diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 1fc063b256..9340dfe5a8 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -50,10 +50,10 @@ void git_config_push_parameter(const char *text)
 static int git_config_parse_parameter(const char *text,
 				      config_fn_t fn, void *data)
 {
-	struct strbuf tmp = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct strbuf **pair;
-	strbuf_addstr(&tmp, text);
-	pair = strbuf_split(&tmp, '=');
+	pair = strbuf_split_str(text, '=', 2);
+	if (!pair[0])
+		return error("bogus config parameter: %s", text);
 	if (pair[0]->len && pair[0]->buf[pair[0]->len - 1] == '=')
 		strbuf_setlen(pair[0], pair[0]->len - 1);
 	strbuf_trim(pair[0]);
@@ -874,7 +874,7 @@ int git_config_early(config_fn_t fn, void *data, const char *repo_config)
 
 	switch (git_config_from_parameters(fn, data)) {
 	case -1: /* error */
-		ret--;
+		die("unable to parse command-line config");
 		break;
 	case 0: /* found nothing */
 		break;
diff --git a/strbuf.c b/strbuf.c
index 09c43ae59a..1a7df12e8f 100644
--- a/strbuf.c
+++ b/strbuf.c
@@ -103,24 +103,27 @@ void strbuf_ltrim(struct strbuf *sb)
 	sb->buf[sb->len] = '\0';
 }
 
-struct strbuf **strbuf_split(const struct strbuf *sb, int delim)
+struct strbuf **strbuf_split_buf(const char *str, size_t slen, int delim, int max)
 {
 	int alloc = 2, pos = 0;
-	char *n, *p;
+	const char *n, *p;
 	struct strbuf **ret;
 	struct strbuf *t;
 
 	ret = xcalloc(alloc, sizeof(struct strbuf *));
-	p = n = sb->buf;
-	while (n < sb->buf + sb->len) {
+	p = n = str;
+	while (n < str + slen) {
 		int len;
-		n = memchr(n, delim, sb->len - (n - sb->buf));
+		if (max <= 0 || pos + 1 < max)
+			n = memchr(n, delim, slen - (n - str));
+		else
+			n = NULL;
 		if (pos + 1 >= alloc) {
 			alloc = alloc * 2;
 			ret = xrealloc(ret, sizeof(struct strbuf *) * alloc);
 		}
 		if (!n)
-			n = sb->buf + sb->len - 1;
+			n = str + slen - 1;
 		len = n - p + 1;
 		t = xmalloc(sizeof(struct strbuf));
 		strbuf_init(t, len);
diff --git a/strbuf.h b/strbuf.h
index 9e6d9fa53f..46a33f8c46 100644
--- a/strbuf.h
+++ b/strbuf.h
@@ -44,7 +44,22 @@ extern void strbuf_rtrim(struct strbuf *);
 extern void strbuf_ltrim(struct strbuf *);
 extern int strbuf_cmp(const struct strbuf *, const struct strbuf *);
 
-extern struct strbuf **strbuf_split(const struct strbuf *, int delim);
+extern struct strbuf **strbuf_split_buf(const char *, size_t,
+					int delim, int max);
+static inline struct strbuf **strbuf_split_str(const char *str,
+					       int delim, int max)
+{
+	return strbuf_split_buf(str, strlen(str), delim, max);
+}
+static inline struct strbuf **strbuf_split_max(const struct strbuf *sb,
+						int delim, int max)
+{
+	return strbuf_split_buf(sb->buf, sb->len, delim, max);
+}
+static inline struct strbuf **strbuf_split(const struct strbuf *sb, int delim)
+{
+	return strbuf_split_max(sb, delim, 0);
+}
 extern void strbuf_list_free(struct strbuf **);
 
 /*----- add data in your buffer -----*/
diff --git a/t/t1300-repo-config.sh b/t/t1300-repo-config.sh
index 3db56267ee..3e140c18f4 100755
--- a/t/t1300-repo-config.sh
+++ b/t/t1300-repo-config.sh
@@ -904,4 +904,22 @@ test_expect_success 'git -c works with aliases of builtins' '
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'git -c does not split values on equals' '
+	echo "value with = in it" >expect &&
+	git -c core.foo="value with = in it" config core.foo >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git -c dies on bogus config' '
+	test_must_fail git -c core.bare=foo rev-parse
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git -c complains about empty key' '
+	test_must_fail git -c "=foo" rev-parse
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git -c complains about empty key and value' '
+	test_must_fail git -c "" rev-parse
+'
+
 test_done