diff --git a/builtin-blame.c b/builtin-blame.c
index aedc294eac..55a3c0bc5e 100644
--- a/builtin-blame.c
+++ b/builtin-blame.c
@@ -2342,6 +2342,7 @@ int cmd_blame(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		 * do not default to HEAD, but use the working tree
 		 * or "--contents".
 		 */
+		setup_work_tree();
 		sb.final = fake_working_tree_commit(path, contents_from);
 		add_pending_object(&revs, &(sb.final->object), ":");
 	}
diff --git a/builtin-ls-files.c b/builtin-ls-files.c
index b70da1863b..e0b856f432 100644
--- a/builtin-ls-files.c
+++ b/builtin-ls-files.c
@@ -525,11 +525,8 @@ int cmd_ls_files(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		break;
 	}
 
-	if (require_work_tree && !is_inside_work_tree()) {
-		const char *work_tree = get_git_work_tree();
-		if (!work_tree || chdir(work_tree))
-			die("This operation must be run in a work tree");
-	}
+	if (require_work_tree && !is_inside_work_tree())
+		setup_work_tree();
 
 	pathspec = get_pathspec(prefix, argv + i);
 
diff --git a/builtin-rm.c b/builtin-rm.c
index bca2bd9703..a3d25e6a57 100644
--- a/builtin-rm.c
+++ b/builtin-rm.c
@@ -155,6 +155,9 @@ int cmd_rm(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	if (!argc)
 		usage_with_options(builtin_rm_usage, builtin_rm_options);
 
+	if (!index_only)
+		setup_work_tree();
+
 	pathspec = get_pathspec(prefix, argv);
 	seen = NULL;
 	for (i = 0; pathspec[i] ; i++)
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index bfffa05dff..497b9f962d 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -222,6 +222,7 @@ extern const char *get_git_work_tree(void);
 #define ALTERNATE_DB_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_ALTERNATE_OBJECT_DIRECTORIES"
 
 extern const char **get_pathspec(const char *prefix, const char **pathspec);
+extern void setup_work_tree(void);
 extern const char *setup_git_directory_gently(int *);
 extern const char *setup_git_directory(void);
 extern const char *prefix_path(const char *prefix, int len, const char *path);
diff --git a/git.c b/git.c
index 4e10581101..4a250f7e8b 100644
--- a/git.c
+++ b/git.c
@@ -249,14 +249,9 @@ static int run_command(struct cmd_struct *p, int argc, const char **argv)
 		prefix = setup_git_directory();
 	if (p->option & USE_PAGER)
 		setup_pager();
-	if (p->option & NEED_WORK_TREE) {
-		const char *work_tree = get_git_work_tree();
-		const char *git_dir = get_git_dir();
-		if (!is_absolute_path(git_dir))
-			set_git_dir(make_absolute_path(git_dir));
-		if (!work_tree || chdir(work_tree))
-			die("%s must be run in a work tree", p->cmd);
-	}
+	if (p->option & NEED_WORK_TREE)
+		setup_work_tree();
+
 	trace_argv_printf(argv, argc, "trace: built-in: git");
 
 	status = p->fn(argc, argv, prefix);
@@ -345,7 +340,7 @@ static void handle_internal_command(int argc, const char **argv)
 		{ "rev-list", cmd_rev_list, RUN_SETUP },
 		{ "rev-parse", cmd_rev_parse, RUN_SETUP },
 		{ "revert", cmd_revert, RUN_SETUP | NEED_WORK_TREE },
-		{ "rm", cmd_rm, RUN_SETUP | NEED_WORK_TREE },
+		{ "rm", cmd_rm, RUN_SETUP },
 		{ "runstatus", cmd_runstatus, RUN_SETUP | NEED_WORK_TREE },
 		{ "shortlog", cmd_shortlog, RUN_SETUP | USE_PAGER },
 		{ "show-branch", cmd_show_branch, RUN_SETUP },
diff --git a/setup.c b/setup.c
index 145eca50f4..df006d9c4a 100644
--- a/setup.c
+++ b/setup.c
@@ -206,6 +206,15 @@ static const char *set_work_tree(const char *dir)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+void setup_work_tree(void) {
+	const char *work_tree = get_git_work_tree();
+	const char *git_dir = get_git_dir();
+	if (!is_absolute_path(git_dir))
+		set_git_dir(make_absolute_path(git_dir));
+	if (!work_tree || chdir(work_tree))
+		die("This operation must be run in a work tree");
+}
+
 /*
  * We cannot decide in this function whether we are in the work tree or
  * not, since the config can only be read _after_ this function was called.