diff --git a/attr.c b/attr.c
index 887a9ae46b7044489845abf2072339271caf2d4a..179886cc4b94a2c9260285b892eb200f6575453b 100644
--- a/attr.c
+++ b/attr.c
@@ -277,6 +277,7 @@ static struct match_attr *parse_attr_line(const char *line, const char *src,
 static struct attr_stack {
 	struct attr_stack *prev;
 	char *origin;
+	size_t originlen;
 	unsigned num_matches;
 	unsigned alloc;
 	struct match_attr **attrs;
@@ -535,6 +536,7 @@ static void bootstrap_attr_stack(void)
 	if (!is_bare_repository() || direction == GIT_ATTR_INDEX) {
 		elem = read_attr(GITATTRIBUTES_FILE, 1);
 		elem->origin = xstrdup("");
+		elem->originlen = 0;
 		elem->prev = attr_stack;
 		attr_stack = elem;
 		debug_push(elem);
@@ -628,7 +630,7 @@ static void prepare_attr_stack(const char *path)
 			strbuf_addstr(&pathbuf, GITATTRIBUTES_FILE);
 			elem = read_attr(pathbuf.buf, 0);
 			strbuf_setlen(&pathbuf, cp - path);
-			elem->origin = strbuf_detach(&pathbuf, NULL);
+			elem->origin = strbuf_detach(&pathbuf, &elem->originlen);
 			elem->prev = attr_stack;
 			attr_stack = elem;
 			debug_push(elem);
@@ -645,13 +647,11 @@ static void prepare_attr_stack(const char *path)
 }
 
 static int path_matches(const char *pathname, int pathlen,
+			const char *basename,
 			const char *pattern,
 			const char *base, int baselen)
 {
 	if (!strchr(pattern, '/')) {
-		/* match basename */
-		const char *basename = strrchr(pathname, '/');
-		basename = basename ? basename + 1 : pathname;
 		return (fnmatch_icase(pattern, basename, 0) == 0);
 	}
 	/*
@@ -693,7 +693,8 @@ static int fill_one(const char *what, struct match_attr *a, int rem)
 	return rem;
 }
 
-static int fill(const char *path, int pathlen, struct attr_stack *stk, int rem)
+static int fill(const char *path, int pathlen, const char *basename,
+		struct attr_stack *stk, int rem)
 {
 	int i;
 	const char *base = stk->origin ? stk->origin : "";
@@ -702,8 +703,8 @@ static int fill(const char *path, int pathlen, struct attr_stack *stk, int rem)
 		struct match_attr *a = stk->attrs[i];
 		if (a->is_macro)
 			continue;
-		if (path_matches(path, pathlen,
-				 a->u.pattern, base, strlen(base)))
+		if (path_matches(path, pathlen, basename,
+				 a->u.pattern, base, stk->originlen))
 			rem = fill_one("fill", a, rem);
 	}
 	return rem;
@@ -741,15 +742,19 @@ static void collect_all_attrs(const char *path)
 {
 	struct attr_stack *stk;
 	int i, pathlen, rem;
+	const char *basename;
 
 	prepare_attr_stack(path);
 	for (i = 0; i < attr_nr; i++)
 		check_all_attr[i].value = ATTR__UNKNOWN;
 
+	basename = strrchr(path, '/');
+	basename = basename ? basename + 1 : path;
+
 	pathlen = strlen(path);
 	rem = attr_nr;
 	for (stk = attr_stack; 0 < rem && stk; stk = stk->prev)
-		rem = fill(path, pathlen, stk, rem);
+		rem = fill(path, pathlen, basename, stk, rem);
 }
 
 int git_check_attr(const char *path, int num, struct git_attr_check *check)