diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index be02a422d1..abbe08303e 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -378,6 +378,7 @@ static inline enum object_type object_type(unsigned int mode)
 #define GRAFT_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_GRAFT_FILE"
 #define TEMPLATE_DIR_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR"
 #define CONFIG_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_CONFIG"
+#define CONFIG_DATA_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_CONFIG_PARAMETERS"
 #define EXEC_PATH_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_EXEC_PATH"
 #define CEILING_DIRECTORIES_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_CEILING_DIRECTORIES"
 #define NO_REPLACE_OBJECTS_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_NO_REPLACE_OBJECTS"
@@ -396,7 +397,7 @@ static inline enum object_type object_type(unsigned int mode)
  * environment creation or simple walk of the list.
  * The number of non-NULL entries is available as a macro.
  */
-#define LOCAL_REPO_ENV_SIZE 8
+#define LOCAL_REPO_ENV_SIZE 9
 extern const char *const local_repo_env[LOCAL_REPO_ENV_SIZE + 1];
 
 extern int is_bare_repository_cfg;
@@ -973,7 +974,9 @@ extern int update_server_info(int);
 typedef int (*config_fn_t)(const char *, const char *, void *);
 extern int git_default_config(const char *, const char *, void *);
 extern int git_config_from_file(config_fn_t fn, const char *, void *);
+extern void git_config_push_parameter(const char *text);
 extern int git_config_parse_parameter(const char *text);
+extern int git_config_parse_environment(void);
 extern int git_config_from_parameters(config_fn_t fn, void *data);
 extern int git_config(config_fn_t fn, void *);
 extern int git_parse_ulong(const char *, unsigned long *);
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index cdcf5836c6..c2c995f16d 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include "cache.h"
 #include "exec_cmd.h"
 #include "strbuf.h"
+#include "quote.h"
 
 #define MAXNAME (256)
 
@@ -34,6 +35,19 @@ static void lowercase(char *p)
 		*p = tolower(*p);
 }
 
+void git_config_push_parameter(const char *text)
+{
+	struct strbuf env = STRBUF_INIT;
+	const char *old = getenv(CONFIG_DATA_ENVIRONMENT);
+	if (old) {
+		strbuf_addstr(&env, old);
+		strbuf_addch(&env, ' ');
+	}
+	sq_quote_buf(&env, text);
+	setenv(CONFIG_DATA_ENVIRONMENT, env.buf, 1);
+	strbuf_release(&env);
+}
+
 int git_config_parse_parameter(const char *text)
 {
 	struct config_item *ct;
@@ -61,6 +75,37 @@ int git_config_parse_parameter(const char *text)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int git_config_parse_environment(void) {
+	const char *env = getenv(CONFIG_DATA_ENVIRONMENT);
+	char *envw;
+	const char **argv = NULL;
+	int nr = 0, alloc = 0;
+	int i;
+
+	if (!env)
+		return 0;
+	/* sq_dequote will write over it */
+	envw = xstrdup(env);
+
+	if (sq_dequote_to_argv(envw, &argv, &nr, &alloc) < 0) {
+		free(envw);
+		return error("bogus format in " CONFIG_DATA_ENVIRONMENT);
+	}
+
+	for (i = 0; i < nr; i++) {
+		if (git_config_parse_parameter(argv[i]) < 0) {
+			error("bogus config parameter: %s", argv[i]);
+			free(argv);
+			free(envw);
+			return -1;
+		}
+	}
+
+	free(argv);
+	free(envw);
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int get_next_char(void)
 {
 	int c;
@@ -773,7 +818,14 @@ int git_config_global(void)
 
 int git_config_from_parameters(config_fn_t fn, void *data)
 {
+	static int loaded_environment;
 	const struct config_item *ct;
+
+	if (!loaded_environment) {
+		if (git_config_parse_environment() < 0)
+			return -1;
+		loaded_environment = 1;
+	}
 	for (ct = config_parameters; ct; ct = ct->next)
 		if (fn(ct->name, ct->value, data) < 0)
 			return -1;
@@ -812,10 +864,9 @@ int git_config(config_fn_t fn, void *data)
 	}
 	free(repo_config);
 
-	if (config_parameters) {
-		ret += git_config_from_parameters(fn, data);
+	ret += git_config_from_parameters(fn, data);
+	if (config_parameters)
 		found += 1;
-	}
 
 	if (found == 0)
 		return -1;
diff --git a/environment.c b/environment.c
index eeb26876a1..9425606443 100644
--- a/environment.c
+++ b/environment.c
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ static char *git_object_dir, *git_index_file, *git_refs_dir, *git_graft_file;
 const char * const local_repo_env[LOCAL_REPO_ENV_SIZE + 1] = {
 	ALTERNATE_DB_ENVIRONMENT,
 	CONFIG_ENVIRONMENT,
+	CONFIG_DATA_ENVIRONMENT,
 	DB_ENVIRONMENT,
 	GIT_DIR_ENVIRONMENT,
 	GIT_WORK_TREE_ENVIRONMENT,
diff --git a/git.c b/git.c
index 8de48107e0..d64ab1a24d 100644
--- a/git.c
+++ b/git.c
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ static int handle_options(const char ***argv, int *argc, int *envchanged)
 				fprintf(stderr, "-c expects a configuration string\n" );
 				usage(git_usage_string);
 			}
-			git_config_parse_parameter((*argv)[1]);
+			git_config_push_parameter((*argv)[1]);
 			(*argv)++;
 			(*argc)--;
 		} else {
diff --git a/t/t5400-send-pack.sh b/t/t5400-send-pack.sh
index c718253673..5bcf0b867a 100755
--- a/t/t5400-send-pack.sh
+++ b/t/t5400-send-pack.sh
@@ -94,6 +94,29 @@ test_expect_success 'refuse deleting push with denyDeletes' '
 	test_must_fail git send-pack ./victim :extra master
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'cannot override denyDeletes with git -c send-pack' '
+	(
+		cd victim &&
+		test_might_fail git branch -D extra &&
+		git config receive.denyDeletes true &&
+		git branch extra master
+	) &&
+	test_must_fail git -c receive.denyDeletes=false \
+					send-pack ./victim :extra master
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'override denyDeletes with git -c receive-pack' '
+	(
+		cd victim &&
+		test_might_fail git branch -D extra &&
+		git config receive.denyDeletes true &&
+		git branch extra master
+	) &&
+	git send-pack \
+		--receive-pack="git -c receive.denyDeletes=false receive-pack" \
+		./victim :extra master
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'denyNonFastforwards trumps --force' '
 	(
 	    cd victim &&