diff --git a/builtin/add.c b/builtin/add.c
index 6137e7b4ad..e01efdfc50 100644
--- a/builtin/add.c
+++ b/builtin/add.c
@@ -365,7 +365,10 @@ static int add_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	return git_color_default_config(var, value, cb);
+	if (git_color_config(var, value, cb) < 0)
+		return -1;
+
+	return git_default_config(var, value, cb);
 }
 
 static const char embedded_advice[] = N_(
diff --git a/builtin/branch.c b/builtin/branch.c
index 075e580d22..8337b9e71b 100644
--- a/builtin/branch.c
+++ b/builtin/branch.c
@@ -117,7 +117,10 @@ static int git_branch_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	return git_color_default_config(var, value, cb);
+	if (git_color_config(var, value, cb) < 0)
+		return -1;
+
+	return git_default_config(var, value, cb);
 }
 
 static const char *branch_get_color(enum color_branch ix)
diff --git a/builtin/clean.c b/builtin/clean.c
index 78852d28ce..57e7f7cac6 100644
--- a/builtin/clean.c
+++ b/builtin/clean.c
@@ -130,8 +130,10 @@ static int git_clean_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	/* inspect the color.ui config variable and others */
-	return git_color_default_config(var, value, cb);
+	if (git_color_config(var, value, cb) < 0)
+		return -1;
+
+	return git_default_config(var, value, cb);
 }
 
 static const char *clean_get_color(enum color_clean ix)
diff --git a/builtin/grep.c b/builtin/grep.c
index b86c754def..76cf999d31 100644
--- a/builtin/grep.c
+++ b/builtin/grep.c
@@ -293,7 +293,10 @@ static int wait_all(void)
 static int grep_cmd_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 {
 	int st = grep_config(var, value, cb);
-	if (git_color_default_config(var, value, NULL) < 0)
+
+	if (git_color_config(var, value, cb) < 0)
+		st = -1;
+	else if (git_default_config(var, value, cb) < 0)
 		st = -1;
 
 	if (!strcmp(var, "grep.threads")) {
diff --git a/builtin/show-branch.c b/builtin/show-branch.c
index 7ef4a642c1..a2461270d4 100644
--- a/builtin/show-branch.c
+++ b/builtin/show-branch.c
@@ -579,7 +579,10 @@ static int git_show_branch_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	return git_color_default_config(var, value, cb);
+	if (git_color_config(var, value, cb) < 0)
+		return -1;
+
+	return git_default_config(var, value, cb);
 }
 
 static int omit_in_dense(struct commit *commit, struct commit **rev, int n)
diff --git a/builtin/tag.c b/builtin/tag.c
index 49b64c7a28..1acf5f7a59 100644
--- a/builtin/tag.c
+++ b/builtin/tag.c
@@ -209,7 +209,11 @@ static int git_tag_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 
 	if (starts_with(var, "column."))
 		return git_column_config(var, value, "tag", &colopts);
-	return git_color_default_config(var, value, cb);
+
+	if (git_color_config(var, value, cb) < 0)
+		return -1;
+
+	return git_default_config(var, value, cb);
 }
 
 static void write_tag_body(int fd, const struct object_id *oid)
diff --git a/color.c b/color.c
index 83abb11eda..b24b19566b 100644
--- a/color.c
+++ b/color.c
@@ -430,14 +430,6 @@ int git_color_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb UNUSED)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int git_color_default_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
-{
-	if (git_color_config(var, value, cb) < 0)
-		return -1;
-
-	return git_default_config(var, value, cb);
-}
-
 void color_print_strbuf(FILE *fp, const char *color, const struct strbuf *sb)
 {
 	if (*color)
diff --git a/color.h b/color.h
index cfc8f841b2..bb28343be2 100644
--- a/color.h
+++ b/color.h
@@ -88,12 +88,8 @@ extern const int column_colors_ansi_max;
  */
 extern int color_stdout_is_tty;
 
-/*
- * Use the first one if you need only color config; the second is a convenience
- * if you are just going to change to git_default_config, too.
- */
+/* Parse color config. */
 int git_color_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb);
-int git_color_default_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb);
 
 /*
  * Parse a config option, which can be a boolean or one of