diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d33a556ffe..b460bb2164 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -327,7 +327,8 @@ LIB_OBJS = \
 	alloc.o merge-file.o path-list.o help.o unpack-trees.o $(DIFF_OBJS) \
 	color.o wt-status.o archive-zip.o archive-tar.o shallow.o utf8.o \
 	convert.o attr.o decorate.o progress.o mailmap.o symlinks.o remote.o \
-	transport.o bundle.o walker.o parse-options.o ws.o archive.o
+	transport.o bundle.o walker.o parse-options.o ws.o archive.o \
+	alias.o
 
 BUILTIN_OBJS = \
 	builtin-add.o \
diff --git a/alias.c b/alias.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..116cac87c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/alias.c
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#include "cache.h"
+
+static const char *alias_key;
+static char *alias_val;
+static int alias_lookup_cb(const char *k, const char *v)
+{
+	if (!prefixcmp(k, "alias.") && !strcmp(k+6, alias_key)) {
+		if (!v)
+			return config_error_nonbool(k);
+		alias_val = xstrdup(v);
+		return 0;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+char *alias_lookup(const char *alias)
+{
+	alias_key = alias;
+	alias_val = NULL;
+	git_config(alias_lookup_cb);
+	return alias_val;
+}
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index fa5a9e523e..1e9c937299 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -765,4 +765,6 @@ int pathspec_match(const char **spec, char *matched, const char *filename, int s
 int report_path_error(const char *ps_matched, const char **pathspec, int prefix_offset);
 void overlay_tree_on_cache(const char *tree_name, const char *prefix);
 
+char *alias_lookup(const char *alias);
+
 #endif /* CACHE_H */
diff --git a/git.c b/git.c
index 0cb86884d7..8f08b12295 100644
--- a/git.c
+++ b/git.c
@@ -87,19 +87,6 @@ static int handle_options(const char*** argv, int* argc, int* envchanged)
 	return handled;
 }
 
-static const char *alias_command;
-static char *alias_string;
-
-static int git_alias_config(const char *var, const char *value)
-{
-	if (!prefixcmp(var, "alias.") && !strcmp(var + 6, alias_command)) {
-		if (!value)
-			return config_error_nonbool(var);
-		alias_string = xstrdup(value);
-	}
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static int split_cmdline(char *cmdline, const char ***argv)
 {
 	int src, dst, count = 0, size = 16;
@@ -159,11 +146,13 @@ static int handle_alias(int *argcp, const char ***argv)
 	const char *subdir;
 	int count, option_count;
 	const char** new_argv;
+	const char *alias_command;
+	char *alias_string;
 
 	subdir = setup_git_directory_gently(&nongit);
 
 	alias_command = (*argv)[0];
-	git_config(git_alias_config);
+	alias_string = alias_lookup(alias_command);
 	if (alias_string) {
 		if (alias_string[0] == '!') {
 			if (*argcp > 1) {