diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 9bd8c2d06c..c07f54e9cf 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -1176,6 +1176,7 @@ extern void setup_pager(void);
 extern const char *pager_program;
 extern int pager_in_use(void);
 extern int pager_use_color;
+extern int term_columns(void);
 
 extern const char *editor_program;
 extern const char *askpass_program;
diff --git a/help.c b/help.c
index cbbe966f68..14eefc91ce 100644
--- a/help.c
+++ b/help.c
@@ -5,28 +5,6 @@
 #include "help.h"
 #include "common-cmds.h"
 
-/* most GUI terminals set COLUMNS (although some don't export it) */
-static int term_columns(void)
-{
-	char *col_string = getenv("COLUMNS");
-	int n_cols;
-
-	if (col_string && (n_cols = atoi(col_string)) > 0)
-		return n_cols;
-
-#ifdef TIOCGWINSZ
-	{
-		struct winsize ws;
-		if (!ioctl(1, TIOCGWINSZ, &ws)) {
-			if (ws.ws_col)
-				return ws.ws_col;
-		}
-	}
-#endif
-
-	return 80;
-}
-
 void add_cmdname(struct cmdnames *cmds, const char *name, int len)
 {
 	struct cmdname *ent = xmalloc(sizeof(*ent) + len + 1);
diff --git a/pager.c b/pager.c
index 975955ba82..b7909678f4 100644
--- a/pager.c
+++ b/pager.c
@@ -76,6 +76,12 @@ void setup_pager(void)
 	if (!pager)
 		return;
 
+	/*
+	 * force computing the width of the terminal before we redirect
+	 * the standard output to the pager.
+	 */
+	(void) term_columns();
+
 	setenv("GIT_PAGER_IN_USE", "true", 1);
 
 	/* spawn the pager */
@@ -110,3 +116,34 @@ int pager_in_use(void)
 	env = getenv("GIT_PAGER_IN_USE");
 	return env ? git_config_bool("GIT_PAGER_IN_USE", env) : 0;
 }
+
+/*
+ * Return cached value (if set) or $COLUMNS environment variable (if
+ * set and positive) or ioctl(1, TIOCGWINSZ).ws_col (if positive),
+ * and default to 80 if all else fails.
+ */
+int term_columns(void)
+{
+	static int term_columns_at_startup;
+
+	char *col_string;
+	int n_cols;
+
+	if (term_columns_at_startup)
+		return term_columns_at_startup;
+
+	term_columns_at_startup = 80;
+
+	col_string = getenv("COLUMNS");
+	if (col_string && (n_cols = atoi(col_string)) > 0)
+		term_columns_at_startup = n_cols;
+#ifdef TIOCGWINSZ
+	else {
+		struct winsize ws;
+		if (!ioctl(1, TIOCGWINSZ, &ws) && ws.ws_col)
+			term_columns_at_startup = ws.ws_col;
+	}
+#endif
+
+	return term_columns_at_startup;
+}