diff --git a/Documentation/config/status.txt b/Documentation/config/status.txt
index 2ff8237f8fc458..8caf90f51c19a3 100644
--- a/Documentation/config/status.txt
+++ b/Documentation/config/status.txt
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ status.showUntrackedFiles::
 --
 +
 If this variable is not specified, it defaults to 'normal'.
+All usual spellings for Boolean value `true` are taken as `normal`
+and `false` as `no`.
 This variable can be overridden with the -u|--untracked-files option
 of linkgit:git-status[1] and linkgit:git-commit[1].
 
diff --git a/Documentation/git-commit.txt b/Documentation/git-commit.txt
index a6cef5d8203877..89ecfc63a8d07f 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-commit.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-commit.txt
@@ -347,6 +347,8 @@ The possible options are:
 	- 'normal' - Shows untracked files and directories
 	- 'all'    - Also shows individual files in untracked directories.
 
+All usual spellings for Boolean value `true` are taken as `normal`
+and `false` as `no`.
 The default can be changed using the status.showUntrackedFiles
 configuration variable documented in linkgit:git-config[1].
 --
diff --git a/Documentation/git-status.txt b/Documentation/git-status.txt
index 4dbb88373bcdda..1561319eb274a3 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-status.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-status.txt
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ Consider enabling untracked cache and split index if supported (see
 `git update-index --untracked-cache` and `git update-index
 --split-index`), Otherwise you can use `no` to have `git status`
 return more quickly without showing untracked files.
+All usual spellings for Boolean value `true` are taken as `normal`
+and `false` as `no`.
 
 The default can be changed using the status.showUntrackedFiles
 configuration variable documented in linkgit:git-config[1].
diff --git a/builtin/commit.c b/builtin/commit.c
index e61e459ca9685c..ddf4198c92c280 100644
--- a/builtin/commit.c
+++ b/builtin/commit.c
@@ -1163,6 +1163,17 @@ static enum untracked_status_type parse_untracked_setting_name(const char *u)
 	 * Please update $__git_untracked_file_modes in
 	 * git-completion.bash when you add new options
 	 */
+	switch (git_parse_maybe_bool(u)) {
+	case 0:
+		u = "no";
+		break;
+	case 1:
+		u = "normal";
+		break;
+	default:
+		break;
+	}
+
 	if (!strcmp(u, "no"))
 		return SHOW_NO_UNTRACKED_FILES;
 	else if (!strcmp(u, "normal"))
@@ -1469,8 +1480,6 @@ static int git_status_config(const char *k, const char *v,
 	if (!strcmp(k, "status.showuntrackedfiles")) {
 		enum untracked_status_type u;
 
-		if (!v)
-			return config_error_nonbool(k);
 		u = parse_untracked_setting_name(v);
 		if (u == SHOW_UNTRACKED_FILES_ERROR)
 			return error(_("Invalid untracked files mode '%s'"), v);
diff --git a/t/t7508-status.sh b/t/t7508-status.sh
index a3c18a4fc2764a..e9afa5996843e8 100755
--- a/t/t7508-status.sh
+++ b/t/t7508-status.sh
@@ -419,14 +419,19 @@ Changes not staged for commit:
 Untracked files not listed (use -u option to show untracked files)
 EOF
 	git status -uno >output &&
+	test_cmp expect output &&
+	git status -ufalse >output &&
 	test_cmp expect output
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'status (status.showUntrackedFiles no)' '
-	test_config status.showuntrackedfiles no &&
-	git status >output &&
-	test_cmp expect output
-'
+for no in no false 0
+do
+	test_expect_success "status (status.showUntrackedFiles $no)" '
+		test_config status.showuntrackedfiles "$no" &&
+		git status >output &&
+		test_cmp expect output
+	'
+done
 
 test_expect_success 'status -uno (advice.statusHints false)' '
 	cat >expect <<EOF &&
@@ -488,14 +493,21 @@ Untracked files:
 
 EOF
 	git status -unormal >output &&
+	test_cmp expect output &&
+	git status -utrue >output &&
+	test_cmp expect output &&
+	git status -uyes >output &&
 	test_cmp expect output
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'status (status.showUntrackedFiles normal)' '
-	test_config status.showuntrackedfiles normal &&
-	git status >output &&
-	test_cmp expect output
-'
+for normal in normal true 1
+do
+	test_expect_success "status (status.showUntrackedFiles $normal)" '
+		test_config status.showuntrackedfiles $normal &&
+		git status >output &&
+		test_cmp expect output
+	'
+done
 
 cat >expect <<EOF
  M dir1/modified