diff --git a/Documentation/config/repack.txt b/Documentation/config/repack.txt
index a5c37813fd..9c413e177e 100644
--- a/Documentation/config/repack.txt
+++ b/Documentation/config/repack.txt
@@ -24,4 +24,4 @@ repack.writeBitmaps::
 	packs created for clones and fetches, at the cost of some disk
 	space and extra time spent on the initial repack.  This has
 	no effect if multiple packfiles are created.
-	Defaults to false.
+	Defaults to true on bare repos, false otherwise.
diff --git a/builtin/repack.c b/builtin/repack.c
index 67f8978043..caca113927 100644
--- a/builtin/repack.c
+++ b/builtin/repack.c
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 static int delta_base_offset = 1;
 static int pack_kept_objects = -1;
-static int write_bitmaps;
+static int write_bitmaps = -1;
 static int use_delta_islands;
 static char *packdir, *packtmp;
 
@@ -343,6 +343,9 @@ int cmd_repack(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	    (unpack_unreachable || (pack_everything & LOOSEN_UNREACHABLE)))
 		die(_("--keep-unreachable and -A are incompatible"));
 
+	if (write_bitmaps < 0)
+		write_bitmaps = (pack_everything & ALL_INTO_ONE) &&
+				 is_bare_repository();
 	if (pack_kept_objects < 0)
 		pack_kept_objects = write_bitmaps;
 
diff --git a/t/t7700-repack.sh b/t/t7700-repack.sh
index 6162e2a8e6..86d05160a3 100755
--- a/t/t7700-repack.sh
+++ b/t/t7700-repack.sh
@@ -221,5 +221,22 @@ test_expect_success 'repack --keep-pack' '
 	)
 '
 
-test_done
+test_expect_success 'bitmaps are created by default in bare repos' '
+	git clone --bare .git bare.git &&
+	git -C bare.git repack -ad &&
+	bitmap=$(ls bare.git/objects/pack/*.bitmap) &&
+	test_path_is_file "$bitmap"
+'
 
+test_expect_success 'incremental repack does not complain' '
+	git -C bare.git repack -q 2>repack.err &&
+	test_must_be_empty repack.err
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'bitmaps can be disabled on bare repos' '
+	git -c repack.writeBitmaps=false -C bare.git repack -ad &&
+	bitmap=$(ls bare.git/objects/pack/*.bitmap 2>/dev/null || :) &&
+	test -z "$bitmap"
+'
+
+test_done