diff --git c/builtin/am.c w/builtin/am.c
index 82a41cbfc4..40126b59c5 100644
--- c/builtin/am.c
+++ w/builtin/am.c
@@ -2314,12 +2314,6 @@ static int parse_opt_show_current_patch(const struct option *opt, const char *ar
 
 static int git_am_config(const char *k, const char *v, void *cb UNUSED)
 {
-	int status;
-
-	status = git_gpg_config(k, v, NULL);
-	if (status)
-		return status;
-
 	return git_default_config(k, v, NULL);
 }
 
diff --git c/builtin/commit-tree.c w/builtin/commit-tree.c
index cc8d584be2..f6a099d601 100644
--- c/builtin/commit-tree.c
+++ w/builtin/commit-tree.c
@@ -39,9 +39,6 @@ static void new_parent(struct commit *parent, struct commit_list **parents_p)
 
 static int commit_tree_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 {
-	int status = git_gpg_config(var, value, NULL);
-	if (status)
-		return status;
 	return git_default_config(var, value, cb);
 }
 
diff --git c/builtin/commit.c w/builtin/commit.c
index 44b763d7cd..794500dc9e 100644
--- c/builtin/commit.c
+++ w/builtin/commit.c
@@ -1600,7 +1600,6 @@ int cmd_status(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 static int git_commit_config(const char *k, const char *v, void *cb)
 {
 	struct wt_status *s = cb;
-	int status;
 
 	if (!strcmp(k, "commit.template"))
 		return git_config_pathname(&template_file, k, v);
@@ -1620,9 +1619,6 @@ static int git_commit_config(const char *k, const char *v, void *cb)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	status = git_gpg_config(k, v, NULL);
-	if (status)
-		return status;
 	return git_status_config(k, v, s);
 }
 
diff --git c/builtin/log.c w/builtin/log.c
index 04412dd9c9..56741c6d37 100644
--- c/builtin/log.c
+++ w/builtin/log.c
@@ -601,8 +601,6 @@ static int git_log_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	if (git_gpg_config(var, value, cb) < 0)
-		return -1;
 	return git_diff_ui_config(var, value, cb);
 }
 
diff --git c/builtin/merge.c w/builtin/merge.c
index 74de2ebd2b..289c13656c 100644
--- c/builtin/merge.c
+++ w/builtin/merge.c
@@ -659,9 +659,6 @@ static int git_merge_config(const char *k, const char *v, void *cb)
 	}
 
 	status = fmt_merge_msg_config(k, v, cb);
-	if (status)
-		return status;
-	status = git_gpg_config(k, v, NULL);
 	if (status)
 		return status;
 	return git_diff_ui_config(k, v, cb);
diff --git c/builtin/pull.c w/builtin/pull.c
index 1ab4de0005..4367727db6 100644
--- c/builtin/pull.c
+++ w/builtin/pull.c
@@ -359,8 +359,6 @@ static enum rebase_type config_get_rebase(int *rebase_unspecified)
  */
 static int git_pull_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 {
-	int status;
-
 	if (!strcmp(var, "rebase.autostash")) {
 		config_autostash = git_config_bool(var, value);
 		return 0;
@@ -372,10 +370,6 @@ static int git_pull_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 		check_trust_level = 0;
 	}
 
-	status = git_gpg_config(var, value, cb);
-	if (status)
-		return status;
-
 	return git_default_config(var, value, cb);
 }
 
diff --git c/builtin/push.c w/builtin/push.c
index 60ac8017e5..8f8904dd08 100644
--- c/builtin/push.c
+++ w/builtin/push.c
@@ -502,11 +502,6 @@ static int git_push_config(const char *k, const char *v, void *cb)
 {
 	const char *slot_name;
 	int *flags = cb;
-	int status;
-
-	status = git_gpg_config(k, v, NULL);
-	if (status)
-		return status;
 
 	if (!strcmp(k, "push.followtags")) {
 		if (git_config_bool(k, v))
diff --git c/builtin/receive-pack.c w/builtin/receive-pack.c
index a90af30363..9894dbdc79 100644
--- c/builtin/receive-pack.c
+++ w/builtin/receive-pack.c
@@ -133,10 +133,6 @@ static int receive_pack_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 {
 	int status = parse_hide_refs_config(var, value, "receive", &hidden_refs);
 
-	if (status)
-		return status;
-
-	status = git_gpg_config(var, value, NULL);
 	if (status)
 		return status;
 
diff --git c/builtin/send-pack.c w/builtin/send-pack.c
index 4c5d125fa0..c31e27346b 100644
--- c/builtin/send-pack.c
+++ w/builtin/send-pack.c
@@ -130,8 +130,6 @@ static void print_helper_status(struct ref *ref)
 
 static int send_pack_config(const char *k, const char *v, void *cb)
 {
-	git_gpg_config(k, v, NULL);
-
 	if (!strcmp(k, "push.gpgsign")) {
 		const char *value;
 		if (!git_config_get_value("push.gpgsign", &value)) {
diff --git c/builtin/tag.c w/builtin/tag.c
index d428c45dc8..725cfcd62b 100644
--- c/builtin/tag.c
+++ w/builtin/tag.c
@@ -180,8 +180,6 @@ static const char tag_template_nocleanup[] =
 
