diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c9bf75af7d..4989696dcc 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -897,6 +897,7 @@ LIB_OBJS += gettext.o
 LIB_OBJS += gpg-interface.o
 LIB_OBJS += graph.o
 LIB_OBJS += grep.o
+LIB_OBJS += gvfs.o
 LIB_OBJS += hashmap.o
 LIB_OBJS += linear-assignment.o
 LIB_OBJS += help.o
diff --git a/gvfs.c b/gvfs.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7235199c04
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gvfs.c
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#include "cache.h"
+#include "gvfs.h"
+#include "config.h"
+
+static int gvfs_config_loaded;
+static int core_gvfs_is_bool;
+
+static int early_core_gvfs_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *data)
+{
+	if (!strcmp(var, "core.gvfs"))
+		core_gvfs = git_config_bool_or_int("core.gvfs", value, &core_gvfs_is_bool);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+void gvfs_load_config_value(const char *value)
+{
+	if (gvfs_config_loaded)
+		return;
+
+	if (value)
+		core_gvfs = git_config_bool_or_int("core.gvfs", value, &core_gvfs_is_bool);
+	else if (startup_info->have_repository == 0)
+		read_early_config(early_core_gvfs_config, NULL);
+	else
+		git_config_get_bool_or_int("core.gvfs", &core_gvfs_is_bool, &core_gvfs);
+
+	/* Turn on all bits if a bool was set in the settings */
+	if (core_gvfs_is_bool && core_gvfs)
+		core_gvfs = -1;
+
+	gvfs_config_loaded = 1;
+}
+
+int gvfs_config_is_set(int mask)
+{
+	gvfs_load_config_value(0);
+	return (core_gvfs & mask) == mask;
+}
diff --git a/gvfs.h b/gvfs.h
index 2d6de575bf..7c9367866f 100644
--- a/gvfs.h
+++ b/gvfs.h
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 #ifndef GVFS_H
 #define GVFS_H
 
-#include "cache.h"
-#include "config.h"
 
 /*
  * This file is for the specific settings and methods
@@ -19,32 +17,7 @@
 #define GVFS_FETCH_SKIP_REACHABILITY_AND_UPLOADPACK (1 << 4)
 #define GVFS_BLOCK_FILTERS_AND_EOL_CONVERSIONS      (1 << 6)
 
-static inline int gvfs_config_is_set(int mask) {
-	return (core_gvfs & mask) == mask;
-}
-
-static inline int gvfs_config_is_set_any(void) {
-	return core_gvfs > 0;
-}
-
-static inline void gvfs_load_config_value(const char *value) {
-	int is_bool = 0;
-
-	if (value)
-		core_gvfs = git_config_bool_or_int("core.gvfs", value, &is_bool);
-	else
-		git_config_get_bool_or_int("core.gvfs", &is_bool, &core_gvfs);
-
-	/* Turn on all bits if a bool was set in the settings */
-	if (is_bool && core_gvfs)
-		core_gvfs = -1;
-}
-
-
-static inline int gvfs_config_load_and_is_set(int mask) {
-	gvfs_load_config_value(0);
-	return gvfs_config_is_set(mask);
-}
-
+void gvfs_load_config_value(const char *value);
+int gvfs_config_is_set(int mask);
 
 #endif /* GVFS_H */