diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index ea355f28ec..8fc7ecf921 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -1460,10 +1460,10 @@ static int git_default_core_config(const char *var, const char *value,
 		if (!strcasecmp(value, "auto"))
 			default_abbrev = -1;
 		else if (!git_parse_maybe_bool_text(value))
-			default_abbrev = the_hash_algo->hexsz;
+			default_abbrev = GIT_MAX_HEXSZ;
 		else {
 			int abbrev = git_config_int(var, value, ctx->kvi);
-			if (abbrev < minimum_abbrev || abbrev > the_hash_algo->hexsz)
+			if (abbrev < minimum_abbrev)
 				return error(_("abbrev length out of range: %d"), abbrev);
 			default_abbrev = abbrev;
 		}
diff --git a/object-name.c b/object-name.c
index 523af6f64f..1be2ad1a16 100644
--- a/object-name.c
+++ b/object-name.c
@@ -837,7 +837,7 @@ int repo_find_unique_abbrev_r(struct repository *r, char *hex,
 	}
 
 	oid_to_hex_r(hex, oid);
-	if (len == hexsz || !len)
+	if (len >= hexsz || !len)
 		return hexsz;
 
 	mad.repo = r;
diff --git a/parse-options-cb.c b/parse-options-cb.c
index d99d688d3c..b2aa62a9dc 100644
--- a/parse-options-cb.c
+++ b/parse-options-cb.c
@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@ int parse_opt_abbrev_cb(const struct option *opt, const char *arg, int unset)
 				     opt->long_name);
 		if (v && v < MINIMUM_ABBREV)
 			v = MINIMUM_ABBREV;
-		else if (startup_info->have_repository && v > the_hash_algo->hexsz)
-			v = the_hash_algo->hexsz;
 	}
 	*(int *)(opt->value) = v;
 	return 0;
diff --git a/t/t4202-log.sh b/t/t4202-log.sh
index 86c695eb0a..51f7beb59f 100755
--- a/t/t4202-log.sh
+++ b/t/t4202-log.sh
@@ -1237,6 +1237,30 @@ test_expect_success 'log.abbrevCommit configuration' '
 	test_cmp expect.whatchanged.full actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success '--abbrev-commit with core.abbrev=false' '
+	git log --no-abbrev >expect &&
+	git -c core.abbrev=false log --abbrev-commit >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--abbrev-commit with --no-abbrev' '
+	git log --no-abbrev >expect &&
+	git log --abbrev-commit --no-abbrev >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--abbrev-commit with core.abbrev=9000' '
+	git log --no-abbrev >expect &&
+	git -c core.abbrev=9000 log --abbrev-commit >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--abbrev-commit with --abbrev=9000' '
+	git log --no-abbrev >expect &&
+	git log --abbrev-commit --abbrev=9000 >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'show added path under "--follow -M"' '
 	# This tests for a regression introduced in v1.7.2-rc0~103^2~2
 	test_create_repo regression &&
diff --git a/t/t5601-clone.sh b/t/t5601-clone.sh
index cc0b953f14..5d7ea147f1 100755
--- a/t/t5601-clone.sh
+++ b/t/t5601-clone.sh
@@ -46,6 +46,13 @@ test_expect_success 'output from clone' '
 	test $(grep Clon output | wc -l) = 1
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'output from clone with core.abbrev does not crash' '
+	rm -fr dst &&
+	echo "Cloning into ${SQ}dst${SQ}..." >expect &&
+	git -c core.abbrev=12 clone -n "file://$(pwd)/src" dst >actual 2>&1 &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'clone does not keep pack' '
 
 	rm -fr dst &&