diff --git a/builtin/pack-refs.c b/builtin/pack-refs.c
index f3353564f9..cfbd5c36c7 100644
--- a/builtin/pack-refs.c
+++ b/builtin/pack-refs.c
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include "builtin.h"
+#include "config.h"
 #include "parse-options.h"
 #include "refs.h"
 #include "repository.h"
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ int cmd_pack_refs(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		OPT_BIT(0, "prune", &flags, N_("prune loose refs (default)"), PACK_REFS_PRUNE),
 		OPT_END(),
 	};
+	git_config(git_default_config, NULL);
 	if (parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, opts, pack_refs_usage, 0))
 		usage_with_options(pack_refs_usage, opts);
 	return refs_pack_refs(get_main_ref_store(the_repository), flags);
diff --git a/builtin/show-ref.c b/builtin/show-ref.c
index ed888ffa48..07ff311b46 100644
--- a/builtin/show-ref.c
+++ b/builtin/show-ref.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "builtin.h"
 #include "cache.h"
+#include "config.h"
 #include "refs.h"
 #include "object-store.h"
 #include "object.h"
@@ -182,6 +183,8 @@ static const struct option show_ref_options[] = {
 
 int cmd_show_ref(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
+	git_config(git_default_config, NULL);
+
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, show_ref_options,
 			     show_ref_usage, 0);
 
diff --git a/upload-pack.c b/upload-pack.c
index 5e81f1ff24..c9b9176301 100644
--- a/upload-pack.c
+++ b/upload-pack.c
@@ -1041,6 +1041,8 @@ static int upload_pack_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *unused)
 		allow_filter = git_config_bool(var, value);
 	} else if (!strcmp("uploadpack.allowrefinwant", var)) {
 		allow_ref_in_want = git_config_bool(var, value);
+	} else if (!strcmp("core.precomposeunicode", var)) {
+		precomposed_unicode = git_config_bool(var, value);
 	}
 
 	if (current_config_scope() != CONFIG_SCOPE_REPO) {