diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 5c035dae57..8821d54dd5 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -753,14 +753,6 @@ extern int ref_paranoia;
 extern char comment_line_char;
 extern int auto_comment_line_char;
 
-/* Windows only */
-enum hide_dotfiles_type {
-	HIDE_DOTFILES_FALSE = 0,
-	HIDE_DOTFILES_TRUE,
-	HIDE_DOTFILES_DOTGITONLY
-};
-extern enum hide_dotfiles_type hide_dotfiles;
-
 enum branch_track {
 	BRANCH_TRACK_UNSPECIFIED = -1,
 	BRANCH_TRACK_NEVER = 0,
diff --git a/compat/mingw.c b/compat/mingw.c
index 97e953465e..27b6aaa907 100644
--- a/compat/mingw.c
+++ b/compat/mingw.c
@@ -202,8 +202,25 @@ static int ask_yes_no_if_possible(const char *format, ...)
 	}
 }
 
+/* Windows only */
+enum hide_dotfiles_type {
+	HIDE_DOTFILES_FALSE = 0,
+	HIDE_DOTFILES_TRUE,
+	HIDE_DOTFILES_DOTGITONLY
+};
+
+static enum hide_dotfiles_type hide_dotfiles = HIDE_DOTFILES_DOTGITONLY;
+
 int mingw_core_config(const char *var, const char *value)
 {
+	if (!strcmp(var, "core.hidedotfiles")) {
+		if (value && !strcasecmp(value, "dotgitonly"))
+			hide_dotfiles = HIDE_DOTFILES_DOTGITONLY;
+		else
+			hide_dotfiles = git_config_bool(var, value);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 8fdb30cbed..b805534902 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -1009,14 +1009,6 @@ static int git_default_core_config(const char *var, const char *value)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	if (!strcmp(var, "core.hidedotfiles")) {
-		if (value && !strcasecmp(value, "dotgitonly"))
-			hide_dotfiles = HIDE_DOTFILES_DOTGITONLY;
-		else
-			hide_dotfiles = git_config_bool(var, value);
-		return 0;
-	}
-
 	/* Add other config variables here and to Documentation/config.txt. */
 	return platform_core_config(var, value);
 }
diff --git a/environment.c b/environment.c
index 4bce3eebfa..3487c3aed4 100644
--- a/environment.c
+++ b/environment.c
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@ int core_apply_sparse_checkout;
 int merge_log_config = -1;
 int precomposed_unicode = -1; /* see probe_utf8_pathname_composition() */
 unsigned long pack_size_limit_cfg;
-enum hide_dotfiles_type hide_dotfiles = HIDE_DOTFILES_DOTGITONLY;
 
 #ifndef PROTECT_HFS_DEFAULT
 #define PROTECT_HFS_DEFAULT 0