diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 5d2cc0ad..61bf87d7 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -6,14 +6,18 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 
+	"github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/fs"
 	"github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/git"
 	"github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/tools"
+	"github.com/rubyist/tracerx"
 )
 
 var (
 	ShowConfigWarnings     = false
+	LocalReferenceDir      string // alternative local media dir (relative to clone reference repo)
 	defaultRemote          = "origin"
 	gitConfigWarningPrefix = "lfs."
 )
@@ -33,7 +37,7 @@ type Configuration struct {
 	// version.
 	gitConfig *git.Configuration
 
-	fs *fs
+	fs *fs.Filesystem
 
 	CurrentRemote string
 
@@ -174,18 +178,15 @@ func (c *Configuration) InRepo() bool {
 }
 
 func (c *Configuration) LocalWorkingDir() string {
-	c.ResolveGitBasicDirs()
-	return c.fs.WorkingDir
+	return c.Filesystem().WorkingDir
 }
 
 func (c *Configuration) LocalGitDir() string {
-	c.ResolveGitBasicDirs()
-	return c.fs.GitDir
+	return c.Filesystem().GitDir
 }
 
 func (c *Configuration) LocalGitStorageDir() string {
-	c.ResolveGitBasicDirs()
-	return c.fs.GitStorageDir
+	return c.Filesystem().GitStorageDir
 }
 
 func (c *Configuration) LocalReferenceDir() string {
@@ -193,8 +194,7 @@ func (c *Configuration) LocalReferenceDir() string {
 }
 
 func (c *Configuration) LocalLogDir() string {
-	c.ResolveGitBasicDirs()
-	return c.fs.LogDir
+	return c.Filesystem().LogDir
 }
 
 func (c *Configuration) SetLocalLogDir(s string) {
@@ -254,13 +254,30 @@ func (c *Configuration) UnsetGitLocalKey(file, key string) (string, error) {
 	return c.gitConfig.UnsetLocalKey(file, key)
 }
 
-func (c *Configuration) ResolveGitBasicDirs() {
+func (c *Configuration) Filesystem() *fs.Filesystem {
 	c.loading.Lock()
 	defer c.loading.Unlock()
 
 	if c.fs == nil {
-		c.fs = resolveGitBasicDirs()
+		gitdir, workdir, err := git.GitAndRootDirs()
+		if err != nil {
+			errMsg := err.Error()
+			tracerx.Printf("Error running 'git rev-parse': %s", errMsg)
+			if !strings.Contains(errMsg, "Not a git repository") {
+				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Error: %s\n", errMsg)
+			}
+			c.fs = &fs.Filesystem{}
+		} else {
+			c.fs = fs.New(gitdir, workdir, "")
+			LocalReferenceDir = c.fs.ReferenceDir
+		}
 	}
+
+	return c.fs
+}
+
+func (c *Configuration) ResolveGitBasicDirs() {
+	c.Filesystem()
 }
 
 // loadGitConfig is a temporary measure to support legacy behavior dependent on
diff --git a/config/filesystem.go b/fs/fs.go
similarity index 67%
rename from config/filesystem.go
rename to fs/fs.go
index 39687f91..0e530477 100644
--- a/config/filesystem.go
+++ b/fs/fs.go
@@ -1,61 +1,44 @@
-package config
+package fs
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
-	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
-	"github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/git"
 	"github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/tools"
-	"github.com/rubyist/tracerx"
 )
 
-var (
-	LocalReferenceDir string // alternative local media dir (relative to clone reference repo)
-)
-
-type fs struct {
+type Filesystem struct {
 	WorkingDir    string
-	GitDir        string // parent of index / config / hooks etc
-	GitStorageDir string // parent of objects/lfs (may be same as LocalGitDir but may not)
+	GitDir        string // parent of index / config / hooks etc. Default: ".git"
+	GitStorageDir string // parent of objects/lfs (may be same as GitDir but may not)
+	LFSStorageDir string // parent of lfs objects and tmp dirs. Default: ".git/lfs"
 	ReferenceDir  string // alternative local media dir (relative to clone reference repo)
 	LogDir        string
 }
 
-func (f *fs) InRepo() bool {
+func (f *Filesystem) InRepo() bool {
 	if f == nil {
 		return false
 	}
 	return len(f.GitDir) > 0
 }
 
-// Determins the LocalWorkingDir, LocalGitDir etc
-func resolveGitBasicDirs() *fs {
-	localGitDir, localWorkingDir, err := git.GitAndRootDirs()
-	if err != nil {
-		errMsg := err.Error()
-		tracerx.Printf("Error running 'git rev-parse': %s", errMsg)
-		if !strings.Contains(errMsg, "Not a git repository") {
-			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Error: %s\n", errMsg)
-		}
-		return &fs{}
-	}
-
+// New initializes a new *Filesystem with the given directories. gitdir is the
+// path to the bare repo, workdir is the path to the repository working
+// directory, and lfsdir is the optional path to the `.git/lfs` directory.
+func New(gitdir, workdir, lfsdir string) *Filesystem {
 	// Make sure we've fully evaluated symlinks, failure to do consistently
 	// can cause discrepancies
-	localGitDir = tools.ResolveSymlinks(localGitDir)
-	localWorkingDir = tools.ResolveSymlinks(localWorkingDir)
-	localGitStorageDir := resolveGitStorageDir(localGitDir)
-	LocalReferenceDir = resolveReferenceDir(localGitStorageDir)
-
-	return &fs{
-		GitDir:        localGitDir,
-		WorkingDir:    localWorkingDir,
-		GitStorageDir: localGitStorageDir,
-		ReferenceDir:  LocalReferenceDir,
+	fs := &Filesystem{
+		GitDir:     tools.ResolveSymlinks(gitdir),
+		WorkingDir: tools.ResolveSymlinks(workdir),
 	}
+
+	fs.GitStorageDir = resolveGitStorageDir(fs.GitDir)
+	fs.ReferenceDir = resolveReferenceDir(fs.GitStorageDir)
+
+	return fs
 }
 
 func resolveReferenceDir(gitStorageDir string) string {