diff --git a/Documentation/git-maintenance.txt b/Documentation/git-maintenance.txt
index 7628a6d157..b5944b4c51 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-maintenance.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-maintenance.txt
@@ -37,6 +37,23 @@ register::
 	`maintenance.<task>.schedule`. The tasks that are enabled are safe
 	for running in the background without disrupting foreground
 	processes.
++
+The `register` subcomand will also set the `maintenance.strategy` config
+value to `incremental`, if this value is not previously set. The
+`incremental` strategy uses the following schedule for each maintenance
+task:
++
+--
+* `gc`: disabled.
+* `commit-graph`: hourly.
+* `prefetch`: hourly.
+* `loose-objects`: daily.
+* `incremental-repack`: daily.
+--
++
+`git maintenance register` will also disable foreground maintenance by
+setting `maintenance.auto = false` in the current repository. This config
+setting will remain after a `git maintenance unregister` command.
 
 run::
 	Run one or more maintenance tasks. If one or more `--task` options
diff --git a/builtin/gc.c b/builtin/gc.c
index a8248e7a45..e3098ef6a1 100644
--- a/builtin/gc.c
+++ b/builtin/gc.c
@@ -1434,6 +1434,7 @@ static int maintenance_run(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 static int maintenance_register(void)
 {
+	char *config_value;
 	struct child_process config_set = CHILD_PROCESS_INIT;
 	struct child_process config_get = CHILD_PROCESS_INIT;
 
@@ -1441,6 +1442,15 @@ static int maintenance_register(void)
 	if (!the_repository || !the_repository->gitdir)
 		return 0;
 
+	/* Disable foreground maintenance */
+	git_config_set("maintenance.auto", "false");
+
+	/* Set maintenance strategy, if unset */
+	if (!git_config_get_string("maintenance.strategy", &config_value))
+		free(config_value);
+	else
+		git_config_set("maintenance.strategy", "incremental");
+
 	config_get.git_cmd = 1;
 	strvec_pushl(&config_get.args, "config", "--global", "--get", "maintenance.repo",
 		     the_repository->worktree ? the_repository->worktree
diff --git a/t/t7900-maintenance.sh b/t/t7900-maintenance.sh
index 7440a0ea19..20184e96e1 100755
--- a/t/t7900-maintenance.sh
+++ b/t/t7900-maintenance.sh
@@ -354,11 +354,14 @@ test_expect_success 'register and unregister' '
 	git config --global --add maintenance.repo /existing1 &&
 	git config --global --add maintenance.repo /existing2 &&
 	git config --global --get-all maintenance.repo >before &&
+
 	git maintenance register &&
-	git config --global --get-all maintenance.repo >actual &&
-	cp before after &&
-	pwd >>after &&
-	test_cmp after actual &&
+	test_cmp_config false maintenance.auto &&
+	git config --global --get-all maintenance.repo >between &&
+	cp before expect &&
+	pwd >>expect &&
+	test_cmp expect between &&
+
 	git maintenance unregister &&
 	git config --global --get-all maintenance.repo >actual &&
 	test_cmp before actual
@@ -392,4 +395,13 @@ test_expect_success 'start preserves existing schedule' '
 	grep "Important information!" cron.txt
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'register preserves existing strategy' '
+	git config maintenance.strategy none &&
+	git maintenance register &&
+	test_config maintenance.strategy none &&
+	git config --unset maintenance.strategy &&
+	git maintenance register &&
+	test_config maintenance.strategy incremental
+'
+
 test_done