diff --git a/Documentation/config/branch.txt b/Documentation/config/branch.txt
index cc5f3249fc..b57bf2c308 100644
--- a/Documentation/config/branch.txt
+++ b/Documentation/config/branch.txt
@@ -96,6 +96,12 @@ mode.
 it unless you understand the implications (see linkgit:git-rebase[1]
 for details).
 
+branch.<name>.pullmode::
+	When "git pull" is run, this determines if it would either merge or
+	rebase the fetched branch. The possible values are 'merge', and
+	'rebase'. See "pull.mode" for doing this in a non
+	branch-specific manner.
+
 branch.<name>.description::
 	Branch description, can be edited with
 	`git branch --edit-description`. Branch description is
diff --git a/Documentation/config/pull.txt b/Documentation/config/pull.txt
index 5404830609..f4385cde33 100644
--- a/Documentation/config/pull.txt
+++ b/Documentation/config/pull.txt
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@ mode.
 it unless you understand the implications (see linkgit:git-rebase[1]
 for details).
 
+pull.mode::
+	When "git pull" is run, this determines if it would either merge or
+	rebase the fetched branch. The possible values are 'merge',
+	and 'rebase'. See "branch.<name>.pullmode" for setting this on a
+	per-branch basis.
+
 pull.octopus::
 	The default merge strategy to use when pulling multiple branches
 	at once.
diff --git a/builtin/pull.c b/builtin/pull.c
index 118fbdeb62..7756c8aea1 100644
--- a/builtin/pull.c
+++ b/builtin/pull.c
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
 #include "commit-reach.h"
 #include "sequencer.h"
 
+static enum pull_mode_type mode;
+
 /**
  * Parses the value of --rebase. If value is a false value, returns
  * REBASE_FALSE. If value is a true value, returns REBASE_TRUE. If value is
@@ -49,6 +51,14 @@ static enum rebase_type parse_config_rebase(const char *key, const char *value,
 	return REBASE_INVALID;
 }
 
+static enum pull_mode_type parse_config_pull_mode(const char *key, const char *value)
+{
+	enum pull_mode_type v = pull_mode_parse_value(value);
+	if (v == PULL_MODE_INVALID)
+		die(_("Invalid value for %s: %s"), key, value);
+	return v;
+}
+
 /**
  * Callback for --rebase, which parses arg with parse_config_rebase().
  */
@@ -60,9 +70,21 @@ static int parse_opt_rebase(const struct option *opt, const char *arg, int unset
 		*value = parse_config_rebase("--rebase", arg, 0);
 	else
 		*value = unset ? REBASE_FALSE : REBASE_TRUE;
+
+	if (*value > 0)
+		mode = *value >= REBASE_TRUE ? PULL_MODE_REBASE : PULL_MODE_MERGE;
+
 	return *value == REBASE_INVALID ? -1 : 0;
 }
 
+static int parse_opt_merge(const struct option *opt, const char *arg, int unset)
+{
+	enum rebase_type *value = opt->value;
+	mode = PULL_MODE_MERGE;
+	*value = REBASE_FALSE;
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static const char * const pull_usage[] = {
 	N_("git pull [<options>] [<repository> [<refspec>...]]"),
 	NULL
@@ -129,8 +151,9 @@ static struct option pull_options[] = {
 		"(false|true|merges|preserve|interactive)",
 		N_("incorporate changes by rebasing rather than merging"),
 		PARSE_OPT_OPTARG, parse_opt_rebase),
-	OPT_SET_INT('m', "merge", &opt_rebase,
-		N_("incorporate changes by merging"), REBASE_FALSE),
+	OPT_CALLBACK_F('m', "merge", &opt_rebase, NULL,
+		N_("incorporate changes by merging"),
+		PARSE_OPT_NOARG | PARSE_OPT_NONEG, parse_opt_merge),
 	OPT_PASSTHRU('n', NULL, &opt_diffstat, NULL,
 		N_("do not show a diffstat at the end of the merge"),
 		PARSE_OPT_NOARG | PARSE_OPT_NONEG),
@@ -349,6 +372,29 @@ static enum rebase_type config_get_rebase(void)
 	return REBASE_DEFAULT;
 }
 
