diff --git a/setup.c b/setup.c
index 95909e96031262..90418273360cb4 100644
--- a/setup.c
+++ b/setup.c
@@ -962,16 +962,48 @@ void read_gitfile_error_die(int error_code, const char *path)
  * cases).
  */
 const char *read_gitfile_gently(const char *path, int *return_error_code)
+{
+	int error_code = 0;
+	const char *slash;
+	struct strbuf contents = STRBUF_INIT;
+	static struct strbuf realpath = STRBUF_INIT;
+
+	error_code = read_gitfile_raw(&contents, path);
+	if (error_code)
+		goto cleanup_return;
+
+	if (!is_absolute_path(contents.buf) && (slash = strrchr(path, '/'))) {
+		size_t pathlen = slash+1 - path;
+		char *dir = xstrfmt("%.*s%s", (int)pathlen, path, contents.buf);
+		strbuf_reset(&contents);
+		strbuf_addstr(&contents, dir);
+		free(dir);
+	}
+	if (!is_git_directory(contents.buf)) {
+		error_code = READ_GITFILE_ERR_NOT_A_REPO;
+		goto cleanup_return;
+	}
+
+	strbuf_realpath(&realpath, contents.buf, 1);
+
+cleanup_return:
+	if (return_error_code)
+		*return_error_code = error_code;
+	else if (error_code)
+		read_gitfile_error_die(error_code, path);
+
+	strbuf_release(&contents);
+	return error_code ? NULL : realpath.buf;
+}
+
+int read_gitfile_raw(struct strbuf *contents, const char *path)
 {
 	const int max_file_size = 1 << 20;  /* 1MB */
 	int error_code = 0;
 	char *buf = NULL;
-	char *dir = NULL;
-	const char *slash;
 	struct stat st;
 	int fd;
 	ssize_t len;
-	static struct strbuf realpath = STRBUF_INIT;
 
 	if (stat(path, &st)) {
 		if (errno == ENOENT || errno == ENOTDIR)
@@ -1014,32 +1046,11 @@ const char *read_gitfile_gently(const char *path, int *return_error_code)
 		error_code = READ_GITFILE_ERR_NO_PATH;
 		goto cleanup_return;
 	}
-	buf[len] = '\0';
-	dir = buf + 8;
-
-	if (!is_absolute_path(dir) && (slash = strrchr(path, '/'))) {
-		size_t pathlen = slash+1 - path;
-		dir = xstrfmt("%.*s%.*s", (int)pathlen, path,
-			      (int)(len - 8), buf + 8);
-		free(buf);
-		buf = dir;
-	}
-	if (!is_git_directory(dir)) {
-		error_code = READ_GITFILE_ERR_NOT_A_REPO;
-		goto cleanup_return;
-	}
-
-	strbuf_realpath(&realpath, dir, 1);
-	path = realpath.buf;
+	strbuf_add(contents, buf+8, len-8);
 
 cleanup_return:
-	if (return_error_code)
-		*return_error_code = error_code;
-	else if (error_code)
-		read_gitfile_error_die(error_code, path);
-
 	free(buf);
-	return error_code ? NULL : path;
+	return error_code;
 }
 
 static void apply_gitdir_and_environment(struct repository *repo, const char *path)
diff --git a/setup.h b/setup.h
index 654f10e059b995..e6e71bda3df6ff 100644
--- a/setup.h
+++ b/setup.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ int is_nonbare_repository_dir(struct strbuf *path);
 #define READ_GITFILE_ERR_IS_A_DIR 10
 void read_gitfile_error_die(int error_code, const char *path);
 const char *read_gitfile_gently(const char *path, int *return_error_code);
+int read_gitfile_raw(struct strbuf *contents, const char *path);
 #define read_gitfile(path) read_gitfile_gently((path), NULL)
 const char *resolve_gitdir_gently(const char *suspect, int *return_error_code);
 #define resolve_gitdir(path) resolve_gitdir_gently((path), NULL)
diff --git a/t/t2406-worktree-repair.sh b/t/t2406-worktree-repair.sh
index f5f19b3169384f..d4e53d492b833d 100755
--- a/t/t2406-worktree-repair.sh
+++ b/t/t2406-worktree-repair.sh
@@ -228,30 +228,60 @@ test_expect_success 'repair worktree with relative path with missing gitfile' '
 	test_cmp expect wt/.git
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'repair absolute worktree to use relative paths' '
-	test_when_finished "rm -rf main side sidemoved" &&
+test_expect_success 'repair absolute to relative from side worktree' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -rf main side" &&
 	test_create_repo main &&
 	test_commit -C main init &&
 	git -C main worktree add --detach ../side &&
-	echo "../../../../sidemoved/.git" >expect-gitdir &&
+	echo "../../../../side/.git" >expect-gitdir &&
 	echo "gitdir: ../main/.git/worktrees/side" >expect-gitfile &&
-	mv side sidemoved &&
-	git -C main worktree repair --relative-paths ../sidemoved &&
+	git -C main worktree repair --relative-paths ../side 2>main/err &&
+	test_grep "gitdir absolute/relative path mismatch" main/err &&
 	test_cmp expect-gitdir main/.git/worktrees/side/gitdir &&
-	test_cmp expect-gitfile sidemoved/.git
+	test_cmp expect-gitfile side/.git
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'repair relative worktree to use absolute paths' '
-	test_when_finished "rm -rf main side sidemoved" &&
+test_expect_success 'repair relative to absolute from side worktree' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -rf main side" &&
 	test_create_repo main &&
 	test_commit -C main init &&
 	git -C main worktree add --relative-paths --detach ../side &&
-	echo "$(pwd)/sidemoved/.git" >expect-gitdir &&
+	echo "$(pwd)/side/.git" >expect-gitdir &&
 	echo "gitdir: $(pwd)/main/.git/worktrees/side" >expect-gitfile &&
-	mv side sidemoved &&
-	git -C main worktree repair ../sidemoved &&
+	git -C main worktree repair ../side 2>main/err &&
+	test_grep "gitdir absolute/relative path mismatch" main/err &&
 	test_cmp expect-gitdir main/.git/worktrees/side/gitdir &&
-	test_cmp expect-gitfile sidemoved/.git
+	test_cmp expect-gitfile side/.git
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'repair absolute to relative from main worktree' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -rf main side" &&
+	test_create_repo main &&
+	git -C main config worktree.useRelativePaths false &&
+	test_commit -C main init &&
+	git -C main worktree add --detach ../side &&
+	echo "../../../../side/.git" >expect-gitdir &&
+	echo "gitdir: ../main/.git/worktrees/side" >expect-gitfile &&
+	git -C main config worktree.useRelativePaths true &&
+	git -C main worktree repair 2>main/err &&
+	test_grep ".git file absolute/relative path mismatch" main/err &&
+	test_cmp expect-gitdir main/.git/worktrees/side/gitdir &&
+	test_cmp expect-gitfile side/.git
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'repair relative to absolute from main worktree' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -rf main side" &&
+	test_create_repo main &&
+	git -C main config worktree.useRelativePaths true &&
+	test_commit -C main init &&
+	git -C main worktree add --detach ../side &&
+	echo "$(pwd)/side/.git" >expect-gitdir &&
+	echo "gitdir: $(pwd)/main/.git/worktrees/side" >expect-gitfile &&
+	git -C main config worktree.useRelativePaths false &&
+	git -C main worktree repair 2>main/err &&
+	test_grep ".git file absolute/relative path mismatch" main/err &&
+	test_cmp expect-gitdir main/.git/worktrees/side/gitdir &&
+	test_cmp expect-gitfile side/.git
 '
 
