diff --git a/xdiff-interface.c b/xdiff-interface.c
index 3162f51743..16ed8ac492 100644
--- a/xdiff-interface.c
+++ b/xdiff-interface.c
@@ -305,6 +305,22 @@ int xdiff_compare_lines(const char *l1, long s1,
 	return xdl_recmatch(l1, s1, l2, s2, flags);
 }
 
+int parse_conflict_style_name(const char *value)
+{
+	if (!strcmp(value, "diff3"))
+		return XDL_MERGE_DIFF3;
+	else if (!strcmp(value, "zdiff3"))
+		return XDL_MERGE_ZEALOUS_DIFF3;
+	else if (!strcmp(value, "merge"))
+		return 0;
+	/*
+	 * Please update _git_checkout() in git-completion.bash when
+	 * you add new merge config
+	 */
+	else
+		return -1;
+}
+
 int git_xmerge_style = -1;
 
 int git_xmerge_config(const char *var, const char *value,
@@ -313,17 +329,8 @@ int git_xmerge_config(const char *var, const char *value,
 	if (!strcmp(var, "merge.conflictstyle")) {
 		if (!value)
 			return config_error_nonbool(var);
-		if (!strcmp(value, "diff3"))
-			git_xmerge_style = XDL_MERGE_DIFF3;
-		else if (!strcmp(value, "zdiff3"))
-			git_xmerge_style = XDL_MERGE_ZEALOUS_DIFF3;
-		else if (!strcmp(value, "merge"))
-			git_xmerge_style = 0;
-		/*
-		 * Please update _git_checkout() in
-		 * git-completion.bash when you add new merge config
-		 */
-		else
+		git_xmerge_style = parse_conflict_style_name(value);
+		if (git_xmerge_style == -1)
 			return error(_("unknown style '%s' given for '%s'"),
 				     value, var);
 		return 0;
diff --git a/xdiff-interface.h b/xdiff-interface.h
index e6f80df046..38537169b7 100644
--- a/xdiff-interface.h
+++ b/xdiff-interface.h
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ int buffer_is_binary(const char *ptr, unsigned long size);
 void xdiff_set_find_func(xdemitconf_t *xecfg, const char *line, int cflags);
 void xdiff_clear_find_func(xdemitconf_t *xecfg);
 struct config_context;
+int parse_conflict_style_name(const char *value);
 int git_xmerge_config(const char *var, const char *value,
 		      const struct config_context *ctx, void *cb);
 extern int git_xmerge_style;