+static enum pull_mode_type config_get_pull_mode(void)
+{
+	struct branch *curr_branch = branch_get("HEAD");
+	const char *value;
+
+	if (curr_branch) {
+		char *key = xstrfmt("branch.%s.pullmode", curr_branch->name);
+
+		if (!git_config_get_value(key, &value)) {
+			enum pull_mode_type ret = parse_config_pull_mode(key, value);
+			free(key);
+			return ret;
+		}
+
+		free(key);
+	}
+
+	if (!git_config_get_value("pull.mode", &value))
+		return parse_config_pull_mode("pull.mode", value);
+
+	return PULL_MODE_DEFAULT;
+}
+
 /**
  * Read config variables.
  */
@@ -935,6 +981,22 @@ int cmd_pull(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	opt_ff = xstrdup_or_null(config_get_ff());
 	opt_rebase = config_get_rebase();
+	mode = config_get_pull_mode();
+
+	if (!opt_rebase && mode) {
+		switch (mode) {
+		case PULL_MODE_MERGE:
+			opt_rebase = REBASE_FALSE;
+			break;
+		case PULL_MODE_REBASE:
+			opt_rebase = REBASE_TRUE;
+			break;
+		default:
+			break;
+		}
+	} else if (opt_rebase > 0) {
+		mode = opt_rebase >= REBASE_TRUE ? PULL_MODE_REBASE : PULL_MODE_MERGE;
+	}
 
 	if (!getenv("GIT_REFLOG_ACTION"))
 		set_reflog_message(argc, argv);
@@ -1031,8 +1093,8 @@ int cmd_pull(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			"you need to specify if you want a merge, or a rebase.\n"
 			"You can squelch this message by running one of the following commands:\n"
 			"\n"
-			"  git config pull.rebase false  # merge (the default strategy)\n"
-			"  git config pull.rebase true   # rebase\n"
+			"  git config pull.mode merge    # (the default strategy)\n"
+			"  git config pull.mode rebase\n"
 			"  git config pull.ff only       # fast-forward only\n"
 			"\n"
 			"You can replace \"git config\" with \"git config --global\" to set a default\n"
diff --git a/builtin/remote.c b/builtin/remote.c
index c1b211b272..51b1e675e3 100644
--- a/builtin/remote.c
+++ b/builtin/remote.c
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ static int config_read_branches(const char *key, const char *value, void *cb)
 	char *name;
 	struct string_list_item *item;
 	struct branch_info *info;
-	enum { REMOTE, MERGE, REBASE, PUSH_REMOTE } type;
+	enum { REMOTE, MERGE, REBASE, PUSH_REMOTE, PULL_MODE } type;
 	size_t key_len;
 
 	if (!starts_with(key, "branch."))
@@ -284,6 +284,8 @@ static int config_read_branches(const char *key, const char *value, void *cb)
 		type = REBASE;
 	else if (strip_suffix(key, ".pushremote", &key_len))
 		type = PUSH_REMOTE;
+	else if (strip_suffix(key, ".pullmode", &key_len))
+		type = PULL_MODE;
 	else
 		return 0;
 	name = xmemdupz(key, key_len);
@@ -324,6 +326,21 @@ static int config_read_branches(const char *key, const char *value, void *cb)
 			warning(_("more than one %s"), orig_key);
 		info->push_remote_name = xstrdup(value);
 		break;
+	case PULL_MODE: {
+		int mode = pull_mode_parse_value(value);
+		switch (mode) {
+		case PULL_MODE_MERGE:
+			info->rebase = REBASE_FALSE;
+			break;
+		case PULL_MODE_REBASE:
+			info->rebase = REBASE_TRUE;
+			break;
+		default:
+			info->rebase = REBASE_INVALID;
+			break;
+		}
+		break;
+	}
 	default:
 		BUG("unexpected type=%d", type);
 	}
diff --git a/rebase.c b/rebase.c
index f8137d859b..bdfca49886 100644
--- a/rebase.c
+++ b/rebase.c
@@ -33,3 +33,13 @@ enum rebase_type rebase_parse_value(const char *value)
 
 	return REBASE_INVALID;
 }
+
+enum pull_mode_type pull_mode_parse_value(const char *value)
+{
+	if (!strcmp(value, "merge") || !strcmp(value, "m"))
+		return PULL_MODE_MERGE;
+	else if (!strcmp(value, "rebase") || !strcmp(value, "r"))
+		return PULL_MODE_REBASE;
+
+	return PULL_MODE_INVALID;
+}
diff --git a/rebase.h b/rebase.h
index 34d4acfd74..5ab8f4ddd5 100644
--- a/rebase.h
+++ b/rebase.h
@@ -13,4 +13,13 @@ enum rebase_type {
 
 enum rebase_type rebase_parse_value(const char *value);
 
