diff --git a/promisor-remote.c b/promisor-remote.c
index da3f2ca261..d24081dc21 100644
--- a/promisor-remote.c
+++ b/promisor-remote.c
@@ -5,13 +5,6 @@
 #include "transport.h"
 #include "strvec.h"
 
-static char *repository_format_partial_clone;
-
-void set_repository_format_partial_clone(char *partial_clone)
-{
-	repository_format_partial_clone = xstrdup_or_null(partial_clone);
-}
-
 static int fetch_objects(const char *remote_name,
 			 const struct object_id *oids,
 			 int oid_nr)
@@ -145,15 +138,15 @@ static void promisor_remote_init(void)
 
 	git_config(promisor_remote_config, NULL);
 
-	if (repository_format_partial_clone) {
+	if (the_repository->repository_format_partial_clone) {
 		struct promisor_remote *o, *previous;
 
-		o = promisor_remote_lookup(repository_format_partial_clone,
+		o = promisor_remote_lookup(the_repository->repository_format_partial_clone,
 					   &previous);
 		if (o)
 			promisor_remote_move_to_tail(o, previous);
 		else
-			promisor_remote_new(repository_format_partial_clone);
+			promisor_remote_new(the_repository->repository_format_partial_clone);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/promisor-remote.h b/promisor-remote.h
index c7a14063c5..687210ab87 100644
--- a/promisor-remote.h
+++ b/promisor-remote.h
@@ -32,10 +32,4 @@ int promisor_remote_get_direct(struct repository *repo,
 			       const struct object_id *oids,
 			       int oid_nr);
 
-/*
- * This should be used only once from setup.c to set the value we got
- * from the extensions.partialclone config option.
- */
-void set_repository_format_partial_clone(char *partial_clone);
-
 #endif /* PROMISOR_REMOTE_H */
diff --git a/repository.c b/repository.c
index 448cd557d4..057a4748a0 100644
--- a/repository.c
+++ b/repository.c
@@ -172,6 +172,10 @@ int repo_init(struct repository *repo,
 
 	repo_set_hash_algo(repo, format.hash_algo);
 
+	/* take ownership of format.partial_clone */
+	repo->repository_format_partial_clone = format.partial_clone;
+	format.partial_clone = NULL;
+
 	if (worktree)
 		repo_set_worktree(repo, worktree);
 
diff --git a/repository.h b/repository.h
index a45f7520fd..6fb16ed336 100644
--- a/repository.h
+++ b/repository.h
@@ -139,6 +139,9 @@ struct repository {
 	/* True if commit-graph has been disabled within this process. */
 	int commit_graph_disabled;
 
+	/* Configurations related to promisor remotes. */
+	char *repository_format_partial_clone;
+
 	/* Configurations */
 
 	/* Indicate if a repository has a different 'commondir' from 'gitdir' */
diff --git a/setup.c b/setup.c
index ead2f80cd8..eb9367ca5c 100644
--- a/setup.c
+++ b/setup.c
@@ -468,8 +468,6 @@ static enum extension_result handle_extension_v0(const char *var,
 			data->precious_objects = git_config_bool(var, value);
 			return EXTENSION_OK;
 		} else if (!strcmp(ext, "partialclone")) {
-			if (!value)
-				return config_error_nonbool(var);
 			data->partial_clone = xstrdup(value);
 			return EXTENSION_OK;
 		} else if (!strcmp(ext, "worktreeconfig")) {
@@ -566,7 +564,6 @@ static int check_repository_format_gently(const char *gitdir, struct repository_
 	}
 
 	repository_format_precious_objects = candidate->precious_objects;
-	set_repository_format_partial_clone(candidate->partial_clone);
 	repository_format_worktree_config = candidate->worktree_config;
 	string_list_clear(&candidate->unknown_extensions, 0);
 	string_list_clear(&candidate->v1_only_extensions, 0);
@@ -1197,6 +1194,11 @@ int discover_git_directory(struct strbuf *commondir,
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	/* take ownership of candidate.partial_clone */
+	the_repository->repository_format_partial_clone =
+		candidate.partial_clone;
+	candidate.partial_clone = NULL;
+
 	clear_repository_format(&candidate);
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -1304,8 +1306,13 @@ const char *setup_git_directory_gently(int *nongit_ok)
 				gitdir = DEFAULT_GIT_DIR_ENVIRONMENT;
 			setup_git_env(gitdir);
 		}
-		if (startup_info->have_repository)
+		if (startup_info->have_repository) {
 			repo_set_hash_algo(the_repository, repo_fmt.hash_algo);
+			/* take ownership of repo_fmt.partial_clone */
+			the_repository->repository_format_partial_clone =
+				repo_fmt.partial_clone;
+			repo_fmt.partial_clone = NULL;
+		}
 	}
 	/*
 	 * Since precompose_string_if_needed() needs to look at
@@ -1390,6 +1397,8 @@ void check_repository_format(struct repository_format *fmt)
 	check_repository_format_gently(get_git_dir(), fmt, NULL);
 	startup_info->have_repository = 1;
 	repo_set_hash_algo(the_repository, fmt->hash_algo);
+	the_repository->repository_format_partial_clone =
+		xstrdup_or_null(fmt->partial_clone);
 	clear_repository_format(&repo_fmt);
 }
 
