diff --git a/src/attrcache.c b/src/attrcache.c
index 4df14ee..5416189 100644
--- a/src/attrcache.c
+++ b/src/attrcache.c
@@ -290,14 +290,16 @@
 		const char *cfgval = entry->value;
 
 		/* expand leading ~/ as needed */
-		if (cfgval && cfgval[0] == '~' && cfgval[1] == '/' &&
-			!git_sysdir_find_global_file(&buf, &cfgval[2]))
-			*out = git_buf_detach(&buf);
-		else if (cfgval)
+		if (cfgval && cfgval[0] == '~' && cfgval[1] == '/') {
+			if (! (error = git_sysdir_expand_global_file(&buf, &cfgval[2])))
+				*out = git_buf_detach(&buf);
+		} else if (cfgval) {
 			*out = git__strdup(cfgval);
+		}
 	}
-	else if (!git_sysdir_find_xdg_file(&buf, fallback))
+	else if (!git_sysdir_find_xdg_file(&buf, fallback)) {
 		*out = git_buf_detach(&buf);
+	}
 
 	git_config_entry_free(entry);
 	git_buf_free(&buf);
diff --git a/src/config.c b/src/config.c
index cbcea2e..169a628 100644
--- a/src/config.c
+++ b/src/config.c
@@ -1358,9 +1358,6 @@
 
 int git_config_parse_path(git_buf *out, const char *value)
 {
-	int error = 0;
-	const git_buf *home;
-
 	assert(out && value);
 
 	git_buf_sanitize(out);
@@ -1371,16 +1368,7 @@
 			return -1;
 		}
 
-		if ((error = git_sysdir_get(&home, GIT_SYSDIR_GLOBAL)) < 0)
-			return error;
-
-		git_buf_sets(out, home->ptr);
-		git_buf_puts(out, value + 1);
-
-		if (git_buf_oom(out))
-			return -1;
-
-		return 0;
+		return git_sysdir_expand_global_file(out, value[1] ? &value[2] : NULL);
 	}
 
 	return git_buf_sets(out, value);
diff --git a/src/config_file.c b/src/config_file.c
index 7df43c8..2302d33 100644
--- a/src/config_file.c
+++ b/src/config_file.c
@@ -1256,7 +1256,7 @@
 {
 	/* From the user's home */
 	if (path[0] == '~' && path[1] == '/')
-		return git_sysdir_find_global_file(out, &path[1]);
+		return git_sysdir_expand_global_file(out, &path[1]);
 
 	return git_path_join_unrooted(out, path, dir, NULL);
 }
diff --git a/src/sysdir.c b/src/sysdir.c
index ed11221..9312a7e 100644
--- a/src/sysdir.c
+++ b/src/sysdir.c
@@ -275,3 +275,14 @@
 		path, NULL, GIT_SYSDIR_TEMPLATE, "template");
 }
 
+int git_sysdir_expand_global_file(git_buf *path, const char *filename)
+{
+	int error;
+
+	if ((error = git_sysdir_find_global_file(path, NULL)) == 0) {
+		if (filename)
+			error = git_buf_joinpath(path, path->ptr, filename);
+	}
+
+	return error;
+}
diff --git a/src/sysdir.h b/src/sysdir.h
index 1187898..79f2381 100644
--- a/src/sysdir.h
+++ b/src/sysdir.h
@@ -55,6 +55,18 @@
  */
 extern int git_sysdir_find_template_dir(git_buf *path);
 
+/**
+ * Expand the name of a "global" file (i.e. one in a user's home
+ * directory).  Unlike `find_global_file` (above), this makes no
+ * attempt to check for the existence of the file, and is useful if
+ * you want the full path regardless of existence.
+ *
+ * @param path buffer to write the full path into
+ * @param filename name of file in the home directory
+ * @return 0 on success or -1 on error
+ */
+extern int git_sysdir_expand_global_file(git_buf *path, const char *filename);
+
 typedef enum {
 	GIT_SYSDIR_SYSTEM = 0,
 	GIT_SYSDIR_GLOBAL = 1,
diff --git a/tests/config/include.c b/tests/config/include.c
index 882b89b..0a07c9b 100644
--- a/tests/config/include.c
+++ b/tests/config/include.c
@@ -108,6 +108,26 @@
 	git_config_free(cfg);
 }
 
+void test_config_include__missing_homedir(void)
+{
+	git_config *cfg;
+	git_buf buf = GIT_BUF_INIT;
+
+	cl_git_pass(git_libgit2_opts(GIT_OPT_SET_SEARCH_PATH, GIT_CONFIG_LEVEL_GLOBAL, cl_fixture("config")));
+	cl_git_mkfile("including", "[include]\npath = ~/.nonexistentfile\n[foo]\nbar = baz");
+
+	giterr_clear();
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_open_ondisk(&cfg, "including"));
+	cl_assert(giterr_last() == NULL);
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_get_string_buf(&buf, cfg, "foo.bar"));
+	cl_assert_equal_s("baz", git_buf_cstr(&buf));
+
+	git_buf_free(&buf);
+	git_config_free(cfg);
+
+	cl_sandbox_set_search_path_defaults();
+}
+
 #define replicate10(s) s s s s s s s s s s
 void test_config_include__depth2(void)
 {