 static int git_tag_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 {
-	int status;
-
 	if (!strcmp(var, "tag.gpgsign")) {
 		config_sign_tag = git_config_bool(var, value);
 		return 0;
@@ -194,9 +192,6 @@ static int git_tag_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	status = git_gpg_config(var, value, cb);
-	if (status)
-		return status;
 	if (!strcmp(var, "tag.forcesignannotated")) {
 		force_sign_annotate = git_config_bool(var, value);
 		return 0;
diff --git c/builtin/verify-commit.c w/builtin/verify-commit.c
index 3ebad32b0f..3c5d0b024c 100644
--- c/builtin/verify-commit.c
+++ w/builtin/verify-commit.c
@@ -54,9 +54,6 @@ static int verify_commit(const char *name, unsigned flags)
 
 static int git_verify_commit_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 {
-	int status = git_gpg_config(var, value, cb);
-	if (status)
-		return status;
 	return git_default_config(var, value, cb);
 }
 
diff --git c/builtin/verify-tag.c w/builtin/verify-tag.c
index 217566952d..ecffb069bf 100644
--- c/builtin/verify-tag.c
+++ w/builtin/verify-tag.c
@@ -21,9 +21,6 @@ static const char * const verify_tag_usage[] = {
 
 static int git_verify_tag_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 {
-	int status = git_gpg_config(var, value, cb);
-	if (status)
-		return status;
 	return git_default_config(var, value, cb);
 }
 
diff --git c/fmt-merge-msg.c w/fmt-merge-msg.c
index f48f44f9cd..9b83c95a08 100644
--- c/fmt-merge-msg.c
+++ w/fmt-merge-msg.c
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@ static struct string_list suppress_dest_patterns = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP;
 
 int fmt_merge_msg_config(const char *key, const char *value, void *cb)
 {
-	int status = 0;
-
 	if (!strcmp(key, "merge.log") || !strcmp(key, "merge.summary")) {
 		int is_bool;
 		merge_log_config = git_config_bool_or_int(key, value, &is_bool);
@@ -37,9 +35,6 @@ int fmt_merge_msg_config(const char *key, const char *value, void *cb)
 			string_list_append(&suppress_dest_patterns, value);
 		suppress_dest_pattern_seen = 1;
 	} else {
-		status = git_gpg_config(key, value, NULL);
-		if (status)
-			return status;
 		return git_default_config(key, value, cb);
 	}
 	return 0;
diff --git c/gpg-interface.c w/gpg-interface.c
index 687236430b..3b9ea3ac4c 100644
--- c/gpg-interface.c
+++ w/gpg-interface.c
@@ -9,6 +9,18 @@
 #include "tempfile.h"
 #include "alias.h"
 
+static int git_gpg_config(const char *, const char *, void *);
+
+static void gpg_interface_lazy_init(void)
+{
+	static int done;
+
+	if (done)
+		return;
+	done = 1;
+	git_config(git_gpg_config, 0);
+}
+
 static char *configured_signing_key;
 static const char *ssh_default_key_command, *ssh_allowed_signers, *ssh_revocation_file;
 static enum signature_trust_level configured_min_trust_level = TRUST_UNDEFINED;
@@ -632,6 +644,8 @@ int check_signature(struct signature_check *sigc,
 	struct gpg_format *fmt;
 	int status;
 
+	gpg_interface_lazy_init();
+
 	sigc->result = 'N';
 	sigc->trust_level = -1;
 
@@ -695,11 +709,13 @@ int parse_signature(const char *buf, size_t size, struct strbuf *payload, struct
 
 void set_signing_key(const char *key)
 {
+	gpg_interface_lazy_init();
+
 	free(configured_signing_key);
 	configured_signing_key = xstrdup(key);
 }
 
-int git_gpg_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb UNUSED)
+static int git_gpg_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb UNUSED)
 {
 	struct gpg_format *fmt = NULL;
 	char *fmtname = NULL;
@@ -888,6 +904,8 @@ static const char *get_ssh_key_id(void) {
 /* Returns a textual but unique representation of the signing key */
 const char *get_signing_key_id(void)
 {
+	gpg_interface_lazy_init();
+
 	if (use_format->get_key_id) {
 		return use_format->get_key_id();
 	}
@@ -898,6 +916,8 @@ const char *get_signing_key_id(void)
 
 const char *get_signing_key(void)
 {
+	gpg_interface_lazy_init();
+
 	if (configured_signing_key)
 		return configured_signing_key;
 	if (use_format->get_default_key) {
@@ -923,6 +943,8 @@ const char *gpg_trust_level_to_str(enum signature_trust_level level)
 
 int sign_buffer(struct strbuf *buffer, struct strbuf *signature, const char *signing_key)
 {
+	gpg_interface_lazy_init();
+
 	return use_format->sign_buffer(buffer, signature, signing_key);
 }
 
diff --git c/gpg-interface.h w/gpg-interface.h
index 8a9ef41779..143cdc1c02 100644
--- c/gpg-interface.h
+++ w/gpg-interface.h
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ int sign_buffer(struct strbuf *buffer, struct strbuf *signature,
  */
 const char *gpg_trust_level_to_str(enum signature_trust_level level);
 
-int git_gpg_config(const char *, const char *, void *);
 void set_signing_key(const char *);
 const char *get_signing_key(void);
 
diff --git c/sequencer.c w/sequencer.c
index 3e4a197289..a234b1ff88 100644
--- c/sequencer.c
+++ w/sequencer.c
@@ -263,10 +263,6 @@ static int git_sequencer_config(const char *k, const char *v, void *cb)
 	if (opts->action == REPLAY_REVERT && !strcmp(k, "revert.reference"))
 		opts->commit_use_reference = git_config_bool(k, v);
 
-	status = git_gpg_config(k, v, NULL);
-	if (status)
-		return status;
-
 	return git_diff_basic_config(k, v, NULL);
 }
 
