diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
index af357740c..0dc6b6158 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ Import-Package: com.googlecode.javaewah;version="[0.7.9,0.8.0)",
  org.hamcrest;version="[1.1.0,2.0.0)",
  org.junit;version="[4.4.0,5.0.0)",
  org.junit.experimental.theories;version="[4.4.0,5.0.0)",
+ org.junit.rules;version="[4.11.0,5.0.0)",
  org.junit.runner;version="[4.4.0,5.0.0)",
  org.junit.runners;version="[4.11.0,5.0.0)",
  org.slf4j;version="[1.7.2,2.0.0)"
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/ConfigTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/ConfigTest.java
index 6c6100e11..6d07d34d3 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/ConfigTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/ConfigTest.java
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ import static org.junit.Assert.assertSame;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
 
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.text.MessageFormat;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Iterator;
@@ -64,18 +67,29 @@ import java.util.Set;
 
 import org.eclipse.jgit.api.MergeCommand.FastForwardMode;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.errors.ConfigInvalidException;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.internal.JGitText;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.junit.MockSystemReader;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.merge.MergeConfig;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.storage.file.FileBasedConfig;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.util.FS;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.util.SystemReader;
 import org.junit.After;
+import org.junit.Rule;
 import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.rules.ExpectedException;
+import org.junit.rules.TemporaryFolder;
 
 /**
  * Test reading of git config
  */
 public class ConfigTest {
 
+	@Rule
+	public ExpectedException expectedEx = ExpectedException.none();
+
+	@Rule
+	public TemporaryFolder tmp = new TemporaryFolder();
+
 	@After
 	public void tearDown() {
 		SystemReader.setInstance(null);
@@ -745,6 +759,75 @@ public class ConfigTest {
 		assertTrue(c.getBoolean("foo", "bar", false));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testIncludeInvalidName() throws ConfigInvalidException {
+		expectedEx.expect(ConfigInvalidException.class);
+		expectedEx.expectMessage(JGitText.get().invalidLineInConfigFile);
+		parse("[include]\nbar\n");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testIncludeNoValue() throws ConfigInvalidException {
+		expectedEx.expect(ConfigInvalidException.class);
+		expectedEx.expectMessage(JGitText.get().invalidLineInConfigFile);
+		parse("[include]\npath\n");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testIncludeEmptyValue() throws ConfigInvalidException {
+		expectedEx.expect(ConfigInvalidException.class);
+		expectedEx.expectMessage(JGitText.get().invalidLineInConfigFile);
+		parse("[include]\npath=\n");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testIncludeValuePathNotFound() throws ConfigInvalidException {
+		String notFound = "/not/found";
+		expectedEx.expect(ConfigInvalidException.class);
+		expectedEx.expectMessage(notFound);
+		parse("[include]\npath=" + notFound + "\n");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testIncludeTooManyRecursions() throws IOException {
+		File config = tmp.newFile("config");
+		String include = "[include]\npath=" + config.toPath() + "\n";
+		Files.write(config.toPath(), include.getBytes());
+		FileBasedConfig fbConfig = new FileBasedConfig(null, config,
+				FS.DETECTED);
+		try {
+			fbConfig.load();
+			fail();
+		} catch (ConfigInvalidException cie) {
+			assertEquals(JGitText.get().tooManyIncludeRecursions,
+					cie.getCause().getMessage());
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testInclude() throws IOException, ConfigInvalidException {
+		File config = tmp.newFile("config");
+		File more = tmp.newFile("config.more");
+		File other = tmp.newFile("config.other");
+
+		String fooBar = "[foo]\nbar=true\n";
+		String includeMore = "[include]\npath=" + more.toPath() + "\n";
+		String includeOther = "path=" + other.toPath() + "\n";
+		String fooPlus = fooBar + includeMore + includeOther;
+		Files.write(config.toPath(), fooPlus.getBytes());
+
+		String fooMore = "[foo]\nmore=bar\n";
+		Files.write(more.toPath(), fooMore.getBytes());
+
+		String otherMore = "[other]\nmore=bar\n";
+		Files.write(other.toPath(), otherMore.getBytes());
+
+		Config parsed = parse("[include]\npath=" + config.toPath() + "\n");
+		assertTrue(parsed.getBoolean("foo", "bar", false));
+		assertEquals("bar", parsed.getString("foo", null, "more"));
+		assertEquals("bar", parsed.getString("other", null, "more"));
+	}
+
 	private static void assertReadLong(long exp) throws ConfigInvalidException {
 		assertReadLong(exp, String.valueOf(exp));
 	}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/resources/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.properties b/org.eclipse.jgit/resources/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.properties
index a99bd7e91..f7d9374bd 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/resources/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.properties
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/resources/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.properties
@@ -337,6 +337,7 @@ invalidId0=Invalid id
 invalidIdLength=Invalid id length {0}; should be {1}
 invalidIgnoreParamSubmodule=Found invalid ignore param for submodule {0}.
 invalidIgnoreRule=Exception caught while parsing ignore rule ''{0}''.
+invalidIncludedPathInConfigFile=Invalid included path in config file: {0}
 invalidIntegerValue=Invalid integer value: {0}.{1}={2}
 invalidKey=Invalid key: {0}
 invalidLineInConfigFile=Invalid line in config file
@@ -592,6 +593,7 @@ tagNameInvalid=tag name {0} is invalid
 tagOnRepoWithoutHEADCurrentlyNotSupported=Tag on repository without HEAD currently not supported
 theFactoryMustNotBeNull=The factory must not be null
 timerAlreadyTerminated=Timer already terminated
+tooManyIncludeRecursions=Too many recursions; circular includes in config file(s)?
 topologicalSortRequired=Topological sort required.
 transactionAborted=transaction aborted
 transportExceptionBadRef=Empty ref: {0}: {1}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.java
index dc640fe31..d07c001b6 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.java
@@ -396,6 +396,7 @@ public class JGitText extends TranslationBundle {
 	/***/ public String invalidIdLength;
 	/***/ public String invalidIgnoreParamSubmodule;
 	/***/ public String invalidIgnoreRule;
+	/***/ public String invalidIncludedPathInConfigFile;
 	/***/ public String invalidIntegerValue;
 	/***/ public String invalidKey;
 	/***/ public String invalidLineInConfigFile;
@@ -652,6 +653,7 @@ public class JGitText extends TranslationBundle {
 	/***/ public String transactionAborted;
 	/***/ public String theFactoryMustNotBeNull;
 	/***/ public String timerAlreadyTerminated;
+	/***/ public String tooManyIncludeRecursions;
 	/***/ public String topologicalSortRequired;
 	/***/ public String transportExceptionBadRef;
 	/***/ public String transportExceptionEmptyRef;
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/Config.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/Config.java
index 70c3997d5..b8eba3acc 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/Config.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/Config.java
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@
 
