diff --git a/builtin/help.c b/builtin/help.c
index 9a255a9aee6..0a40d8cf094 100644
--- a/builtin/help.c
+++ b/builtin/help.c
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 #include "exec-cmd.h"
 #include "parse-options.h"
 #include "run-command.h"
-#include "column.h"
 #include "config-list.h"
 #include "help.h"
 #include "alias.h"
@@ -50,7 +49,6 @@ static enum help_action {
 
 static const char *html_path;
 static int verbose = 1;
-static unsigned int colopts;
 static enum help_format help_format = HELP_FORMAT_NONE;
 static int exclude_guides;
 static struct option builtin_help_options[] = {
@@ -384,8 +382,6 @@ static int add_man_viewer_info(const char *var, const char *value)
 
 static int git_help_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 {
-	if (starts_with(var, "column."))
-		return git_column_config(var, value, "help", &colopts);
 	if (!strcmp(var, "help.format")) {
 		if (!value)
 			return config_error_nonbool(var);
@@ -595,7 +591,6 @@ int cmd_help(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	switch (cmd_mode) {
 	case HELP_ACTION_ALL:
-		git_config(git_help_config, NULL);
 		if (verbose) {
 			setup_pager();
 			list_all_cmds_help();
@@ -603,7 +598,7 @@ int cmd_help(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		}
 		printf(_("usage: %s%s"), _(git_usage_string), "\n\n");
 		load_command_list("git-", &main_cmds, &other_cmds);
-		list_commands(colopts, &main_cmds, &other_cmds);
+		list_commands(&main_cmds, &other_cmds);
 		printf("%s\n", _(git_more_info_string));
 		break;
 	case HELP_ACTION_GUIDES:
diff --git a/help.c b/help.c
index be2fa642415..973e47cdc30 100644
--- a/help.c
+++ b/help.c
@@ -293,9 +293,21 @@ void load_command_list(const char *prefix,
 	exclude_cmds(other_cmds, main_cmds);
 }
 
-void list_commands(unsigned int colopts,
-		   struct cmdnames *main_cmds, struct cmdnames *other_cmds)
+static int get_colopts(const char *var, const char *value, void *data)
 {
+	unsigned int *colopts = data;
+
+	if (starts_with(var, "column."))
+		return git_column_config(var, value, "help", colopts);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+void list_commands(struct cmdnames *main_cmds, struct cmdnames *other_cmds)
+{
+	unsigned int colopts = 0;
+	git_config(get_colopts, &colopts);
+
 	if (main_cmds->cnt) {
 		const char *exec_path = git_exec_path();
 		printf_ln(_("available git commands in '%s'"), exec_path);
diff --git a/help.h b/help.h
index 5871e93ba2d..9d383f1a0b2 100644
--- a/help.h
+++ b/help.h
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ void add_cmdname(struct cmdnames *cmds, const char *name, int len);
 /* Here we require that excludes is a sorted list. */
 void exclude_cmds(struct cmdnames *cmds, struct cmdnames *excludes);
 int is_in_cmdlist(struct cmdnames *cmds, const char *name);
-void list_commands(unsigned int colopts, struct cmdnames *main_cmds, struct cmdnames *other_cmds);
+void list_commands(struct cmdnames *main_cmds, struct cmdnames *other_cmds);
 void get_version_info(struct strbuf *buf, int show_build_options);
 
 /*