diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/storage/file/UserConfigFileTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/storage/file/UserConfigFileTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7d212d540
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/storage/file/UserConfigFileTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,301 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2023, Thomas Wolf <twolf@apache.org> and others
+ *
+ * This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the
+ * terms of the Eclipse Distribution License v. 1.0 which is available at
+ * https://www.eclipse.org/org/documents/edl-v10.php.
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+ */
+package org.eclipse.jgit.storage.file;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+
+import org.eclipse.jgit.util.FS;
+import org.junit.Rule;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.rules.TemporaryFolder;
+
+public class UserConfigFileTest {
+
+	@Rule
+	public TemporaryFolder tmp = new TemporaryFolder();
+
+	@Test
+	public void testParentOnlyLoad() throws Exception {
+		Path xdg = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("xdg.cfg");
+		Files.writeString(xdg, "[user]\n\tname = Archibald Ulysses Thor");
+		Path user = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("user.cfg");
+		UserConfigFile config = new UserConfigFile(null, user.toFile(),
+				xdg.toFile(), FS.DETECTED);
+		config.load();
+		assertEquals("Archibald Ulysses Thor",
+				config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testLoadBoth() throws Exception {
+		Path xdg = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("xdg.cfg");
+		Files.writeString(xdg, "[user]\n\tname = Archibald Ulysses Thor");
+		Path user = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("user.cfg");
+		Files.writeString(user, "[user]\n\temail = a.u.thor@example.com");
+		UserConfigFile config = new UserConfigFile(null, user.toFile(),
+				xdg.toFile(), FS.DETECTED);
+		config.load();
+		assertEquals("Archibald Ulysses Thor",
+				config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		assertEquals("a.u.thor@example.com",
+				config.getString("user", null, "email"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testOverwriteChild() throws Exception {
+		Path xdg = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("xdg.cfg");
+		Files.writeString(xdg, "[user]\n\tname = Archibald Ulysses Thor");
+		Path user = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("user.cfg");
+		Files.writeString(user, "[user]\n\temail = a.u.thor@example.com");
+		UserConfigFile config = new UserConfigFile(null, user.toFile(),
+				xdg.toFile(), FS.DETECTED);
+		config.load();
+		assertEquals("Archibald Ulysses Thor",
+				config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		assertEquals("a.u.thor@example.com",
+				config.getString("user", null, "email"));
+		config.setString("user", null, "name", "A U Thor");
+		assertEquals("A U Thor", config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		config.save();
+		UserConfigFile config2 = new UserConfigFile(null, user.toFile(),
+				xdg.toFile(), FS.DETECTED);
+		config2.load();
+		assertEquals("A U Thor", config2.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		assertEquals("a.u.thor@example.com",
+				config.getString("user", null, "email"));
+		FileBasedConfig cfg = new FileBasedConfig(null, xdg.toFile(),
+				FS.DETECTED);
+		cfg.load();
+		assertEquals("Archibald Ulysses Thor",
+				cfg.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		assertNull(cfg.getString("user", null, "email"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testUnset() throws Exception {
+		Path xdg = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("xdg.cfg");
+		Files.writeString(xdg, "[user]\n\tname = Archibald Ulysses Thor");
+		Path user = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("user.cfg");
+		Files.writeString(user, "[user]\n\temail = a.u.thor@example.com");
+		UserConfigFile config = new UserConfigFile(null, user.toFile(),
+				xdg.toFile(), FS.DETECTED);
+		config.load();
+		assertEquals("Archibald Ulysses Thor",
+				config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		assertEquals("a.u.thor@example.com",
+				config.getString("user", null, "email"));
+		config.setString("user", null, "name", "A U Thor");
+		assertEquals("A U Thor", config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		config.unset("user", null, "name");
+		assertEquals("Archibald Ulysses Thor",
+				config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		assertEquals("a.u.thor@example.com",
+				config.getString("user", null, "email"));
+		config.save();
+		UserConfigFile config2 = new UserConfigFile(null, user.toFile(),
+				xdg.toFile(), FS.DETECTED);
+		config2.load();
+		assertEquals("Archibald Ulysses Thor",
+				config2.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		assertEquals("a.u.thor@example.com",
+				config.getString("user", null, "email"));
+		FileBasedConfig cfg = new FileBasedConfig(null, user.toFile(),
+				FS.DETECTED);
+		cfg.load();
+		assertNull(cfg.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		assertEquals("a.u.thor@example.com",
+				cfg.getString("user", null, "email"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testUnsetSection() throws Exception {
+		Path xdg = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("xdg.cfg");
+		Files.writeString(xdg, "[user]\n\tname = Archibald Ulysses Thor");
+		Path user = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("user.cfg");
+		Files.writeString(user, "[user]\n\temail = a.u.thor@example.com");
+		UserConfigFile config = new UserConfigFile(null, user.toFile(),
+				xdg.toFile(), FS.DETECTED);
+		config.load();
+		assertEquals("Archibald Ulysses Thor",
+				config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		assertEquals("a.u.thor@example.com",
+				config.getString("user", null, "email"));
+		config.unsetSection("user", null);
+		assertEquals("Archibald Ulysses Thor",
+				config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		config.save();
+		assertTrue(Files.readString(user).strip().isEmpty());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testNoChild() throws Exception {
+		Path xdg = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("xdg.cfg");
+		Files.writeString(xdg, "[user]\n\tname = Archibald Ulysses Thor");
+		Path user = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("user.cfg");
+		UserConfigFile config = new UserConfigFile(null, user.toFile(),
+				xdg.toFile(), FS.DETECTED);
+		config.load();
+		assertEquals("Archibald Ulysses Thor",
+				config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		assertNull(config.getString("user", null, "email"));
+		config.setString("user", null, "email", "a.u.thor@example.com");
