Re: [BUG] git pull ignores pull.autostash=true configuration when used with --git-dir and --work-tree flags on a bare repository

From: Bryan Lee <hi@looping.me>
Date: Jul 15, 2025, 05:31 UTC
Message-ID: <010001980c90be66-2401a0b0-5c86-4135-90e2-c325852ef168-000000@email.amazonses.com>
In-Reply-To: <BCD357B1-39B1-4B00-BEB2-EF2C20A0E4AF@gmail.com>

Lidong Yan <yldhome2d2@gmail.com> wrote:

> Maybe you can try `git config rebase.autostash true` instead.

Thank you! You're absolutely right. After testing, I can confirm that:

1. `pull.autostash` is not a real Git configuration option - it has no
effect whatsoever
2. The correct configuration is `rebase.autoStash=true` (for rebase operations)
3. This issue is not specific to bare repositories - it happens in
regular repos too

Here's my test in a regular (non-bare) repository that proves this:

``` $ git config --global pull.autostash true $ git config --global pull.rebase true $ echo "test" >> README.md # create unstaged changes $ git pull error: cannot pull with rebase: You have unstaged changes. error: Please commit or stash them.

$ git config --global rebase.autostash true $ git pull Updating 9571176..5125236 Created autostash: 9ad0490 Fast-forward [... changes ...] Applied autostash. ```

This raises an important issue: Git silently accepts invalid configuration keys without any warning. Users can waste significant time debugging "why isn't my configuration working?" when the configuration key doesn't even exist.

Would it be worthwhile to:
1. Add a warning when users set non-existent configuration keys?
2. Or at least document common misconceptions like `pull.autostash` in
the git-config man page?

Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction!

On Tue, Jul 15, 2025 at 12:09 PM Lidong Yan <yldhome2d2@gmail.com> wrote:

Show 23 quoted lines

>
> Bryan Lee <hi@looping.me> wrote:
> >
> > 3. Set global Git configuration for automatic rebasing and stashing:
> >   $ git config --global pull.rebase true
> >   $ git config --global pull.autostash true
> >
> >   Verify the configuration is set:
> >   $ git config --global pull.rebase
> >   true
> >   $ git config --global pull.autostash
> >   true
>
> Maybe you can try `git config rebase.autostash true` instead.
>
> > The difference is that Git is not honoring the pull.autostash=true
> > configuration when the repository is accessed using --git-dir and
> > --work-tree flags. The autostash feature is completely ignored, and
> > Git behaves as if pull.autostash=false.
>
> I’m not sure why this difference happens either.
>
> - Lidong