 package org.eclipse.jgit.lib;
 
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.IOException;
 import java.text.MessageFormat;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collections;
@@ -64,6 +66,8 @@ import org.eclipse.jgit.events.ConfigChangedListener;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.events.ListenerHandle;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.events.ListenerList;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.internal.JGitText;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.util.IO;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.util.RawParseUtils;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.util.StringUtils;
 
 
@@ -75,6 +79,7 @@ public class Config {
 	private static final long KiB = 1024;
 	private static final long MiB = 1024 * KiB;
 	private static final long GiB = 1024 * MiB;
+	private static final int MAX_DEPTH = 999;
 
 	/** the change listeners */
 	private final ListenerList listeners = new ListenerList();
@@ -1027,6 +1032,15 @@ public class Config {
 	 *             made to {@code this}.
 	 */
 	public void fromText(final String text) throws ConfigInvalidException {
+		state.set(newState(fromTextRecurse(text, 1)));
+	}
+
+	private List<ConfigLine> fromTextRecurse(final String text, int depth)
+			throws ConfigInvalidException {
+		if (depth > MAX_DEPTH) {
+			throw new ConfigInvalidException(
+					JGitText.get().tooManyIncludeRecursions);
+		}
 		final List<ConfigLine> newEntries = new ArrayList<ConfigLine>();
 		final StringReader in = new StringReader(text);
 		ConfigLine last = null;
@@ -1085,11 +1099,38 @@ public class Config {
 				} else
 					e.value = readValue(in, false, -1);
 
+				if (e.section.equals("include")) { //$NON-NLS-1$
+					addIncludedConfig(newEntries, e, depth);
+				}
 			} else
 				throw new ConfigInvalidException(JGitText.get().invalidLineInConfigFile);
 		}
 
-		state.set(newState(newEntries));
+		return newEntries;
+	}
+
+	private void addIncludedConfig(final List<ConfigLine> newEntries,
+			ConfigLine line, int depth) throws ConfigInvalidException {
+		if (!line.name.equals("path") || //$NON-NLS-1$
+				line.value == null || line.value.equals(MAGIC_EMPTY_VALUE)) {
+			throw new ConfigInvalidException(
+					JGitText.get().invalidLineInConfigFile);
+		}
+		File path = new File(line.value);
+		try {
+			byte[] bytes = IO.readFully(path);
+			String decoded;
+			if (isUtf8(bytes)) {
+				decoded = RawParseUtils.decode(RawParseUtils.UTF8_CHARSET,
+						bytes, 3, bytes.length);
+			} else {
+				decoded = RawParseUtils.decode(bytes);
+			}
+			newEntries.addAll(fromTextRecurse(decoded, depth + 1));
+		} catch (IOException ioe) {
+			throw new ConfigInvalidException(MessageFormat.format(
+					JGitText.get().invalidIncludedPathInConfigFile, path));
+		}
 	}
 
 	private ConfigSnapshot newState() {