+		assertEquals("a.u.thor@example.com",
+				config.getString("user", null, "email"));
+		config.save();
+		assertFalse(Files.exists(user));
+		UserConfigFile config2 = new UserConfigFile(null, user.toFile(),
+				xdg.toFile(), FS.DETECTED);
+		config2.load();
+		assertEquals("Archibald Ulysses Thor",
+				config2.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		assertEquals("a.u.thor@example.com",
+				config2.getString("user", null, "email"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testNoFiles() throws Exception {
+		Path xdg = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("xdg.cfg");
+		Path user = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("user.cfg");
+		UserConfigFile config = new UserConfigFile(null, user.toFile(),
+				xdg.toFile(), FS.DETECTED);
+		config.load();
+		assertNull(config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		assertNull(config.getString("user", null, "email"));
+		config.setString("user", null, "name", "Archibald Ulysses Thor");
+		config.setString("user", null, "email", "a.u.thor@example.com");
+		assertEquals("Archibald Ulysses Thor",
+				config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		assertEquals("a.u.thor@example.com",
+				config.getString("user", null, "email"));
+		config.save();
+		assertTrue(Files.exists(user));
+		assertFalse(Files.exists(xdg));
+		UserConfigFile config2 = new UserConfigFile(null, user.toFile(),
+				xdg.toFile(), FS.DETECTED);
+		config2.load();
+		assertEquals("Archibald Ulysses Thor",
+				config2.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		assertEquals("a.u.thor@example.com",
+				config2.getString("user", null, "email"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testSetInXdg() throws Exception {
+		Path xdg = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("xdg.cfg");
+		Files.writeString(xdg, "[user]\n\tname = Archibald Ulysses Thor");
+		Path user = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("user.cfg");
+		UserConfigFile config = new UserConfigFile(null, user.toFile(),
+				xdg.toFile(), FS.DETECTED);
+		config.load();
+		assertEquals("Archibald Ulysses Thor",
+				config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		config.setString("user", null, "email", "a.u.thor@example.com");
+		config.save();
+		assertFalse(Files.exists(user));
+		FileBasedConfig cfg = new FileBasedConfig(null, xdg.toFile(),
+				FS.DETECTED);
+		cfg.load();
+		assertEquals("Archibald Ulysses Thor",
+				cfg.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		assertEquals("a.u.thor@example.com",
+				cfg.getString("user", null, "email"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testUserConfigCreated() throws Exception {
+		Path xdg = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("xdg.cfg");
+		Files.writeString(xdg, "[user]\n\tname = Archibald Ulysses Thor");
+		Path user = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("user.cfg");
+		Thread.sleep(3000); // Avoid racily clean isOutdated() below.
+		UserConfigFile config = new UserConfigFile(null, user.toFile(),
+				xdg.toFile(), FS.DETECTED);
+		config.load();
+		assertEquals("Archibald Ulysses Thor",
+				config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		Files.writeString(user,
+				"[user]\n\temail = a.u.thor@example.com\n\tname = A U Thor");
+		assertEquals("Archibald Ulysses Thor",
+				config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		assertTrue(config.isOutdated());
+		config.load();
+		assertEquals("A U Thor", config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		assertEquals("a.u.thor@example.com",
+				config.getString("user", null, "email"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testUserConfigDeleted() throws Exception {
+		Path xdg = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("xdg.cfg");
+		Files.writeString(xdg, "[user]\n\tname = Archibald Ulysses Thor");
+		Path user = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("user.cfg");
+		Files.writeString(user,
+				"[user]\n\temail = a.u.thor@example.com\n\tname = A U Thor");
+		Thread.sleep(3000); // Avoid racily clean isOutdated() below.
+		UserConfigFile config = new UserConfigFile(null, user.toFile(),
+				xdg.toFile(), FS.DETECTED);
+		config.load();
+		assertEquals("A U Thor", config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		assertEquals("a.u.thor@example.com",
+				config.getString("user", null, "email"));
+		Files.delete(user);
+		assertEquals("A U Thor", config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		assertEquals("a.u.thor@example.com",
+				config.getString("user", null, "email"));
+		assertTrue(config.isOutdated());
+		config.load();
+		assertEquals("Archibald Ulysses Thor",
+				config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		assertNull(config.getString("user", null, "email"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testXdgConfigDeleted() throws Exception {
+		Path xdg = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("xdg.cfg");
+		Files.writeString(xdg, "[user]\n\tname = Archibald Ulysses Thor");
+		Path user = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("user.cfg");
+		Thread.sleep(3000); // Avoid racily clean isOutdated() below.
+		UserConfigFile config = new UserConfigFile(null, user.toFile(),
+				xdg.toFile(), FS.DETECTED);
+		config.load();
+		assertEquals("Archibald Ulysses Thor",
+				config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		Files.delete(xdg);
+		assertEquals("Archibald Ulysses Thor",
+				config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		assertTrue(config.isOutdated());
+		config.load();
+		assertNull(config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testXdgConfigDeletedUserConfigExists() throws Exception {
+		Path xdg = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("xdg.cfg");
+		Files.writeString(xdg, "[user]\n\tname = Archibald Ulysses Thor");
+		Path user = tmp.getRoot().toPath().resolve("user.cfg");
+		Files.writeString(user,
+				"[user]\n\temail = a.u.thor@example.com\n\tname = A U Thor");
+		Thread.sleep(3000); // Avoid racily clean isOutdated() below.
+		UserConfigFile config = new UserConfigFile(null, user.toFile(),
+				xdg.toFile(), FS.DETECTED);
+		config.load();
+		assertEquals("A U Thor", config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+		Files.delete(xdg);
+		assertTrue(config.isOutdated());
+		config.load();
+		assertEquals("A U Thor", config.getString("user", null, "name"));
+	}
+
+}
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 0cccaec49..7e2c5b5ad 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/Config.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/Config.java
@@ -739,7 +739,7 @@ protected void fireConfigChangedEvent() {
 		listeners.dispatch(new ConfigChangedEvent());
 	}
 
