diff --git a/Config.hs b/Config.hs
index d9ad80eed7..4af4f12842 100644
--- a/Config.hs
+++ b/Config.hs
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
  - Licensed under the GNU GPL version 3 or higher.
  -}
 
+{-# LANGUAGE TypeSynonymInstances, FlexibleInstances #-}
+
 module Config where
 
 import Common.Annex
@@ -14,6 +16,7 @@ import qualified Git.Command
 import qualified Annex
 import Config.Cost
 import Types.Availability
+import Git.Types
 
 type UnqualifiedConfigKey = String
 data ConfigKey = ConfigKey String
@@ -41,10 +44,19 @@ reloadConfig = Annex.changeGitRepo =<< inRepo Git.Config.reRead
 unsetConfig :: ConfigKey -> Annex ()
 unsetConfig (ConfigKey key) = void $ inRepo $ Git.Config.unset key
 
+class RemoteNameable r where
+	getRemoteName :: r -> RemoteName
+
+instance RemoteNameable Git.Repo where
+	getRemoteName r = fromMaybe "" (Git.remoteName r)
+
+instance RemoteNameable RemoteName where
+	 getRemoteName = id
+
 {- A per-remote config setting in git config. -}
-remoteConfig :: Git.Repo -> UnqualifiedConfigKey -> ConfigKey
+remoteConfig :: RemoteNameable r => r -> UnqualifiedConfigKey -> ConfigKey
 remoteConfig r key = ConfigKey $
-	"remote." ++ fromMaybe "" (Git.remoteName r) ++ ".annex-" ++ key
+	"remote." ++ getRemoteName r ++ ".annex-" ++ key
 
 {- A global annex setting in git config. -}
 annexConfig :: UnqualifiedConfigKey -> ConfigKey
diff --git a/Remote/Helper/Special.hs b/Remote/Helper/Special.hs
index 956d482736..60bf123a5d 100644
--- a/Remote/Helper/Special.hs
+++ b/Remote/Helper/Special.hs
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import Common.Annex
 import Types.StoreRetrieve
 import Types.Remote
 import Crypto
+import Config
 import Config.Cost
 import Utility.Metered
 import Remote.Helper.Chunked as X
@@ -44,7 +45,6 @@ import Remote.Helper.Messages
 import Annex.Content
 import Messages.Progress
 import qualified Git
-import qualified Git.Command
 import qualified Git.Construct
 
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as L
@@ -66,13 +66,10 @@ findSpecialRemotes s = do
 {- Sets up configuration for a special remote in .git/config. -}
 gitConfigSpecialRemote :: UUID -> RemoteConfig -> String -> String -> Annex ()
 gitConfigSpecialRemote u c k v = do
-	set ("annex-"++k) v
-	set ("annex-uuid") (fromUUID u)
+	setConfig (remoteConfig remotename k) v
+	setConfig (remoteConfig remotename "uuid") (fromUUID u)
   where
-	set a b = inRepo $ Git.Command.run
-		[Param "config", Param (configsetting a), Param b]
 	remotename = fromJust (M.lookup "name" c)
-	configsetting s = "remote." ++ remotename ++ "." ++ s
 
 -- Use when nothing needs to be done to prepare a helper.
 simplyPrepare :: helper -> Preparer helper