diff --git a/Documentation/git-instaweb.txt b/Documentation/git-instaweb.txt
index 2c3c4d2994..4d0349ffc2 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-instaweb.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-instaweb.txt
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ SYNOPSIS
 --------
 [verse]
 'git instaweb' [--local] [--httpd=<httpd>] [--port=<port>]
-               [--browser=<browser>]
+	       [--browser=<browser>] [--reuse-config]
 'git instaweb' [--start] [--stop] [--restart]
 
 DESCRIPTION
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ OPTIONS
 	linkgit:git-web--browse[1] for more information about this. If
 	the script fails, the URL will be printed to stdout.
 
+--reuse-config::
+	The previous gitweb_config.perl will not be overwritten.
+
 --start::
 	Start the httpd instance and exit.  This does not generate
 	any of the configuration files for spawning a new instance.
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 18f9223412..01428aec50 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ lib = lib
 # DESTDIR=
 pathsep = :
 
-export prefix bindir sharedir sysconfdir
+export prefix bindir sharedir sysconfdir gitwebdir
 
 CC = gcc
 AR = ar
@@ -2055,7 +2055,7 @@ install: all
 	$(MAKE) -C templates DESTDIR='$(DESTDIR_SQ)' install
 ifndef NO_PERL
 	$(MAKE) -C perl prefix='$(prefix_SQ)' DESTDIR='$(DESTDIR_SQ)' install
-	$(MAKE) -C gitweb gitwebdir=$(gitwebdir_SQ) install
+	$(MAKE) -C gitweb install
 endif
 ifndef NO_PYTHON
 	$(MAKE) -C git_remote_helpers prefix='$(prefix_SQ)' DESTDIR='$(DESTDIR_SQ)' install
diff --git a/git-instaweb.sh b/git-instaweb.sh
index 6635fbefdf..5e0d1da477 100755
--- a/git-instaweb.sh
+++ b/git-instaweb.sh
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ p,port=        the port to bind to
 d,httpd=       the command to launch
 b,browser=     the browser to launch
 m,module-path= the module path (only needed for apache2)
+reuse-config    reuse previous gitweb_config.perl from GIT_DIR
  Action
 stop           stop the web server
 start          start the web server
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@ httpd="$(git config --get instaweb.httpd)"
 root="$(git config --get instaweb.gitwebdir)"
 port=$(git config --get instaweb.port)
 module_path="$(git config --get instaweb.modulepath)"
+no_reuse=true
 
 conf="$GIT_DIR/gitweb/httpd.conf"
 
@@ -171,6 +173,10 @@ do
 		shift
 		module_path="$1"
 		;;
+	--reuse-config)
+		shift
+		no_reuse=false
+		;;
 	--)
 		;;
 	*)
@@ -551,7 +557,7 @@ our \$projects_list = \$projectroot;
 EOF
 }
 
-gitweb_conf
+test "$no_reuse" = true || test ! -e "$GITWEB_CONFIG" && gitweb_conf
 
 resolve_full_httpd
 mkdir -p "$fqgitdir/gitweb/$httpd_only"