diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/Config.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/Config.java
index 338216bc6..6281bcfb3 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/Config.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/Config.java
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@
 import org.eclipse.jgit.events.ListenerHandle;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.events.ListenerList;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.internal.JGitText;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.transport.RefSpec;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.util.IO;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.util.RawParseUtils;
 
@@ -446,6 +447,23 @@ public long getTimeUnit(String section, String subsection, String name,
 				defaultValue, wantUnit);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Parse a list of {@link RefSpec}s from the configuration.
+	 *
+	 * @param section
+	 *            section the key is in.
+	 * @param subsection
+	 *            subsection the key is in, or null if not in a subsection.
+	 * @param name
+	 *            the key name.
+	 * @return a possibly empty list of {@link RefSpec}s
+	 * @since 4.9
+	 */
+	public List<RefSpec> getRefSpecs(String section, String subsection,
+			String name) {
+		return typedGetter.getRefSpecs(this, section, subsection, name);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @param section
 	 *            section to search for.
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/DefaultTypedConfigGetter.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/DefaultTypedConfigGetter.java
index c77d0dd6d..fd3774760 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/DefaultTypedConfigGetter.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/DefaultTypedConfigGetter.java
@@ -44,12 +44,16 @@
 package org.eclipse.jgit.lib;
 
 import java.text.MessageFormat;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.regex.Matcher;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
+import org.eclipse.jgit.annotations.NonNull;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.internal.JGitText;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Config.ConfigEnum;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.transport.RefSpec;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.util.StringUtils;
 
 /**
@@ -281,4 +285,15 @@ private static IllegalArgumentException notTimeUnit(String section,
 				MessageFormat.format(JGitText.get().invalidTimeUnitValue2,
 						section, name, valueString));
 	}
+
+	@Override
+	public @NonNull List<RefSpec> getRefSpecs(Config config, String section,
+			String subsection, String name) {
+		String[] values = config.getStringList(section, subsection, name);
+		List<RefSpec> result = new ArrayList<>(values.length);
+		for (String spec : values) {
+			result.add(new RefSpec(spec));
+		}
+		return result;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/TypedConfigGetter.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/TypedConfigGetter.java
index 7c34a03c9..594edef66 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/TypedConfigGetter.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/TypedConfigGetter.java
@@ -43,8 +43,12 @@
 
 package org.eclipse.jgit.lib;
 
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
+import org.eclipse.jgit.annotations.NonNull;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.transport.RefSpec;
+
 /**
  * Something that knows how to convert plain strings from a git {@link Config}
  * to typed values.
@@ -155,4 +159,21 @@ long getLong(Config config, String section, String subsection, String name,
 	long getTimeUnit(Config config, String section, String subsection,
 			String name, long defaultValue, TimeUnit wantUnit);
 
+
+	/**
+	 * Parse a list of {@link RefSpec}s from a git {@link Config}.
+	 *
+	 * @param config
+	 *            to get the list from
+	 * @param section
+	 *            section the key is in.
+	 * @param subsection
+	 *            subsection the key is in, or null if not in a subsection.
+	 * @param name
+	 *            the key name.
+	 * @return a possibly empty list of {@link RefSpec}s
+	 */
+	@NonNull
+	List<RefSpec> getRefSpecs(Config config, String section, String subsection,
+			String name);
 }
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/RemoteConfig.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/RemoteConfig.java
index a0d81c00f..5449cf15b 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/RemoteConfig.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/RemoteConfig.java
@@ -192,24 +192,18 @@ public RemoteConfig(final Config rc, final String remoteName)
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		vlst = rc.getStringList(SECTION, name, KEY_FETCH);
-		fetch = new ArrayList<>(vlst.length);
-		for (final String s : vlst)
-			fetch.add(new RefSpec(s));
-
-		vlst = rc.getStringList(SECTION, name, KEY_PUSH);
-		push = new ArrayList<>(vlst.length);
-		for (final String s : vlst)
-			push.add(new RefSpec(s));
-
+		fetch = rc.getRefSpecs(SECTION, name, KEY_FETCH);
+		push = rc.getRefSpecs(SECTION, name, KEY_PUSH);
 		val = rc.getString(SECTION, name, KEY_UPLOADPACK);
-		if (val == null)
+		if (val == null) {
 			val = DEFAULT_UPLOAD_PACK;
+		}
 		uploadpack = val;
 
 		val = rc.getString(SECTION, name, KEY_RECEIVEPACK);
-		if (val == null)
+		if (val == null) {
 			val = DEFAULT_RECEIVE_PACK;
+		}
 		receivepack = val;
 
 		val = rc.getString(SECTION, name, KEY_TAGOPT);