diff --git a/builtin/config.c b/builtin/config.c
index de41ba50e9ca03d5348e407eaba44c2a93447938..5677c942b6936f3332b1b4ed12541f45c4228dfb 100644
--- a/builtin/config.c
+++ b/builtin/config.c
@@ -360,6 +360,9 @@ static int get_colorbool(int print)
 
 static void check_write(void)
 {
+	if (given_config_source.use_stdin)
+		die("writing to stdin is not supported");
+
 	if (given_config_source.blob)
 		die("writing config blobs is not supported");
 }
@@ -472,6 +475,12 @@ int cmd_config(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		usage_with_options(builtin_config_usage, builtin_config_options);
 	}
 
+	if (given_config_source.file &&
+			!strcmp(given_config_source.file, "-")) {
+		given_config_source.file = NULL;
+		given_config_source.use_stdin = 1;
+	}
+
 	if (use_global_config) {
 		char *user_config = NULL;
 		char *xdg_config = NULL;
@@ -558,6 +567,8 @@ int cmd_config(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		check_argc(argc, 0, 0);
 		if (!given_config_source.file && nongit)
 			die("not in a git directory");
+		if (given_config_source.use_stdin)
+			die("editing stdin is not supported");
 		if (given_config_source.blob)
 			die("editing blobs is not supported");
 		git_config(git_default_config, NULL);
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 9d94bd69f7db9dde851683e610a0ffe5da775646..4db19b537059fc23fde3b698b00c3e609c4e116a 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -1147,6 +1147,7 @@ extern int update_server_info(int);
 #define CONFIG_GENERIC_ERROR 7
 
 struct git_config_source {
+	unsigned int use_stdin:1;
 	const char *file;
 	const char *blob;
 };
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index a21b0ddadecc3d288ea50339e9b39765a1227aec..7b1febdf4af090a5a6c0620398266a5fcfdb7498 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -1031,24 +1031,35 @@ static int do_config_from(struct config_source *top, config_fn_t fn, void *data)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-int git_config_from_file(config_fn_t fn, const char *filename, void *data)
+static int do_config_from_file(config_fn_t fn,
+		const char *name, const char *path, FILE *f, void *data)
 {
-	int ret;
-	FILE *f = fopen(filename, "r");
+	struct config_source top;
 
-	ret = -1;
-	if (f) {
-		struct config_source top;
+	top.u.file = f;
+	top.name = name;
+	top.path = path;
+	top.die_on_error = 1;
+	top.do_fgetc = config_file_fgetc;
+	top.do_ungetc = config_file_ungetc;
+	top.do_ftell = config_file_ftell;
 
-		top.u.file = f;
-		top.name = top.path = filename;
-		top.die_on_error = 1;
-		top.do_fgetc = config_file_fgetc;
-		top.do_ungetc = config_file_ungetc;
-		top.do_ftell = config_file_ftell;
+	return do_config_from(&top, fn, data);
+}
 
-		ret = do_config_from(&top, fn, data);
+static int git_config_from_stdin(config_fn_t fn, void *data)
+{
+	return do_config_from_file(fn, "<stdin>", NULL, stdin, data);
+}
+
+int git_config_from_file(config_fn_t fn, const char *filename, void *data)
+{
+	int ret = -1;
+	FILE *f;
 
+	f = fopen(filename, "r");
+	if (f) {
+		ret = do_config_from_file(fn, filename, filename, f, data);
 		fclose(f);
 	}
 	return ret;
@@ -1190,7 +1201,9 @@ int git_config_with_options(config_fn_t fn, void *data,
 	 * If we have a specific filename, use it. Otherwise, follow the
 	 * regular lookup sequence.
 	 */
-	if (config_source && config_source->file)
+	if (config_source && config_source->use_stdin)
+		return git_config_from_stdin(fn, data);
+	else if (config_source && config_source->file)
 		return git_config_from_file(fn, config_source->file, data);
 	else if (config_source && config_source->blob)
 		return git_config_from_blob_ref(fn, config_source->blob, data);
diff --git a/t/t1300-repo-config.sh b/t/t1300-repo-config.sh
index 967359344dab8118dfd55816ef08f4809a9f33ad..c9c426c273e556302338f7a30fc46de64b856eb2 100755
--- a/t/t1300-repo-config.sh
+++ b/t/t1300-repo-config.sh
@@ -475,15 +475,28 @@ ein.bahn=strasse
 EOF
 
 test_expect_success 'alternative GIT_CONFIG' '
-	GIT_CONFIG=other-config git config -l >output &&
+	GIT_CONFIG=other-config git config --list >output &&
 	test_cmp expect output
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'alternative GIT_CONFIG (--file)' '
-	git config --file other-config -l > output &&
+	git config --file other-config --list >output &&
 	test_cmp expect output
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'alternative GIT_CONFIG (--file=-)' '
+	git config --file - --list <other-config >output &&
+	test_cmp expect output
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'setting a value in stdin is an error' '
+	test_must_fail git config --file - some.value foo
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'editing stdin is an error' '
+	test_must_fail git config --file - --edit
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'refer config from subdirectory' '
 	mkdir x &&
 	(
diff --git a/t/t1305-config-include.sh b/t/t1305-config-include.sh
index 6edd38b39a0b758b8007c1d58b858c9e3b533928..9ba2ba11c3cac88154dbb2d522b43adf98a8dee7 100755
--- a/t/t1305-config-include.sh
+++ b/t/t1305-config-include.sh
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ test_expect_success 'missing include files are ignored' '
 test_expect_success 'absolute includes from command line work' '
 	echo "[test]one = 1" >one &&
 	echo 1 >expect &&
-	git -c include.path="$PWD/one" config test.one >actual &&
+	git -c include.path="$(pwd)/one" config test.one >actual &&
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
@@ -138,6 +138,20 @@ test_expect_success 'relative includes from blobs fail' '
 	test_must_fail git config --blob=$blob test.one
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'absolute includes from stdin work' '
+	echo "[test]one = 1" >one &&
+	echo 1 >expect &&
+	echo "[include]path=\"$(pwd)/one\"" |
+	git config --file - test.one >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'relative includes from stdin line fail' '
+	echo "[test]one = 1" >one &&
+	echo "[include]path=one" |
+	test_must_fail git config --file - test.one
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'include cycles are detected' '
 	cat >.gitconfig <<-\EOF &&
 	[test]value = gitconfig