diff --git a/builtin/pull.c b/builtin/pull.c
index 1336b59b21..c0a90fa741 100644
--- a/builtin/pull.c
+++ b/builtin/pull.c
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ static char *opt_progress;
 static int recurse_submodules = RECURSE_SUBMODULES_DEFAULT;
 
 /* Options passed to git-merge or git-rebase */
-static enum rebase_type opt_rebase = -1;
+static enum rebase_type opt_rebase;
 static char *opt_diffstat;
 static char *opt_log;
 static char *opt_signoff;
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ static const char *config_get_ff(void)
  * looks for the value of "pull.rebase". If both configuration keys do not
  * exist, returns REBASE_FALSE.
  */
-static enum rebase_type config_get_rebase(int *rebase_unspecified)
+static enum rebase_type config_get_rebase(void)
 {
 	struct branch *curr_branch = branch_get("HEAD");
 	const char *value;
@@ -346,9 +346,7 @@ static enum rebase_type config_get_rebase(int *rebase_unspecified)
 	if (!git_config_get_value("pull.rebase", &value))
 		return parse_config_rebase("pull.rebase", value, 1);
 
-	*rebase_unspecified = 1;
-
-	return REBASE_FALSE;
+	return REBASE_DEFAULT;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -443,7 +441,7 @@ static void NORETURN die_no_merge_candidates(const char *repo, const char **refs
 	const char *remote = curr_branch ? curr_branch->remote_name : NULL;
 
 	if (*refspecs) {
-		if (opt_rebase)
+		if (opt_rebase >= REBASE_TRUE)
 			fprintf_ln(stderr, _("There is no candidate for rebasing against among the refs that you just fetched."));
 		else
 			fprintf_ln(stderr, _("There are no candidates for merging among the refs that you just fetched."));
@@ -456,7 +454,7 @@ static void NORETURN die_no_merge_candidates(const char *repo, const char **refs
 			repo);
 	} else if (!curr_branch) {
 		fprintf_ln(stderr, _("You are not currently on a branch."));
-		if (opt_rebase)
+		if (opt_rebase >= REBASE_TRUE)
 			fprintf_ln(stderr, _("Please specify which branch you want to rebase against."));
 		else
 			fprintf_ln(stderr, _("Please specify which branch you want to merge with."));
@@ -471,7 +469,7 @@ static void NORETURN die_no_merge_candidates(const char *repo, const char **refs
 			remote_name = _("<remote>");
 
 		fprintf_ln(stderr, _("There is no tracking information for the current branch."));
-		if (opt_rebase)
+		if (opt_rebase >= REBASE_TRUE)
 			fprintf_ln(stderr, _("Please specify which branch you want to rebase against."));
 		else
 			fprintf_ln(stderr, _("Please specify which branch you want to merge with."));
@@ -951,7 +949,6 @@ int cmd_pull(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	struct oid_array merge_heads = OID_ARRAY_INIT;
 	struct object_id orig_head, curr_head;
 	struct object_id rebase_fork_point;
-	int rebase_unspecified = 0;
 	int can_ff;
 
 	if (!getenv("GIT_REFLOG_ACTION"))
@@ -973,8 +970,8 @@ int cmd_pull(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	if (!opt_ff)
 		opt_ff = xstrdup_or_null(config_get_ff());
 
-	if (opt_rebase < 0)
-		opt_rebase = config_get_rebase(&rebase_unspecified);
+	if (!opt_rebase)
+		opt_rebase = config_get_rebase();
 
 	if (read_cache_unmerged())
 		die_resolve_conflict("pull");
@@ -985,7 +982,7 @@ int cmd_pull(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	if (get_oid("HEAD", &orig_head))
 		oidclr(&orig_head);
 
-	if (opt_rebase) {
+	if (opt_rebase >= REBASE_TRUE) {
 		int autostash = config_autostash;
 		if (opt_autostash != -1)
 			autostash = opt_autostash;
@@ -1045,17 +1042,17 @@ int cmd_pull(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			die(_("Cannot merge multiple branches into empty head."));
 		return pull_into_void(merge_heads.oid, &curr_head);
 	}
-	if (opt_rebase && merge_heads.nr > 1)
+	if (opt_rebase >= REBASE_TRUE && merge_heads.nr > 1)
 		die(_("Cannot rebase onto multiple branches."));
 
 	can_ff = get_can_ff(&orig_head, &merge_heads.oid[0]);
 
-	if (rebase_unspecified && !opt_ff && !can_ff) {
+	if (!opt_rebase && !opt_ff && !can_ff) {
 		if (opt_verbosity >= 0)
 			show_advice_pull_non_ff();
 	}
 
-	if (opt_rebase) {
+	if (opt_rebase >= REBASE_TRUE) {
 		int ret = 0;
 
 		struct object_id newbase;
diff --git a/rebase.h b/rebase.h
index cc723d4748..34d4acfd74 100644
--- a/rebase.h
+++ b/rebase.h
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 
 enum rebase_type {
 	REBASE_INVALID = -1,
-	REBASE_FALSE = 0,
+	REBASE_DEFAULT = 0,
+	REBASE_FALSE,
 	REBASE_TRUE,
 	REBASE_PRESERVE,
 	REBASE_MERGES,
