diff --git a/extensions/git/package.json b/extensions/git/package.json
index 5f4f14737e9991df32060825c3f2c0ddfd8a4c4e..fc995a6e94b00997544160ef3ba72ebb6cc9d144 100644
--- a/extensions/git/package.json
+++ b/extensions/git/package.json
@@ -1028,7 +1028,7 @@
           "type": "number",
           "scope": "resource",
           "description": "%config.autofetchPeriod%",
-          "default": 3
+          "default": 180
         },
         "git.branchValidationRegex": {
           "type": "string",
diff --git a/extensions/git/package.nls.json b/extensions/git/package.nls.json
index 118e0f1cd6423b03ade3525db546abad0eae7e44..506f2772f54fd302561a610562de86a93e2257ae 100644
--- a/extensions/git/package.nls.json
+++ b/extensions/git/package.nls.json
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
 	"config.autoRepositoryDetection.openEditors": "Scan for parent folders of open files.",
 	"config.autorefresh": "Whether auto refreshing is enabled.",
 	"config.autofetch": "When enabled, commits will automatically be fetched from the default remote of the current Git repository.",
-	"config.autofetchPeriod": "Duration in minutes between each automatic git fetch, when `git.autofetch` is enabled.",
+	"config.autofetchPeriod": "Duration in seconds between each automatic git fetch, when `git.autofetch` is enabled.",
 	"config.confirmSync": "Confirm before synchronizing git repositories.",
 	"config.countBadge": "Controls the git badge counter.",
 	"config.countBadge.all": "Count all changes.",
diff --git a/extensions/git/src/autofetch.ts b/extensions/git/src/autofetch.ts
index 08a104614d6fa9519a7f3085afe8040399c2c36a..f6c28946620f4542e0c98986dad60ac5a5138d0e 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/autofetch.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/autofetch.ts
@@ -19,17 +19,13 @@ export class AutoFetcher {
 
 	private static DidInformUser = 'autofetch.didInformUser';
 
-	private _onDidChange = new EventEmitter<boolean | number>();
+	private _onDidChange = new EventEmitter<boolean>();
 	private onDidChange = this._onDidChange.event;
 
 	private _enabled: boolean = false;
 	get enabled(): boolean { return this._enabled; }
 	set enabled(enabled: boolean) { this._enabled = enabled; this._onDidChange.fire(enabled); }
 
-	private _timeout: number = workspace.getConfiguration('git').get<number>('autofetchPeriod', 3) * 60 * 1000;
-	private get timeout(): number { return this._timeout; }
-	private set timeout(minutes: number) { this._timeout = minutes * 60 * 1000; this._onDidChange.fire(minutes); }
-
 	private disposables: Disposable[] = [];
 
 	constructor(private repository: Repository, private globalState: Memento) {
@@ -73,19 +69,19 @@ export class AutoFetcher {
 
 	private onConfiguration(): void {
 		const gitConfig = workspace.getConfiguration('git');
-		const minutes = gitConfig.get<number>('autofetchPeriod', 3);
-		const autofetch = gitConfig.get<boolean>('autofetch');
-
-		if (this.timeout !== minutes) {
-			this.timeout = minutes;
-		}
 
-		if (this.enabled !== autofetch) {
-			autofetch ? this.enable() : this.disable();
+		if (gitConfig.get<boolean>('autofetch') === false) {
+			this.disable();
+		} else {
+			this.enable();
 		}
 	}
 
 	enable(): void {
+		if (this.enabled) {
+			return;
+		}
+
 		this.enabled = true;
 		this.run();
 	}
@@ -114,9 +110,11 @@ export class AutoFetcher {
 				return;
 			}
 
-			const timeout = new Promise(c => setTimeout(c, this.timeout));
-			const onChanged = eventToPromise(filterEvent(this.onDidChange, () => true));
-			await Promise.race([timeout, onChanged]);
+			const period = workspace.getConfiguration('git').get<number>('autofetchPeriod', 180) * 1000;
+			const timeout = new Promise(c => setTimeout(c, period));
+			const whenDisabled = eventToPromise(filterEvent(this.onDidChange, enabled => !enabled));
+
+			await Promise.race([timeout, whenDisabled]);
 		}
 	}