ;;
+esac
+
 PACKDIR="$GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY/pack"
 PACKTMP="$GIT_DIR/.tmp-$$-pack"
 rm -f "$PACKTMP"-*