3 files changed, 7 insertions, 3 deletions
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 61fc86e6d7..c7aa6f4bfe 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -410,6 +410,7 @@ static inline enum object_type object_type(unsigned int mode)
 #define GIT_WORK_TREE_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_WORK_TREE"
 #define GIT_PREFIX_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_PREFIX"
 #define GIT_SUPER_PREFIX_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_INTERNAL_SUPER_PREFIX"
+#define GIT_TOPLEVEL_PREFIX_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_INTERNAL_TOPLEVEL_PREFIX"
 #define DEFAULT_GIT_DIR_ENVIRONMENT ".git"
 #define DB_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY"
 #define INDEX_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_INDEX_FILE"
diff --git a/git.c b/git.c
index c887272b12..51bad41274 100644
--- a/git.c
+++ b/git.c
@@ -361,8 +361,6 @@ static int run_builtin(struct cmd_struct *p, int argc, const char **argv)
 	if (!help && get_super_prefix()) {
 		if (!(p->option & SUPPORT_SUPER_PREFIX))
 			die("%s doesn't support --super-prefix", p->cmd);
-		if (prefix)
-			die("can't use --super-prefix from a subdirectory");
 	}
 
 	if (!help && p->option & NEED_WORK_TREE)
diff --git a/setup.c b/setup.c
index 967f289f1e..56cd68ba93 100644
--- a/setup.c
+++ b/setup.c
@@ -939,9 +939,14 @@ static const char *setup_git_directory_gently_1(int *nongit_ok)
 
 const char *setup_git_directory_gently(int *nongit_ok)
 {
-	const char *prefix;
+	const char *prefix, *env_prefix;
 
 	prefix = setup_git_directory_gently_1(nongit_ok);
+	env_prefix = getenv(GIT_TOPLEVEL_PREFIX_ENVIRONMENT);
+
+	if (env_prefix)
+		prefix = env_prefix;
+
 	if (prefix)
 		setenv(GIT_PREFIX_ENVIRONMENT, prefix, 1);
 	else