-	String getRawString(final String section, final String subsection,
+	private String getRawString(final String section, final String subsection,
 			final String name) {
 		String[] lst = getRawStringList(section, subsection, name);
 		if (lst != null) {
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 80aceb4e7..a71549c92 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/DefaultTypedConfigGetter.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/DefaultTypedConfigGetter.java
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ public class DefaultTypedConfigGetter implements TypedConfigGetter {
 	@Override
 	public boolean getBoolean(Config config, String section, String subsection,
 			String name, boolean defaultValue) {
-		String n = config.getRawString(section, subsection, name);
+		String n = config.getString(section, subsection, name);
 		if (n == null) {
 			return defaultValue;
 		}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/storage/file/FileBasedConfig.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/storage/file/FileBasedConfig.java
index 910c5cbd8..7fdcc4d3e 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/storage/file/FileBasedConfig.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/storage/file/FileBasedConfig.java
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.text.MessageFormat;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
 
 import org.eclipse.jgit.errors.ConfigInvalidException;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.errors.LockFailedException;
@@ -52,6 +54,8 @@ public class FileBasedConfig extends StoredConfig {
 
 	private volatile ObjectId hash;
 
+	private AtomicBoolean exists = new AtomicBoolean();
+
 	/**
 	 * Create a configuration with no default fallback.
 	 *
@@ -99,6 +103,21 @@ public final File getFile() {
 		return configFile;
 	}
 
