diff --git a/Documentation/git-config.txt b/Documentation/git-config.txt
index 18ddc78f42..8e240435be 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-config.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-config.txt
@@ -453,6 +453,27 @@ http.sslverify false
 
 include::config.txt[]
 
+BUGS
+----
+When using the deprecated `[section.subsection]` syntax, changing a value
+will result in adding a multi-line key instead of a change, if the subsection
+is given with at least one uppercase character. For example when the config
+looks like
+
+--------
+  [section.subsection]
+    key = value1
+--------
+
+and running `git config section.Subsection.key value2` will result in
+
+--------
+  [section.subsection]
+    key = value1
+    key = value2
+--------
+
+
 GIT
 ---
 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index f97ea34756..9a0b10d4bc 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ struct config_source {
 	int eof;
 	struct strbuf value;
 	struct strbuf var;
+	unsigned subsection_case_sensitive : 1;
 
 	int (*do_fgetc)(struct config_source *c);
 	int (*do_ungetc)(int c, struct config_source *conf);
@@ -606,6 +607,7 @@ static int get_value(config_fn_t fn, void *data, struct strbuf *name)
 
 static int get_extended_base_var(struct strbuf *name, int c)
 {
+	cf->subsection_case_sensitive = 0;
 	do {
 		if (c == '\n')
 			goto error_incomplete_line;
@@ -642,6 +644,7 @@ static int get_extended_base_var(struct strbuf *name, int c)
 
 static int get_base_var(struct strbuf *name)
 {
+	cf->subsection_case_sensitive = 1;
 	for (;;) {
 		int c = get_next_char();
 		if (cf->eof)
@@ -2370,14 +2373,21 @@ static int store_aux_event(enum config_event_t type,
 	store->parsed[store->parsed_nr].type = type;
 
 	if (type == CONFIG_EVENT_SECTION) {
+		int (*cmpfn)(const char *, const char *, size_t);
+
 		if (cf->var.len < 2 || cf->var.buf[cf->var.len - 1] != '.')
 			return error(_("invalid section name '%s'"), cf->var.buf);
 
+		if (cf->subsection_case_sensitive)
+			cmpfn = strncasecmp;
+		else
+			cmpfn = strncmp;
+
 		/* Is this the section we were looking for? */
 		store->is_keys_section =
 			store->parsed[store->parsed_nr].is_keys_section =
 			cf->var.len - 1 == store->baselen &&
-			!strncasecmp(cf->var.buf, store->key, store->baselen);
+			!cmpfn(cf->var.buf, store->key, store->baselen);
 		if (store->is_keys_section) {
 			store->section_seen = 1;
 			ALLOC_GROW(store->seen, store->seen_nr + 1,
diff --git a/t/t1300-config.sh b/t/t1300-config.sh
index 24706ba412..4976e2fcd3 100755
--- a/t/t1300-config.sh
+++ b/t/t1300-config.sh
@@ -1218,6 +1218,93 @@ test_expect_success 'last one wins: three level vars' '
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'old-fashioned settings are case insensitive' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -f testConfig testConfig_expect testConfig_actual" &&
+
+	cat >testConfig_actual <<-EOF &&
+		[V.A]
+		r = value1
+	EOF
+	q_to_tab >testConfig_expect <<-EOF &&
+		[V.A]
+		Qr = value2
+	EOF
+	git config -f testConfig_actual "v.a.r" value2 &&
+	test_cmp testConfig_expect testConfig_actual &&
+
+	cat >testConfig_actual <<-EOF &&
+		[V.A]
+		r = value1
+	EOF
+	q_to_tab >testConfig_expect <<-EOF &&
+		[V.A]
+		QR = value2
+	EOF
+	git config -f testConfig_actual "V.a.R" value2 &&
+	test_cmp testConfig_expect testConfig_actual &&
+
+	cat >testConfig_actual <<-EOF &&
+		[V.A]
+		r = value1
+	EOF
+	q_to_tab >testConfig_expect <<-EOF &&
+		[V.A]
+		r = value1
+		Qr = value2
+	EOF
+	git config -f testConfig_actual "V.A.r" value2 &&
+	test_cmp testConfig_expect testConfig_actual &&
+
+	cat >testConfig_actual <<-EOF &&
+		[V.A]
+		r = value1
+	EOF
+	q_to_tab >testConfig_expect <<-EOF &&
+		[V.A]
+		r = value1
+		Qr = value2
+	EOF
+	git config -f testConfig_actual "v.A.r" value2 &&
+	test_cmp testConfig_expect testConfig_actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'setting different case sensitive subsections ' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -f testConfig testConfig_expect testConfig_actual" &&
+
+	cat >testConfig_actual <<-EOF &&
+		[V "A"]
+		R = v1
+		[K "E"]
+		Y = v1
+		[a "b"]
+		c = v1
+		[d "e"]
+		f = v1
+	EOF
+	q_to_tab >testConfig_expect <<-EOF &&
+		[V "A"]
+		Qr = v2
+		[K "E"]
+		Qy = v2
+		[a "b"]
+		Qc = v2
+		[d "e"]
+		f = v1
+		[d "E"]
+		Qf = v2
+	EOF
+	# exact match
+	git config -f testConfig_actual a.b.c v2 &&
+	# match section and subsection, key is cased differently.
+	git config -f testConfig_actual K.E.y v2 &&
+	# section and key are matched case insensitive, but subsection needs
+	# to match; When writing out new values only the key is adjusted
+	git config -f testConfig_actual v.A.r v2 &&
+	# subsection is not matched:
+	git config -f testConfig_actual d.E.f v2 &&
+	test_cmp testConfig_expect testConfig_actual
+'
+
 for VAR in a .a a. a.0b a."b c". a."b c".0d
 do
 	test_expect_success "git -c $VAR=VAL rejects invalid '$VAR'" '