diff --git a/Documentation/git-blame.txt b/Documentation/git-blame.txt
index 9f23a861ce..e6e947c808 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-blame.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-blame.txt
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ include::blame-options.txt[]
 -e::
 --show-email::
 	Show the author email instead of author name (Default: off).
+	This can also be controlled via the `blame.showEmail` config
+	option.
 
 -w::
 	Ignore whitespace when comparing the parent's version and
diff --git a/builtin/blame.c b/builtin/blame.c
index b3e948e757..a22ac17407 100644
--- a/builtin/blame.c
+++ b/builtin/blame.c
@@ -2176,6 +2176,14 @@ static int git_blame_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 		blank_boundary = git_config_bool(var, value);
 		return 0;
 	}
+	if (!strcmp(var, "blame.showemail")) {
+		int *output_option = cb;
+		if (git_config_bool(var, value))
+			*output_option |= OUTPUT_SHOW_EMAIL;
+		else
+			*output_option &= ~OUTPUT_SHOW_EMAIL;
+		return 0;
+	}
 	if (!strcmp(var, "blame.date")) {
 		if (!value)
 			return config_error_nonbool(var);
@@ -2520,7 +2528,7 @@ int cmd_blame(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	unsigned int range_i;
 	long anchor;
 
-	git_config(git_blame_config, NULL);
+	git_config(git_blame_config, &output_option);
 	init_revisions(&revs, NULL);
 	revs.date_mode = blame_date_mode;
 	DIFF_OPT_SET(&revs.diffopt, ALLOW_TEXTCONV);
diff --git a/t/t8002-blame.sh b/t/t8002-blame.sh
index 5cdf3f178e..ff09aced68 100755
--- a/t/t8002-blame.sh
+++ b/t/t8002-blame.sh
@@ -19,4 +19,66 @@ test_expect_success 'blame --show-email' '
 		"<E at test dot git>" 1
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'setup showEmail tests' '
+	echo "bin: test number 1" >one &&
+	git add one &&
+	GIT_AUTHOR_NAME=name1 \
+	GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL=email1@test.git \
+	git commit -m First --date="2010-01-01 01:00:00" &&
+	cat >expected_n <<-\EOF &&
+	(name1 2010-01-01 01:00:00 +0000 1) bin: test number 1
+	EOF
+	cat >expected_e <<-\EOF
+	(<email1@test.git> 2010-01-01 01:00:00 +0000 1) bin: test number 1
+	EOF
+'
+
+find_blame () {
+	sed -e 's/^[^(]*//'
+}
+
+test_expect_success 'blame with no options and no config' '
+	git blame one >blame &&
+	find_blame <blame >result &&
+	test_cmp expected_n result
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame with showemail options' '
+	git blame --show-email one >blame1 &&
+	find_blame <blame1 >result &&
+	test_cmp expected_e result &&
+	git blame -e one >blame2 &&
+	find_blame <blame2 >result &&
+	test_cmp expected_e result &&
+	git blame --no-show-email one >blame3 &&
+	find_blame <blame3 >result &&
+	test_cmp expected_n result
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame with showEmail config false' '
+	git config blame.showEmail false &&
+	git blame one >blame1 &&
+	find_blame <blame1 >result &&
+	test_cmp expected_n result &&
+	git blame --show-email one >blame2 &&
+	find_blame <blame2 >result &&
+	test_cmp expected_e result &&
+	git blame -e one >blame3 &&
+	find_blame <blame3 >result &&
+	test_cmp expected_e result &&
+	git blame --no-show-email one >blame4 &&
+	find_blame <blame4 >result &&
+	test_cmp expected_n result
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'blame with showEmail config true' '
+	git config blame.showEmail true &&
+	git blame one >blame1 &&
+	find_blame <blame1 >result &&
+	test_cmp expected_e result &&
+	git blame --no-show-email one >blame2 &&
+	find_blame <blame2 >result &&
+	test_cmp expected_n result
+'
+
 test_done