diff --git a/autoload/gitgutter.vim b/autoload/gitgutter.vim
index f77045d..fc784e1 100644
--- a/autoload/gitgutter.vim
+++ b/autoload/gitgutter.vim
@@ -119,6 +119,12 @@ endfunction
 
 " }}}
 
+
+function! gitgutter#git()
+  return g:gitgutter_git_executable.' '.g:gitgutter_git_args
+endfunction
+
+
 function! gitgutter#setup_maps()
   if !g:gitgutter_map_keys
     return
@@ -195,14 +201,14 @@ endfunction
 " - it ignores unsaved changes in buffers
 " - it does not change to the repo root
 function! gitgutter#quickfix(current_file)
-  let cmd = g:gitgutter_git_executable.' '.g:gitgutter_git_args.' rev-parse --show-cdup'
+  let cmd = gitgutter#git().' rev-parse --show-cdup'
   let path_to_repo = get(systemlist(cmd), 0, '')
   if !empty(path_to_repo) && path_to_repo[-1:] != '/'
     let path_to_repo .= '/'
   endif
 
   let locations = []
-  let cmd = g:gitgutter_git_executable.' '.g:gitgutter_git_args.' --no-pager'.
+  let cmd = gitgutter#git().' --no-pager'.
         \ ' diff --no-ext-diff --no-color -U0'.
         \ ' --src-prefix=a/'.path_to_repo.' --dst-prefix=b/'.path_to_repo.' '.
         \ g:gitgutter_diff_args. ' '. g:gitgutter_diff_base
@@ -251,7 +257,7 @@ function! gitgutter#difforig()
   if g:gitgutter_diff_relative_to ==# 'index'
     let index_name = gitgutter#utility#get_diff_base(bufnr).':'.path
     let cmd = gitgutter#utility#cd_cmd(bufnr,
-          \ g:gitgutter_git_executable.' '.g:gitgutter_git_args.' --no-pager show '.index_name
+          \ gitgutter#git().' --no-pager show '.index_name
           \ )
     " NOTE: this uses &shell to execute cmd.  Perhaps we should use instead
     " gitgutter#utility's use_known_shell() / restore_shell() functions.
diff --git a/autoload/gitgutter/diff.vim b/autoload/gitgutter/diff.vim
index 220dd29..a3edb12 100644
--- a/autoload/gitgutter/diff.vim
+++ b/autoload/gitgutter/diff.vim
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ let s:hunk_re = '^@@ -\(\d\+\),\?\(\d*\) +\(\d\+\),\?\(\d*\) @@'
 
 " True for git v1.7.2+.
 function! s:git_supports_command_line_config_override() abort
-  call gitgutter#utility#system(g:gitgutter_git_executable.' '.g:gitgutter_git_args.' -c foo.bar=baz --version')
+  call gitgutter#utility#system(gitgutter#git().' -c foo.bar=baz --version')
   return !v:shell_error
 endfunction
 
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ function! gitgutter#diff#run_diff(bufnr, from, preserve_full_diff) abort
   " doesn't work for this case.
   if !empty(g:gitgutter_diff_base)
     let index_name = gitgutter#utility#get_diff_base(a:bufnr).':'.gitgutter#utility#repo_path(a:bufnr, 1)
-    let cmd = g:gitgutter_git_executable.' '.g:gitgutter_git_args.' --no-pager show '.index_name
+    let cmd = gitgutter#git().' --no-pager show '.index_name
     let cmd = gitgutter#utility#cd_cmd(a:bufnr, cmd)
     call gitgutter#utility#system(cmd)
     if v:shell_error
@@ -138,14 +138,14 @@ function! gitgutter#diff#run_diff(bufnr, from, preserve_full_diff) abort
 
     " Write file from index to temporary file.
     let index_name = gitgutter#utility#get_diff_base(a:bufnr).':'.gitgutter#utility#repo_path(a:bufnr, 1)
-    let cmd .= g:gitgutter_git_executable.' '.g:gitgutter_git_args.' --no-pager show --textconv '.index_name.' > '.from_file.' && '
+    let cmd .= gitgutter#git().' --no-pager show --textconv '.index_name.' > '.from_file.' && '
 
   elseif a:from ==# 'working_tree'
     let from_file = gitgutter#utility#repo_path(a:bufnr, 1)
   endif
 
   " Call git-diff.
-  let cmd .= g:gitgutter_git_executable.' '.g:gitgutter_git_args.' --no-pager'
+  let cmd .= gitgutter#git().' --no-pager'
   if s:c_flag
     let cmd .= ' -c "diff.autorefreshindex=0"'
     let cmd .= ' -c "diff.noprefix=false"'
diff --git a/autoload/gitgutter/hunk.vim b/autoload/gitgutter/hunk.vim
index 55ee411..1e09ce8 100644
--- a/autoload/gitgutter/hunk.vim
+++ b/autoload/gitgutter/hunk.vim
@@ -302,8 +302,7 @@ function! s:stage(hunk_diff)
       let path = gitgutter#utility#repo_path(bufnr, 1)
       " Add file to index.
       let cmd = gitgutter#utility#cd_cmd(bufnr,
-            \ g:gitgutter_git_executable.' '.g:gitgutter_git_args.
-            \ ' add '.
+            \ gitgutter#git().' add '.
             \ gitgutter#utility#shellescape(gitgutter#utility#filename(bufnr)))
       call gitgutter#utility#system(cmd)
     else
@@ -314,7 +313,7 @@ function! s:stage(hunk_diff)
     let diff = s:adjust_header(bufnr, a:hunk_diff)
     " Apply patch to index.
     call gitgutter#utility#system(
-          \ gitgutter#utility#cd_cmd(bufnr, g:gitgutter_git_executable.' '.g:gitgutter_git_args.' apply --cached --unidiff-zero - '),
+          \ gitgutter#utility#cd_cmd(bufnr, gitgutter#git().' apply --cached --unidiff-zero - '),
           \ diff)
   endif
 
diff --git a/autoload/gitgutter/utility.vim b/autoload/gitgutter/utility.vim
index e662cfa..657b1a2 100644
--- a/autoload/gitgutter/utility.vim
+++ b/autoload/gitgutter/utility.vim
@@ -150,8 +150,7 @@ function! gitgutter#utility#set_repo_path(bufnr, continuation) abort
 
   call gitgutter#utility#setbufvar(a:bufnr, 'path', -1)
   let cmd = gitgutter#utility#cd_cmd(a:bufnr,
-        \ g:gitgutter_git_executable.' '.g:gitgutter_git_args.
-        \ ' ls-files -v --error-unmatch --full-name -z -- '.
+        \ gitgutter#git().' ls-files -v --error-unmatch --full-name -z -- '.
         \ gitgutter#utility#shellescape(gitgutter#utility#filename(a:bufnr)))
 
   if g:gitgutter_async && gitgutter#async#available() && !has('vim_starting')
@@ -182,8 +181,7 @@ function! gitgutter#utility#clean_smudge_filter_applies(bufnr)
   let filtered = gitgutter#utility#getbufvar(a:bufnr, 'filter', -1)
   if filtered == -1
     let cmd = gitgutter#utility#cd_cmd(a:bufnr,
-          \ g:gitgutter_git_executable.' '.g:gitgutter_git_args.
-          \ ' check-attr filter -- '.
+          \ gitgutter#git().' check-attr filter -- '.
           \ gitgutter#utility#shellescape(gitgutter#utility#filename(a:bufnr)))
     let out = gitgutter#utility#system(cmd)
     let filtered = out !~ 'unspecified'