diff --git a/repo-settings.c b/repo-settings.c
index 2dfcb2b654..f220c16f84 100644
--- a/repo-settings.c
+++ b/repo-settings.c
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ void prepare_repo_settings(struct repository *r)
 {
 	int experimental;
 	int value;
-	char *strval;
+	const char *strval;
 	int manyfiles;
 
 	if (!r->gitdir)
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ void prepare_repo_settings(struct repository *r)
 	if (!repo_config_get_int(r, "index.version", &value))
 		r->settings.index_version = value;
 
-	if (!repo_config_get_string(r, "core.untrackedcache", &strval)) {
+	if (!repo_config_get_string_tmp(r, "core.untrackedcache", &strval)) {
 		int v = git_parse_maybe_bool(strval);
 
 		/*
@@ -78,10 +78,9 @@ void prepare_repo_settings(struct repository *r)
 		if (v >= 0)
 			r->settings.core_untracked_cache = v ?
 				UNTRACKED_CACHE_WRITE : UNTRACKED_CACHE_REMOVE;
-		free(strval);
 	}
 
-	if (!repo_config_get_string(r, "fetch.negotiationalgorithm", &strval)) {
+	if (!repo_config_get_string_tmp(r, "fetch.negotiationalgorithm", &strval)) {
 		int fetch_default = r->settings.fetch_negotiation_algorithm;
 		if (!strcasecmp(strval, "skipping"))
 			r->settings.fetch_negotiation_algorithm = FETCH_NEGOTIATION_SKIPPING;