diff --git a/setup.c b/setup.c
index 6dbd096f20..c32d6e96bb 100644
--- a/setup.c
+++ b/setup.c
@@ -1755,6 +1755,37 @@ enum discovery_result discover_git_directory_reason(struct strbuf *commondir,
 	return result;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Check the repository format version in the path found in repo_get_git_dir(the_repository),
+ * and die if it is a version we don't understand. Generally one would
+ * set_git_dir() before calling this, and use it only for "are we in a valid
+ * repo?".
+ *
+ * If successful and fmt is not NULL, fill fmt with data.
+ */
+static void check_repository_format(struct repository *repo, struct repository_format *fmt)
+{
+	struct repository_format repo_fmt = REPOSITORY_FORMAT_INIT;
+	if (!fmt)
+		fmt = &repo_fmt;
+	check_repository_format_gently(repo, repo_get_git_dir(repo), fmt, NULL);
+	startup_info->have_repository = 1;
+	repo_set_hash_algo(repo, fmt->hash_algo);
+	repo_set_compat_hash_algo(repo, fmt->compat_hash_algo);
+	repo_set_ref_storage_format(repo,
+				    fmt->ref_storage_format,
+				    fmt->ref_storage_payload);
+	repo->repository_format_worktree_config =
+		fmt->worktree_config;
+	repo->repository_format_submodule_path_cfg =
+		fmt->submodule_path_cfg;
+	repo->repository_format_relative_worktrees =
+		fmt->relative_worktrees;
+	repo->repository_format_partial_clone =
+		xstrdup_or_null(fmt->partial_clone);
+	clear_repository_format(&repo_fmt);
+}
+
 const char *enter_repo(struct repository *repo, const char *path, unsigned flags)
 {
 	static struct strbuf validated_path = STRBUF_INIT;
@@ -1829,7 +1860,7 @@ const char *enter_repo(struct repository *repo, const char *path, unsigned flags
 
 	if (is_git_directory(".")) {
 		set_git_dir(repo, ".", 0);
-		check_repository_format(NULL);
+		check_repository_format(repo, NULL);
 		return path;
 	}
 
@@ -2104,29 +2135,6 @@ int git_config_perm(const char *var, const char *value)
 	return -(i & 0666);
 }
 
-void check_repository_format(struct repository_format *fmt)
-{
-	struct repository_format repo_fmt = REPOSITORY_FORMAT_INIT;
-	if (!fmt)
-		fmt = &repo_fmt;
-	check_repository_format_gently(the_repository, repo_get_git_dir(the_repository), fmt, NULL);
-	startup_info->have_repository = 1;
-	repo_set_hash_algo(the_repository, fmt->hash_algo);
-	repo_set_compat_hash_algo(the_repository, fmt->compat_hash_algo);
-	repo_set_ref_storage_format(the_repository,
-				    fmt->ref_storage_format,
-				    fmt->ref_storage_payload);
-	the_repository->repository_format_worktree_config =
-		fmt->worktree_config;
-	the_repository->repository_format_submodule_path_cfg =
-		fmt->submodule_path_cfg;
-	the_repository->repository_format_relative_worktrees =
-		fmt->relative_worktrees;
-	the_repository->repository_format_partial_clone =
-		xstrdup_or_null(fmt->partial_clone);
-	clear_repository_format(&repo_fmt);
-}
-
 /*
  * Returns the "prefix", a path to the current working directory
  * relative to the work tree root, or NULL, if the current working
@@ -2801,7 +2809,7 @@ int init_db(const char *git_dir, const char *real_git_dir,
 	 * config file, so this will not fail.  What we are catching
 	 * is an attempt to reinitialize new repository with an old tool.
 	 */
-	check_repository_format(&repo_fmt);
+	check_repository_format(the_repository, &repo_fmt);
 
 	repository_format_configure(the_repository, &repo_fmt, hash, ref_storage_format);
 
diff --git a/setup.h b/setup.h
index b779661ce7..a820041af0 100644
--- a/setup.h
+++ b/setup.h
@@ -221,16 +221,6 @@ void clear_repository_format(struct repository_format *format);
 int verify_repository_format(const struct repository_format *format,
 			     struct strbuf *err);
 
-/*
- * Check the repository format version in the path found in repo_get_git_dir(the_repository),
- * and die if it is a version we don't understand. Generally one would
- * set_git_dir() before calling this, and use it only for "are we in a valid
- * repo?".
- *
- * If successful and fmt is not NULL, fill fmt with data.
- */
-void check_repository_format(struct repository_format *fmt);
-
 const char *get_template_dir(const char *option_template);
 
 #define INIT_DB_QUIET      (1 << 0)