diff --git a/Documentation/git-config.txt b/Documentation/git-config.txt
index 7573160f21..0be5499952 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-config.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-config.txt
@@ -9,15 +9,15 @@ git-config - Get and set repository or global options
 SYNOPSIS
 --------
 [verse]
-'git config' [<file-option>] [--type=<type>] [--show-origin] [--show-scope] [-z|--null] name [value [value_regex]]
+'git config' [<file-option>] [--type=<type>] [--show-origin] [--show-scope] [-z|--null] name [value [value-pattern]]
 'git config' [<file-option>] [--type=<type>] --add name value
-'git config' [<file-option>] [--type=<type>] --replace-all name value [value_regex]
-'git config' [<file-option>] [--type=<type>] [--show-origin] [--show-scope] [-z|--null] --get name [value_regex]
-'git config' [<file-option>] [--type=<type>] [--show-origin] [--show-scope] [-z|--null] --get-all name [value_regex]
-'git config' [<file-option>] [--type=<type>] [--show-origin] [--show-scope] [-z|--null] [--name-only] --get-regexp name_regex [value_regex]
+'git config' [<file-option>] [--type=<type>] --replace-all name value [value-pattern]
+'git config' [<file-option>] [--type=<type>] [--show-origin] [--show-scope] [-z|--null] --get name [value-pattern]
+'git config' [<file-option>] [--type=<type>] [--show-origin] [--show-scope] [-z|--null] --get-all name [value-pattern]
+'git config' [<file-option>] [--type=<type>] [--show-origin] [--show-scope] [-z|--null] [--name-only] --get-regexp name_regex [value-pattern]
 'git config' [<file-option>] [--type=<type>] [-z|--null] --get-urlmatch name URL
-'git config' [<file-option>] --unset name [value_regex]
-'git config' [<file-option>] --unset-all name [value_regex]
+'git config' [<file-option>] --unset name [value-pattern]
+'git config' [<file-option>] --unset-all name [value-pattern]
 'git config' [<file-option>] --rename-section old_name new_name
 'git config' [<file-option>] --remove-section name
 'git config' [<file-option>] [--show-origin] [--show-scope] [-z|--null] [--name-only] -l | --list
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ escaped.
 
 Multiple lines can be added to an option by using the `--add` option.
 If you want to update or unset an option which can occur on multiple
-lines, a POSIX regexp `value_regex` needs to be given.  Only the
+lines, a POSIX regexp `value-pattern` needs to be given.  Only the
 existing values that match the regexp are updated or unset.  If
 you want to handle the lines that do *not* match the regex, just
 prepend a single exclamation mark in front (see also <<EXAMPLES>>).
@@ -73,11 +73,11 @@ OPTIONS
 
 --replace-all::
 	Default behavior is to replace at most one line. This replaces
-	all lines matching the key (and optionally the value_regex).
+	all lines matching the key (and optionally the `value-pattern`).
 
 --add::
 	Adds a new line to the option without altering any existing
-	values.  This is the same as providing '^$' as the value_regex
+	values.  This is the same as providing '^$' as the `value-pattern`
 	in `--replace-all`.
 
 --get::
diff --git a/builtin/config.c b/builtin/config.c
index e7c7f3d455..9d97091561 100644
--- a/builtin/config.c
+++ b/builtin/config.c
@@ -130,14 +130,14 @@ static struct option builtin_config_options[] = {
 	OPT_STRING('f', "file", &given_config_source.file, N_("file"), N_("use given config file")),
 	OPT_STRING(0, "blob", &given_config_source.blob, N_("blob-id"), N_("read config from given blob object")),
 	OPT_GROUP(N_("Action")),
-	OPT_BIT(0, "get", &actions, N_("get value: name [value-regex]"), ACTION_GET),
-	OPT_BIT(0, "get-all", &actions, N_("get all values: key [value-regex]"), ACTION_GET_ALL),
-	OPT_BIT(0, "get-regexp", &actions, N_("get values for regexp: name-regex [value-regex]"), ACTION_GET_REGEXP),
+	OPT_BIT(0, "get", &actions, N_("get value: name [value-pattern]"), ACTION_GET),
+	OPT_BIT(0, "get-all", &actions, N_("get all values: key [value-pattern]"), ACTION_GET_ALL),
+	OPT_BIT(0, "get-regexp", &actions, N_("get values for regexp: name-regex [value-pattern]"), ACTION_GET_REGEXP),
 	OPT_BIT(0, "get-urlmatch", &actions, N_("get value specific for the URL: section[.var] URL"), ACTION_GET_URLMATCH),
-	OPT_BIT(0, "replace-all", &actions, N_("replace all matching variables: name value [value_regex]"), ACTION_REPLACE_ALL),
+	OPT_BIT(0, "replace-all", &actions, N_("replace all matching variables: name value [value-pattern]"), ACTION_REPLACE_ALL),
 	OPT_BIT(0, "add", &actions, N_("add a new variable: name value"), ACTION_ADD),
-	OPT_BIT(0, "unset", &actions, N_("remove a variable: name [value-regex]"), ACTION_UNSET),
-	OPT_BIT(0, "unset-all", &actions, N_("remove all matches: name [value-regex]"), ACTION_UNSET_ALL),
+	OPT_BIT(0, "unset", &actions, N_("remove a variable: name [value-pattern]"), ACTION_UNSET),
+	OPT_BIT(0, "unset-all", &actions, N_("remove all matches: name [value-pattern]"), ACTION_UNSET_ALL),
 	OPT_BIT(0, "rename-section", &actions, N_("rename section: old-name new-name"), ACTION_RENAME_SECTION),
 	OPT_BIT(0, "remove-section", &actions, N_("remove a section: name"), ACTION_REMOVE_SECTION),
 	OPT_BIT('l', "list", &actions, N_("list all"), ACTION_LIST),
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index f34a11d94b..ac6aace166 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -2402,7 +2402,7 @@ struct config_store_data {
 	size_t baselen;
 	char *key;
 	int do_not_match;
-	regex_t *value_regex;
+	regex_t *value_pattern;
 	int multi_replace;
 	struct {
 		size_t begin, end;
@@ -2416,10 +2416,10 @@ struct config_store_data {
 static void config_store_data_clear(struct config_store_data *store)
 {
 	free(store->key);
-	if (store->value_regex != NULL &&
-	    store->value_regex != CONFIG_REGEX_NONE) {
-		regfree(store->value_regex);
-		free(store->value_regex);
+	if (store->value_pattern != NULL &&
+	    store->value_pattern != CONFIG_REGEX_NONE) {
+		regfree(store->value_pattern);
+		free(store->value_pattern);
 	}
 	free(store->parsed);
 	free(store->seen);
@@ -2431,13 +2431,13 @@ static int matches(const char *key, const char *value,
 {
 	if (strcmp(key, store->key))
 		return 0; /* not ours */
-	if (!store->value_regex)
+	if (!store->value_pattern)
 		return 1; /* always matches */
-	if (store->value_regex == CONFIG_REGEX_NONE)
+	if (store->value_pattern == CONFIG_REGEX_NONE)
 		return 0; /* never matches */
 