 test_done
diff --git a/worktree.c b/worktree.c
index cbf95328a331ad..8cb8637b189ab8 100644
--- a/worktree.c
+++ b/worktree.c
@@ -649,7 +649,8 @@ static void repair_gitfile(struct worktree *wt,
 	struct strbuf gitdir = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct strbuf repo = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct strbuf backlink = STRBUF_INIT;
-	char *dotgit_contents = NULL;
+	struct strbuf contents = STRBUF_INIT;
+	const char *dotgit_contents = NULL;
 	const char *repair = NULL;
 	char *path = NULL;
 	int err;
@@ -667,7 +668,9 @@ static void repair_gitfile(struct worktree *wt,
 	strbuf_realpath(&repo, path, 1);
 	strbuf_addf(&dotgit, "%s/.git", wt->path);
 	strbuf_addf(&gitdir, "%s/gitdir", repo.buf);
-	dotgit_contents = xstrdup_or_null(read_gitfile_gently(dotgit.buf, &err));
+	err = read_gitfile_raw(&contents, dotgit.buf);
+	if (!err)
+		dotgit_contents = contents.buf;
 
 	if (dotgit_contents) {
 		if (is_absolute_path(dotgit_contents)) {
@@ -681,7 +684,7 @@ static void repair_gitfile(struct worktree *wt,
 	if (err == READ_GITFILE_ERR_NOT_A_FILE ||
 		err == READ_GITFILE_ERR_IS_A_DIR)
 		fn(1, wt->path, _(".git is not a file"), cb_data);
-	else if (err)
+	else if (err || !is_git_directory(backlink.buf))
 		repair = _(".git file broken");
 	else if (fspathcmp(backlink.buf, repo.buf))
 		repair = _(".git file incorrect");
@@ -695,12 +698,12 @@ static void repair_gitfile(struct worktree *wt,
 	}
 
 done:
-	free(dotgit_contents);
 	free(path);
 	strbuf_release(&repo);
 	strbuf_release(&dotgit);
 	strbuf_release(&gitdir);
 	strbuf_release(&backlink);
+	strbuf_release(&contents);
 }
 
 static void repair_noop(int iserr UNUSED,
@@ -857,14 +860,7 @@ void repair_worktree_at_path(struct repository *repo,
 	strbuf_realpath_forgiving(&inferred_backlink, inferred_backlink.buf, 0);
 	dotgit_contents = xstrdup_or_null(read_gitfile_gently(dotgit.buf, &err));
 	if (dotgit_contents) {
-		if (is_absolute_path(dotgit_contents)) {
-			strbuf_addstr(&backlink, dotgit_contents);
-		} else {
-			strbuf_addbuf(&backlink, &dotgit);
-			strbuf_strip_suffix(&backlink, ".git");
-			strbuf_addstr(&backlink, dotgit_contents);
-			strbuf_realpath_forgiving(&backlink, backlink.buf, 0);
-		}
+		strbuf_addstr(&backlink, dotgit_contents);
 	} else if (err == READ_GITFILE_ERR_NOT_A_FILE ||
 			err == READ_GITFILE_ERR_IS_A_DIR) {
 		fn(1, dotgit.buf, _("unable to locate repository; .git is not a file"), cb_data);