+enum pull_mode_type {
+	PULL_MODE_INVALID = -1,
+	PULL_MODE_DEFAULT = 0,
+	PULL_MODE_MERGE,
+	PULL_MODE_REBASE
+};
+
+enum pull_mode_type pull_mode_parse_value(const char *value);
+
 #endif /* REBASE */
diff --git a/t/t5520-pull.sh b/t/t5520-pull.sh
index 9fae07cdfa..eb0086bd1c 100755
--- a/t/t5520-pull.sh
+++ b/t/t5520-pull.sh
@@ -449,6 +449,16 @@ test_expect_success 'pull.rebase' '
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'pull.mode rebase' '
+	git reset --hard before-rebase &&
+	test_config pull.mode rebase &&
+	git pull . copy &&
+	test_cmp_rev HEAD^ copy &&
+	echo new >expect &&
+	git show HEAD:file2 >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'pull --autostash & pull.rebase=true' '
 	test_config pull.rebase true &&
 	test_pull_autostash 1 --autostash
@@ -523,6 +533,17 @@ test_expect_success 'pull.rebase=false create a new merge commit' '
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'pull.mode=merge create a new merge commit' '
+	git reset --hard before-preserve-rebase &&
+	test_config pull.mode merge &&
+	git pull . copy &&
+	test_cmp_rev HEAD^1 before-preserve-rebase &&
+	test_cmp_rev HEAD^2 copy &&
+	echo file3 >expect &&
+	git show HEAD:file3.t >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'pull.rebase=true flattens keep-merge' '
 	git reset --hard before-preserve-rebase &&
 	test_config pull.rebase true &&
@@ -552,6 +573,16 @@ test_expect_success REBASE_P \
 	test_cmp_rev HEAD^2 keep-merge
 '
 
+test_expect_success REBASE_P \
+	'pull.rebase=preserve rebases and merges keep-merge with pull.mode' '
+	git reset --hard before-preserve-rebase &&
+	test_config pull.mode rebase &&
+	test_config pull.rebase preserve &&
+	git pull . copy &&
+	test_cmp_rev HEAD^^ copy &&
+	test_cmp_rev HEAD^2 keep-merge
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'pull.rebase=interactive' '
 	write_script "$TRASH_DIRECTORY/fake-editor" <<-\EOF &&
 	echo I was here >fake.out &&
@@ -593,6 +624,17 @@ test_expect_success '--rebase=false create a new merge commit' '
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success '--rebase=false create a new merge commit with pull.mode' '
+	git reset --hard before-preserve-rebase &&
+	test_config pull.mode rebase &&
+	git pull --rebase=false . copy &&
+	test_cmp_rev HEAD^1 before-preserve-rebase &&
+	test_cmp_rev HEAD^2 copy &&
+	echo file3 >expect &&
+	git show HEAD:file3.t >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_expect_success '--rebase=true rebases and flattens keep-merge' '
 	git reset --hard before-preserve-rebase &&
 	test_config pull.rebase preserve &&
diff --git a/t/t7601-merge-pull-config.sh b/t/t7601-merge-pull-config.sh
index 8a6aae564a..25ca239c17 100755
--- a/t/t7601-merge-pull-config.sh
+++ b/t/t7601-merge-pull-config.sh
@@ -41,6 +41,13 @@ test_expect_success 'pull.rebase not set (fast-forward)' '
 	test_i18ngrep ! "Pulling without specifying how to reconcile" err
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'pull.mode set' '
+	git reset --hard c2 &&
+	test_config pull.mode merge &&
+	git pull . c1 2>err &&
+	test_i18ngrep ! "Pulling without specifying how to reconcile" err
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'pull.rebase not set and pull.ff=true' '
 	git reset --hard c2 &&
 	test_config pull.ff true &&
