diff --git a/Documentation/git-config.txt b/Documentation/git-config.txt
index b759009c75..c3adafd78a 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-config.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-config.txt
@@ -240,6 +240,10 @@ Valid `<type>`'s include:
 	using `--file`, `--global`, etc) and `on` when searching all
 	config files.
 
+--default <value>::
+  When using `--get`, and the requested variable is not found, behave as if
+  <value> were the value assigned to the that variable.
+
 CONFIGURATION
 -------------
 `pager.config` is only respected when listing configuration, i.e., when
diff --git a/builtin/config.c b/builtin/config.c
index 24d735e16a..2f78a02ca1 100644
--- a/builtin/config.c
+++ b/builtin/config.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ static char term = '\n';
 static int use_global_config, use_system_config, use_local_config;
 static struct git_config_source given_config_source;
 static int actions, type;
+static char *default_value;
 static int end_null;
 static int respect_includes_opt = -1;
 static struct config_options config_options;
@@ -149,6 +150,7 @@ static struct option builtin_config_options[] = {
 	OPT_BOOL(0, "name-only", &omit_values, N_("show variable names only")),
 	OPT_BOOL(0, "includes", &respect_includes_opt, N_("respect include directives on lookup")),
 	OPT_BOOL(0, "show-origin", &show_origin, N_("show origin of config (file, standard input, blob, command line)")),
+	OPT_STRING(0, "default", &default_value, N_("value"), N_("with --get, use default value when missing entry")),
 	OPT_END(),
 };
 
@@ -313,6 +315,16 @@ static int get_value(const char *key_, const char *regex_)
 	config_with_options(collect_config, &values,
 			    &given_config_source, &config_options);
 
+	if (!values.nr && default_value) {
+		struct strbuf *item;
+		ALLOC_GROW(values.items, values.nr + 1, values.alloc);
+		item = &values.items[values.nr++];
+		strbuf_init(item, 0);
+		if (format_config(item, key_, default_value) < 0)
+			die(_("failed to format default config value: %s"),
+				default_value);
+	}
+
 	ret = !values.nr;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < values.nr; i++) {
@@ -651,6 +663,12 @@ int cmd_config(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		usage_with_options(builtin_config_usage, builtin_config_options);
 	}
 
+	if (default_value && !(actions & ACTION_GET)) {
+		error("--default is only applicable to --get");
+		usage_with_options(builtin_config_usage,
+			builtin_config_options);
+	}
+
 	if (actions & PAGING_ACTIONS)
 		setup_auto_pager("config", 1);
 
diff --git a/t/t1310-config-default.sh b/t/t1310-config-default.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..6049d91708
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t1310-config-default.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description='Test git config in different settings (with --default)'
+
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+test_expect_success 'uses --default when entry missing' '
+	echo quux >expect &&
+	git config -f config --default=quux core.foo >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'does not use --default when entry present' '
+	echo bar >expect &&
+	git -c core.foo=bar config --default=baz core.foo >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'canonicalizes --default with appropriate type' '
+	echo true >expect &&
+	git config -f config --default=yes --bool core.foo >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'dies when --default cannot be parsed' '
+	test_must_fail git config -f config --type=expiry-date --default=x --get \
+		not.a.section 2>error &&
+	test_i18ngrep "failed to format default config value" error
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'does not allow --default without --get' '
+	test_must_fail git config --default=quux --unset a.section >output 2>&1 &&
+	test_i18ngrep "\-\-default is only applicable to" output
+'
+
+test_done