diff --git a/git/git.go b/git/git.go
index c28160c0..515e0143 100644
--- a/git/git.go
+++ b/git/git.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -340,3 +341,31 @@ func GetCommitSummary(commit string) (*CommitSummary, error) {
 	}
 
 }
+
+func RootDir() (string, error) {
+	cmd := execCommand("git", "rev-parse", "--show-toplevel")
+	out, err := cmd.Output()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("Failed to call git rev-parse --show-toplevel: %v %v", err, string(out))
+	}
+
+	path := strings.TrimSpace(string(out))
+	if len(path) > 0 {
+		return filepath.Abs(path)
+	}
+	return "", nil
+
+}
+func GitDir() (string, error) {
+	cmd := execCommand("git", "rev-parse", "--git-dir")
+	out, err := cmd.Output()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("Failed to call git rev-parse --git-dir: %v %v", err, string(out))
+	}
+	path := strings.TrimSpace(string(out))
+	if len(path) > 0 {
+		return filepath.Abs(path)
+	}
+	return "", nil
+
+}
diff --git a/lfs/lfs.go b/lfs/lfs.go
index 79081347..d31f641d 100644
--- a/lfs/lfs.go
+++ b/lfs/lfs.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/github/git-lfs/git"
 	"github.com/github/git-lfs/vendor/_nuts/github.com/rubyist/tracerx"
 )
 
@@ -145,12 +146,7 @@ func resolveGitDir() (string, string, error) {
 		return processGitDirVar(gitDir, workTree)
 	}
 
-	wd, err := os.Getwd()
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", "", err
-	}
-
-	workTreeR, gitDirR, err := recursiveResolveGitDir(wd)
+	workTreeR, gitDirR, err := resolveGitDirFromCurrentDir()
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", "", err
 	}
@@ -195,32 +191,19 @@ func processWorkTreeVar(gitDir, workTree string) (string, string, error) {
 	return absWorkTree, gitDir, nil
 }
 
-func recursiveResolveGitDir(dir string) (string, string, error) {
-	var cleanDir = filepath.Clean(dir)
-	if cleanDir[len(cleanDir)-1] == os.PathSeparator {
-		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("Git repository not found")
-	}
+func resolveGitDirFromCurrentDir() (string, string, error) {
 
-	if filepath.Base(dir) == gitExt {
-		// We're in the `.git` directory.  Make no assumptions about the working directory.
-		return "", dir, nil
-	}
-
-	gitDir := filepath.Join(dir, gitExt)
-	info, err := os.Stat(gitDir)
+	// Get root of the git working dir
+	gitDir, err := git.GitDir()
 	if err != nil {
-		// Found neither a directory nor a file named `.git`.
-		// Move one directory up.
-		return recursiveResolveGitDir(filepath.Dir(dir))
+		return "", "", err
 	}
 
-	if !info.IsDir() {
-		// Found a file named `.git` (we're in a submodule).
-		return resolveDotGitFile(gitDir)
-	}
+	// Allow this to fail, will do so if GIT_DIR isn't set but GIT_WORK_TREE is rel
+	// Dealt with by parent
+	rootDir, _ := git.RootDir()
 
-	// Found the `.git` directory.
-	return dir, gitDir, nil
+	return rootDir, gitDir, nil
 }
 
 func resolveDotGitFile(file string) (string, string, error) {
diff --git a/test/test-env.sh b/test/test-env.sh
index 034575e4..28e1008e 100755
--- a/test/test-env.sh
+++ b/test/test-env.sh
@@ -323,21 +323,6 @@ git config filter.lfs.clean = \"\"
   actual5=$(GIT_DIR=$gitDir GIT_WORK_TREE=a/b git lfs env)
   [ "$expected5" = "$actual5" ]
 
-  expected6=$(printf "%s\n%s\n
-LocalWorkingDir=$TRASHDIR/$reponame/a/b
-LocalGitDir=$TRASHDIR/$reponame/.git
-LocalGitStorageDir=$TRASHDIR/$reponame/.git
-LocalMediaDir=$TRASHDIR/$reponame/.git/lfs/objects
-TempDir=$TRASHDIR/$reponame/.git/lfs/tmp
-ConcurrentTransfers=3
-BatchTransfer=true
-$(GIT_WORK_TREE=a/b env | grep "^GIT")
-git config filter.lfs.smudge = \"\"
-git config filter.lfs.clean = \"\"
-" "$(git lfs version)" "$(git version)")
-  actual6=$(GIT_WORK_TREE=a/b git lfs env)
-  [ "$expected6" = "$actual6" ]
-
   cd $TRASHDIR/$reponame/a/b
   expected7=$(printf "%s\n%s\n
 LocalWorkingDir=$TRASHDIR/$reponame/a/b
@@ -369,3 +354,28 @@ $(GIT_WORK_TREE=$workTree env | grep "^GIT")
   [ "$expected8" = "$actual8" ]
 )
 end_test
+
+
+begin_test "env with bare repo"
+(
+  set -e
+  reponame="env-with-bare-repo"
+  git init --bare $reponame
+  cd $reponame
+
+  expected=$(printf "%s\n%s\n
+LocalWorkingDir=
+LocalGitDir=$TRASHDIR/$reponame
+LocalGitStorageDir=$TRASHDIR/$reponame
+LocalMediaDir=$TRASHDIR/$reponame/lfs/objects
+TempDir=$TRASHDIR/$reponame/lfs/tmp
+ConcurrentTransfers=3
+BatchTransfer=true
+$(env | grep "^GIT")
+%s
+" "$(git lfs version)" "$(git version)" "$envInitConfig")
+  actual=$(git lfs env)
+  [ "$expected" = "$actual" ]
+
+)
+end_test