diff --git a/git-am.sh b/git-am.sh
index 7c0bb6084b..f50de61049 100755
--- a/git-am.sh
+++ b/git-am.sh
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ USAGE='[--signoff] [--dotest=<dir>] [--utf8] [--binary] [--3way]
   or, when resuming [--skip | --resolved]'
 . git-sh-setup
 set_reflog_action am
+require_work_tree
 
 git var GIT_COMMITTER_IDENT >/dev/null || exit
 
diff --git a/git-checkout.sh b/git-checkout.sh
index 92ec069a3a..a5649a0504 100755
--- a/git-checkout.sh
+++ b/git-checkout.sh
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 USAGE='[-f] [-b <new_branch>] [-m] [<branch>] [<paths>...]'
 SUBDIRECTORY_OK=Sometimes
 . git-sh-setup
+require_work_tree
 
 old_name=HEAD
 old=$(git-rev-parse --verify $old_name 2>/dev/null)
diff --git a/git-clean.sh b/git-clean.sh
index 071b974f49..db177a7886 100755
--- a/git-clean.sh
+++ b/git-clean.sh
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ When optional <paths>... arguments are given, the paths
 affected are further limited to those that match them.'
 SUBDIRECTORY_OK=Yes
 . git-sh-setup
+require_work_tree
 
 ignored=
 ignoredonly=
diff --git a/git-commit.sh b/git-commit.sh
index 04aad5e5da..557b90355c 100755
--- a/git-commit.sh
+++ b/git-commit.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 USAGE='[-a] [-s] [-v] [--no-verify] [-m <message> | -F <logfile> | (-C|-c) <commit>] [-u] [--amend] [-e] [--author <author>] [[-i | -o] <path>...]'
 SUBDIRECTORY_OK=Yes
 . git-sh-setup
+require_work_tree
 
 git-rev-parse --verify HEAD >/dev/null 2>&1 || initial_commit=t
 
diff --git a/git-merge.sh b/git-merge.sh
index 477002910e..3eef048efc 100755
--- a/git-merge.sh
+++ b/git-merge.sh
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ USAGE='[-n] [--no-commit] [--squash] [-s <strategy>] [-m=<merge-message>] <commi
 
 . git-sh-setup
 set_reflog_action "merge $*"
+require_work_tree
 
 test -z "$(git ls-files -u)" ||
 	die "You are in a middle of conflicted merge."
diff --git a/git-pull.sh b/git-pull.sh
index c184fb81a4..e9826fc4ce 100755
--- a/git-pull.sh
+++ b/git-pull.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ USAGE='[-n | --no-summary] [--no-commit] [-s strategy]... [<fetch-options>] <rep
 LONG_USAGE='Fetch one or more remote refs and merge it/them into the current HEAD.'
 . git-sh-setup
 set_reflog_action "pull $*"
+require_work_tree
 
 test -z "$(git ls-files -u)" ||
 	die "You are in a middle of conflicted merge."
diff --git a/git-rebase.sh b/git-rebase.sh
index 828c59ce61..98f9558145 100755
--- a/git-rebase.sh
+++ b/git-rebase.sh
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ Example:       git-rebase master~1 topic
 '
 . git-sh-setup
 set_reflog_action rebase
+require_work_tree
 
 RESOLVEMSG="
 When you have resolved this problem run \"git rebase --continue\".
diff --git a/git-reset.sh b/git-reset.sh
index 76c8a818d4..b9045bc762 100755
--- a/git-reset.sh
+++ b/git-reset.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ USAGE='[--mixed | --soft | --hard]  [<commit-ish>] [ [--] <paths>...]'
 SUBDIRECTORY_OK=Yes
 . git-sh-setup
 set_reflog_action "reset $*"
+require_work_tree
 
 update= reset_type=--mixed
 unset rev
diff --git a/git-revert.sh b/git-revert.sh
index 50cc47b063..f9843c7c8e 100755
--- a/git-revert.sh
+++ b/git-revert.sh
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ case "$0" in
 	die "What are you talking about?" ;;
 esac
 . git-sh-setup
+require_work_tree
 
 no_commit=
 while case "$#" in 0) break ;; esac
diff --git a/git-sh-setup.sh b/git-sh-setup.sh
index 7fdc912167..4a02b3825e 100755
--- a/git-sh-setup.sh
+++ b/git-sh-setup.sh
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@ is_bare_repository () {
 	esac
 }
 
+require_work_tree () {
+	test $(is_bare_repository) = false ||
+	die "fatal: $0 cannot be used without a working tree."
+}
+
 if [ -z "$LONG_USAGE" ]
 then
 	LONG_USAGE="Usage: $0 $USAGE"
diff --git a/git.c b/git.c
index bf55499dc3..692773b9ae 100644
--- a/git.c
+++ b/git.c
@@ -199,6 +199,11 @@ const char git_version_string[] = GIT_VERSION;
 
 #define RUN_SETUP	(1<<0)
 #define USE_PAGER	(1<<1)
+/*
+ * require working tree to be present -- anything uses this needs
+ * RUN_SETUP for reading from the configuration file.
+ */
+#define NOT_BARE 	(1<<2)
 
 static void handle_internal_command(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 {
@@ -208,7 +213,7 @@ static void handle_internal_command(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 		int (*fn)(int, const char **, const char *);
 		int option;
 	} commands[] = {
-		{ "add", cmd_add, RUN_SETUP },
+		{ "add", cmd_add, RUN_SETUP | NOT_BARE },
 		{ "annotate", cmd_annotate, },
 		{ "apply", cmd_apply },
 		{ "archive", cmd_archive },
@@ -239,7 +244,7 @@ static void handle_internal_command(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 		{ "mailinfo", cmd_mailinfo },
 		{ "mailsplit", cmd_mailsplit },
 		{ "merge-file", cmd_merge_file },
-		{ "mv", cmd_mv, RUN_SETUP },
+		{ "mv", cmd_mv, RUN_SETUP | NOT_BARE },
 		{ "name-rev", cmd_name_rev, RUN_SETUP },
 		{ "pack-objects", cmd_pack_objects, RUN_SETUP },
 		{ "pickaxe", cmd_blame, RUN_SETUP | USE_PAGER },
@@ -252,8 +257,8 @@ static void handle_internal_command(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 		{ "rerere", cmd_rerere, RUN_SETUP },
 		{ "rev-list", cmd_rev_list, RUN_SETUP },
 		{ "rev-parse", cmd_rev_parse, RUN_SETUP },
-		{ "rm", cmd_rm, RUN_SETUP },
-		{ "runstatus", cmd_runstatus, RUN_SETUP },
+		{ "rm", cmd_rm, RUN_SETUP | NOT_BARE },
+		{ "runstatus", cmd_runstatus, RUN_SETUP | NOT_BARE },
 		{ "shortlog", cmd_shortlog, RUN_SETUP | USE_PAGER },
 		{ "show-branch", cmd_show_branch, RUN_SETUP },
 		{ "show", cmd_show, RUN_SETUP | USE_PAGER },
@@ -290,6 +295,8 @@ static void handle_internal_command(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 			prefix = setup_git_directory();
 		if (p->option & USE_PAGER)
 			setup_pager();
+		if ((p->option & NOT_BARE) && is_bare_repository())
+			die("%s cannot be used in a bare git directory", cmd);
 		trace_argv_printf(argv, argc, "trace: built-in: git");
 
 		exit(p->fn(argc, argv, prefix));