diff --git a/builtin/config.c b/builtin/config.c
index 75852bd79d..166568420b 100644
--- a/builtin/config.c
+++ b/builtin/config.c
@@ -776,6 +776,18 @@ static void location_options_init(struct config_location_options *opts,
 	}
 
 	if (opts->use_global_config) {
+		/*
+		 * Since global config is sourced from more than one location,
+		 * use `config.c#do_git_config_sequence()` with `opts->options`
+		 * to read it. However, writing global config should point to a
+		 * single destination, set in `opts->source.file`.
+		 */
+		opts->options.ignore_repo = 1;
+		opts->options.ignore_cmdline= 1;
+		opts->options.ignore_worktree = 1;
+		opts->options.ignore_system = 1;
+		opts->source.scope = CONFIG_SCOPE_GLOBAL;
+
 		opts->source.file = opts->file_to_free = git_global_config();
 		if (!opts->source.file)
 			/*
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index f1def0dcfb..084c62c82d 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -1538,22 +1538,27 @@ static int do_git_config_sequence(const struct config_options *opts,
 		worktree_config = NULL;
 	}
 
-	if (git_config_system() && system_config &&
+	if (!opts->ignore_system && git_config_system() && system_config &&
 	    !access_or_die(system_config, R_OK,
 			   opts->system_gently ? ACCESS_EACCES_OK : 0))
 		ret += git_config_from_file_with_options(fn, system_config,
 							 data, CONFIG_SCOPE_SYSTEM,
 							 NULL);
 
-	git_global_config_paths(&user_config, &xdg_config);
+	if (!opts->ignore_global) {
+		git_global_config_paths(&user_config, &xdg_config);
 
-	if (xdg_config && !access_or_die(xdg_config, R_OK, ACCESS_EACCES_OK))
-		ret += git_config_from_file_with_options(fn, xdg_config, data,
-							 CONFIG_SCOPE_GLOBAL, NULL);
+		if (xdg_config && !access_or_die(xdg_config, R_OK, ACCESS_EACCES_OK))
+			ret += git_config_from_file_with_options(fn, xdg_config, data,
+						CONFIG_SCOPE_GLOBAL, NULL);
 
-	if (user_config && !access_or_die(user_config, R_OK, ACCESS_EACCES_OK))
-		ret += git_config_from_file_with_options(fn, user_config, data,
-							 CONFIG_SCOPE_GLOBAL, NULL);
+		if (user_config && !access_or_die(user_config, R_OK, ACCESS_EACCES_OK))
+			ret += git_config_from_file_with_options(fn, user_config, data,
+						CONFIG_SCOPE_GLOBAL, NULL);
+
+		free(xdg_config);
+		free(user_config);
+	}
 
 	if (!opts->ignore_repo && repo_config &&
 	    !access_or_die(repo_config, R_OK, 0))
@@ -1572,8 +1577,6 @@ static int do_git_config_sequence(const struct config_options *opts,
 		die(_("unable to parse command-line config"));
 
 	free(system_config);
-	free(xdg_config);
-	free(user_config);
 	free(repo_config);
 	free(worktree_config);
 	return ret;
@@ -1603,7 +1606,8 @@ int config_with_options(config_fn_t fn, void *data,
 	 */
 	if (config_source && config_source->use_stdin) {
 		ret = git_config_from_stdin(fn, data, config_source->scope);
-	} else if (config_source && config_source->file) {
+	} else if (config_source && config_source->file &&
+		   config_source->scope != CONFIG_SCOPE_GLOBAL) {
 		ret = git_config_from_file_with_options(fn, config_source->file,
 							data, config_source->scope,
 							NULL);
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 19c87fc0bc..9425fe115d 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ typedef int (*config_parser_event_fn_t)(enum config_event_t type,
 
 struct config_options {
 	unsigned int respect_includes : 1;
+	unsigned int ignore_system : 1;
+	unsigned int ignore_global : 1;
 	unsigned int ignore_repo : 1;
 	unsigned int ignore_worktree : 1;
 	unsigned int ignore_cmdline : 1;
diff --git a/t/t1300-config.sh b/t/t1300-config.sh
index 61e44027bc..6eaed6d62c 100755
--- a/t/t1300-config.sh
+++ b/t/t1300-config.sh
@@ -2367,7 +2367,7 @@ test_expect_success 'list with nonexistent global config' '
 	git config ${mode_prefix}list --show-scope
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'list --global with nonexistent global config' '
+test_expect_failure 'list --global with nonexistent global config' '
 	rm -rf "$HOME"/.gitconfig "$HOME"/.config/git/config &&
 	test_must_fail git config ${mode_prefix}list --global --show-scope
 '
@@ -2424,7 +2424,7 @@ test_expect_success 'list --global with both home and xdg' '
 	global	file:$HOME/.gitconfig	home.config=true
 	EOF
 	git config ${mode_prefix}list --global --show-scope --show-origin >output &&
-	! test_cmp expect output
+	test_cmp expect output
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'override global and system config' '
@@ -2478,7 +2478,7 @@ test_expect_success 'override global and system config' '
 	test_cmp expect output
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'override global and system config with missing file' '
+test_expect_failure 'override global and system config with missing file' '
 	test_must_fail env GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL=does-not-exist GIT_CONFIG_SYSTEM=/dev/null git config ${mode_prefix}list --global &&
 	test_must_fail env GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL=/dev/null GIT_CONFIG_SYSTEM=does-not-exist git config ${mode_prefix}list --system &&
 	GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL=does-not-exist GIT_CONFIG_SYSTEM=does-not-exist git version
diff --git a/t/t1306-xdg-files.sh b/t/t1306-xdg-files.sh
index 0318755799..475bd26aba 100755
--- a/t/t1306-xdg-files.sh
+++ b/t/t1306-xdg-files.sh
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ test_expect_success 'read with --list: xdg file exists and ~/.gitconfig exists'
 	echo user.name=read_config >expected &&
 	echo user.name=read_gitconfig >>expected &&
 	git config --global --list >actual &&
-	! test_cmp expected actual
+	test_cmp expected actual
 '