 	return store->do_not_match ^
-		(value && !regexec(store->value_regex, value, 0, NULL, 0));
+		(value && !regexec(store->value_pattern, value, 0, NULL, 0));
 }
 
 static int store_aux_event(enum config_event_t type,
@@ -2713,8 +2713,8 @@ void git_config_set(const char *key, const char *value)
 
 /*
  * If value==NULL, unset in (remove from) config,
- * if value_regex!=NULL, disregard key/value pairs where value does not match.
- * if value_regex==CONFIG_REGEX_NONE, do not match any existing values
+ * if value_pattern!=NULL, disregard key/value pairs where value does not match.
+ * if value_pattern==CONFIG_REGEX_NONE, do not match any existing values
  *     (only add a new one)
  * if flags contains the CONFIG_FLAGS_MULTI_REPLACE flag, all matching
  *     key/values are removed before a single new pair is written. If the
@@ -2738,7 +2738,7 @@ void git_config_set(const char *key, const char *value)
  */
 int git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(const char *config_filename,
 					   const char *key, const char *value,
-					   const char *value_regex,
+					   const char *value_pattern,
 					   unsigned flags)
 {
 	int fd = -1, in_fd = -1;
@@ -2799,22 +2799,22 @@ int git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(const char *config_filename,
 		int i, new_line = 0;
 		struct config_options opts;
 
-		if (value_regex == NULL)
-			store.value_regex = NULL;
-		else if (value_regex == CONFIG_REGEX_NONE)
-			store.value_regex = CONFIG_REGEX_NONE;
+		if (value_pattern == NULL)
+			store.value_pattern = NULL;
+		else if (value_pattern == CONFIG_REGEX_NONE)
+			store.value_pattern = CONFIG_REGEX_NONE;
 		else {
-			if (value_regex[0] == '!') {
+			if (value_pattern[0] == '!') {
 				store.do_not_match = 1;
-				value_regex++;
+				value_pattern++;
 			} else
 				store.do_not_match = 0;
 
-			store.value_regex = (regex_t*)xmalloc(sizeof(regex_t));
-			if (regcomp(store.value_regex, value_regex,
+			store.value_pattern = (regex_t*)xmalloc(sizeof(regex_t));
+			if (regcomp(store.value_pattern, value_pattern,
 					REG_EXTENDED)) {
-				error(_("invalid pattern: %s"), value_regex);
-				FREE_AND_NULL(store.value_regex);
+				error(_("invalid pattern: %s"), value_pattern);
+				FREE_AND_NULL(store.value_pattern);
 				ret = CONFIG_INVALID_PATTERN;
 				goto out_free;
 			}
@@ -2984,10 +2984,10 @@ int git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(const char *config_filename,
 
 void git_config_set_multivar_in_file(const char *config_filename,
 				     const char *key, const char *value,
-				     const char *value_regex, unsigned flags)
+				     const char *value_pattern, unsigned flags)
 {
 	if (!git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(config_filename, key, value,
-						    value_regex, flags))
+						    value_pattern, flags))
 		return;
 	if (value)
 		die(_("could not set '%s' to '%s'"), key, value);
@@ -2996,16 +2996,16 @@ void git_config_set_multivar_in_file(const char *config_filename,
 }
 
 int git_config_set_multivar_gently(const char *key, const char *value,
-				   const char *value_regex, unsigned flags)
+				   const char *value_pattern, unsigned flags)
 {
-	return git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(NULL, key, value, value_regex,
+	return git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(NULL, key, value, value_pattern,
 						      flags);
 }
 
 void git_config_set_multivar(const char *key, const char *value,
-			     const char *value_regex, unsigned flags)
+			     const char *value_pattern, unsigned flags)
 {
-	git_config_set_multivar_in_file(NULL, key, value, value_regex,
+	git_config_set_multivar_in_file(NULL, key, value, value_pattern,
 					flags);
 }
 
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 58726c34d6..8ad1085b74 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ int git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(const char *, const char *, const cha
 void git_config_set_multivar_in_file(const char *config_filename,
 				     const char *key,
 				     const char *value,
-				     const char *value_regex,
+				     const char *value_pattern,
 				     unsigned flags);
 
 /**
