diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index f8e298bd01..3bf86aeea8 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -2068,6 +2068,20 @@ int git_config_key_is_valid(const char *key)
 	return !git_config_parse_key_1(key, NULL, NULL, 1);
 }
 
+static int lock_config_file(const char *config_filename,
+		struct lock_file **result)
+{
+	int fd;
+
+	*result = xcalloc(1, sizeof(struct lock_file));
+	fd = hold_lock_file_for_update(*result, config_filename, 0);
+	if (fd < 0)
+		error("could not lock config file %s: %s", config_filename,
+				strerror(errno));
+
+	return fd;
+}
+
 /*
  * If value==NULL, unset in (remove from) config,
  * if value_regex!=NULL, disregard key/value pairs where value does not match.
@@ -2119,8 +2133,7 @@ int git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(const char *config_filename,
 	 * The lock serves a purpose in addition to locking: the new
 	 * contents of .git/config will be written into it.
 	 */
-	lock = xcalloc(1, sizeof(struct lock_file));
-	fd = hold_lock_file_for_update(lock, config_filename, 0);
+	fd = lock_config_file(config_filename, &lock);
 	if (fd < 0) {
 		error_errno("could not lock config file %s", config_filename);
 		free(store.key);
@@ -2426,12 +2439,9 @@ int git_config_rename_section_in_file(const char *config_filename,
 	if (!config_filename)
 		config_filename = filename_buf = git_pathdup("config");
 
-	lock = xcalloc(1, sizeof(struct lock_file));
-	out_fd = hold_lock_file_for_update(lock, config_filename, 0);
-	if (out_fd < 0) {
-		ret = error("could not lock config file %s", config_filename);
+	out_fd = lock_config_file(config_filename, &lock);
+	if (out_fd < 0)
 		goto out;
-	}
 
 	if (!(config_file = fopen(config_filename, "rb"))) {
 		/* no config file means nothing to rename, no error */