diff --git a/builtin-branch.c b/builtin-branch.c
index 9f57992062..c77f632886 100644
--- a/builtin-branch.c
+++ b/builtin-branch.c
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ static int parse_branch_color_slot(const char *var, int ofs)
 		return BRANCH_COLOR_LOCAL;
 	if (!strcasecmp(var+ofs, "current"))
 		return BRANCH_COLOR_CURRENT;
-	die("bad config variable '%s'", var);
+	return -1;
 }
 
 static int git_branch_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ static int git_branch_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 	}
 	if (!prefixcmp(var, "color.branch.")) {
 		int slot = parse_branch_color_slot(var, 13);
+		if (slot < 0)
+			return 0;
 		if (!value)
 			return config_error_nonbool(var);
 		color_parse(value, var, branch_colors[slot]);
diff --git a/builtin-commit.c b/builtin-commit.c
index 2299dc75ce..7d3c6a86f7 100644
--- a/builtin-commit.c
+++ b/builtin-commit.c
@@ -841,7 +841,7 @@ static int parse_status_slot(const char *var, int offset)
 		return WT_STATUS_NOBRANCH;
 	if (!strcasecmp(var+offset, "unmerged"))
 		return WT_STATUS_UNMERGED;
-	die("bad config variable '%s'", var);
+	return -1;
 }
 
 static int git_status_config(const char *k, const char *v, void *cb)
@@ -861,6 +861,8 @@ static int git_status_config(const char *k, const char *v, void *cb)
 	}
 	if (!prefixcmp(k, "status.color.") || !prefixcmp(k, "color.status.")) {
 		int slot = parse_status_slot(k, 13);
+		if (slot < 0)
+			return 0;
 		if (!v)
 			return config_error_nonbool(k);
 		color_parse(v, k, s->color_palette[slot]);
diff --git a/diff.c b/diff.c
index cc0cb2b31f..72f25b5284 100644
--- a/diff.c
+++ b/diff.c
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ static int parse_diff_color_slot(const char *var, int ofs)
 		return DIFF_COMMIT;
 	if (!strcasecmp(var+ofs, "whitespace"))
 		return DIFF_WHITESPACE;
-	die("bad config variable '%s'", var);
+	return -1;
 }
 
 static int git_config_rename(const char *var, const char *value)
@@ -118,6 +118,8 @@ int git_diff_basic_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 
 	if (!prefixcmp(var, "diff.color.") || !prefixcmp(var, "color.diff.")) {
 		int slot = parse_diff_color_slot(var, 11);
+		if (slot < 0)
+			return 0;
 		if (!value)
 			return config_error_nonbool(var);
 		color_parse(value, var, diff_colors[slot]);
diff --git a/t/t4026-color.sh b/t/t4026-color.sh
index b61e5169f4..5ade44c043 100755
--- a/t/t4026-color.sh
+++ b/t/t4026-color.sh
@@ -66,4 +66,21 @@ test_expect_success 'extra character after attribute' '
 	invalid_color "dimX"
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'unknown color slots are ignored (diff)' '
+	git config --unset diff.color.new
+	git config color.diff.nosuchslotwilleverbedefined white &&
+	git diff --color
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'unknown color slots are ignored (branch)' '
+	git config color.branch.nosuchslotwilleverbedefined white &&
+	git branch -a
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'unknown color slots are ignored (status)' '
+	git config color.status.nosuchslotwilleverbedefined white || exit
+	git status
+	case $? in 0|1) : ok ;; *) false ;; esac
+'
+
 test_done