+	boolean exists() {
+		return exists.get();
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public void setStringList(String section, String subsection, String name,
+			List<String> values) {
+		super.setStringList(section, subsection, name, values);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public void unsetSection(String section, String subsection) {
+		super.unsetSection(section, subsection);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * {@inheritDoc}
 	 * <p>
@@ -144,6 +163,7 @@ public void load() throws IOException, ConfigInvalidException {
 				clear();
 				snapshot = lastSnapshot[0];
 			}
+			exists.set(wasRead != null);
 		} catch (IOException e) {
 			throw e;
 		} catch (Exception e) {
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/storage/file/UserConfigFile.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/storage/file/UserConfigFile.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2ad74c23c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/storage/file/UserConfigFile.java
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2023, Thomas Wolf <twolf@apache.org> and others
+ *
+ * This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the
+ * terms of the Eclipse Distribution License v. 1.0 which is available at
+ * https://www.eclipse.org/org/documents/edl-v10.php.
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+ */
+package org.eclipse.jgit.storage.file;
+
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.List;
+
+import org.eclipse.jgit.annotations.NonNull;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.errors.ConfigInvalidException;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Config;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.util.FS;
+
+/**
+ * User (global) git config based on two possible locations,
+ * {@code ~/.gitconfig} and {@code $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/git/config}.
+ * <p>
+ * For reading, both locations are considered, first the XDG file, then the file
+ * in the home directory. All updates occur in the last file read that exists,
+ * or in the home directory file if neither exists. In other words: if only the
+ * XDG file exists, it is updated, otherwise the home directory file is updated.
+ * </p>
+ *
+ * @since 6.7
+ */
+public class UserConfigFile extends FileBasedConfig {
+
+	private final FileBasedConfig parent;
+
+	/**
+	 * Creates a new {@link UserConfigFile}.
+	 *
+	 * @param parent
+	 *            parent {@link Config}; may be {@code null}
+	 * @param config
+	 *            {@link File} for {@code ~/.gitconfig}
+	 * @param xdgConfig
+	 *            {@link File} for {@code $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/.gitconfig}
+	 * @param fileSystem
+	 *            {@link FS} to use for the two files; normally
+	 *            {@link FS#DETECTED}
+	 */
+	public UserConfigFile(Config parent, @NonNull File config,
+			@NonNull File xdgConfig, @NonNull FS fileSystem) {
+		super(new FileBasedConfig(parent, xdgConfig, fileSystem), config,
+				fileSystem);
+		this.parent = (FileBasedConfig) getBaseConfig();
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public void setStringList(String section, String subsection, String name,
+			List<String> values) {
+		if (exists() || !parent.exists()) {
+			super.setStringList(section, subsection, name, values);
+		} else {
+			parent.setStringList(section, subsection, name, values);
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public void unset(String section, String subsection, String name) {
+		if (exists() || !parent.exists()) {
+			super.unset(section, subsection, name);
+		} else {
+			parent.unset(section, subsection, name);
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public void unsetSection(String section, String subsection) {
+		if (exists() || !parent.exists()) {
+			super.unsetSection(section, subsection);
+		} else {
+			parent.unsetSection(section, subsection);
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public boolean isOutdated() {
+		return super.isOutdated() || parent.isOutdated();
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public void load() throws IOException, ConfigInvalidException {
+		if (super.isOutdated()) {
+			super.load();
+		}
+		if (parent.isOutdated()) {
+			parent.load();
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public void save() throws IOException {
+		if (exists() || !parent.exists()) {
+			if (exists() || !toText().strip().isEmpty()) {
+				super.save();
+			}
+		} else {
+			parent.save();
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/SystemReader.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/SystemReader.java
index 991de51df..4a4876271 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/SystemReader.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/SystemReader.java
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.ObjectChecker;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.StoredConfig;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.storage.file.FileBasedConfig;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.storage.file.UserConfigFile;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.util.time.MonotonicClock;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.util.time.MonotonicSystemClock;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
@@ -124,8 +125,15 @@ public boolean isOutdated() {
 
 		@Override
 		public FileBasedConfig openUserConfig(Config parent, FS fs) {
-			return new FileBasedConfig(parent, new File(fs.userHome(), ".gitconfig"), //$NON-NLS-1$
-					fs);
+			File homeFile = new File(fs.userHome(), ".gitconfig"); //$NON-NLS-1$
+			Path xdgPath = getXdgConfigDirectory(fs);
+			if (xdgPath != null) {
+				Path configPath = xdgPath.resolve("git") //$NON-NLS-1$
+						.resolve(Constants.CONFIG);
+				return new UserConfigFile(parent, homeFile, configPath.toFile(),
+						fs);
+			}
+			return new FileBasedConfig(parent, homeFile, fs);
 		}
 
 		@Override