diff --git a/include/git2/common.h b/include/git2/common.h
index d7df7327e..bb2e63637 100644
--- a/include/git2/common.h
+++ b/include/git2/common.h
@@ -136,7 +136,9 @@ typedef enum {
 	GIT_OPT_SET_CACHE_OBJECT_LIMIT,
 	GIT_OPT_SET_CACHE_MAX_SIZE,
 	GIT_OPT_ENABLE_CACHING,
-	GIT_OPT_GET_CACHED_MEMORY
+	GIT_OPT_GET_CACHED_MEMORY,
+	GIT_OPT_GET_TEMPLATE_PATH,
+	GIT_OPT_SET_TEMPLATE_PATH
 } git_libgit2_opt_t;
 
 /**
@@ -210,6 +212,18 @@ typedef enum {
  *		> Get the current bytes in cache and the maximum that would be
  *		> allowed in the cache.
  *
+ *	* opts(GIT_OPT_GET_SEARCH_PATH, char *out, size_t len)
+ *
+ *		> Get the default template path.
+ *		> The path is written to the `out`
+ *		> buffer up to size `len`.  Returns GIT_EBUFS if buffer is too small.
+ *
+ *	* opts(GIT_OPT_SET_TEMPLATE_PATH, const char *path)
+ *
+ *		> Set the default template path.
+ *		>
+ *		> - `path` directory of template.
+ *
  * @param option Option key
  * @param ... value to set the option
  * @return 0 on success, <0 on failure
diff --git a/src/fileops.c b/src/fileops.c
index bd845e982..5a5041cc3 100644
--- a/src/fileops.c
+++ b/src/fileops.c
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ clean_up:
 static int git_futils_guess_system_dirs(git_buf *out)
 {
 #ifdef GIT_WIN32
-	return git_win32__find_system_dirs(out);
+	return git_win32__find_system_dirs(out, L"etc\\");
 #else
 	return git_buf_sets(out, "/etc");
 #endif
@@ -615,15 +615,25 @@ static int git_futils_guess_xdg_dirs(git_buf *out)
 #endif
 }
 
+static int git_futils_guess_template_dirs(git_buf *out)
+{
+#ifdef GIT_WIN32
+	return git_win32__find_system_dirs(out, L"share\\git-core\\templates");
+#else
+	return git_buf_sets(out, "/usr/share/git-core/templates");
+#endif
+}
+
 typedef int (*git_futils_dirs_guess_cb)(git_buf *out);
 
 static git_buf git_futils__dirs[GIT_FUTILS_DIR__MAX] =
-	{ GIT_BUF_INIT, GIT_BUF_INIT, GIT_BUF_INIT };
+	{ GIT_BUF_INIT, GIT_BUF_INIT, GIT_BUF_INIT, GIT_BUF_INIT };
 
 static git_futils_dirs_guess_cb git_futils__dir_guess[GIT_FUTILS_DIR__MAX] = {
 	git_futils_guess_system_dirs,
 	git_futils_guess_global_dirs,
 	git_futils_guess_xdg_dirs,
+	git_futils_guess_template_dirs,
 };
 
 static void git_futils_dirs_global_shutdown(void)
@@ -746,7 +756,8 @@ static int git_futils_find_in_dirlist(
 			continue;
 
 		GITERR_CHECK_ERROR(git_buf_set(path, scan, len));
-		GITERR_CHECK_ERROR(git_buf_joinpath(path, path->ptr, name));
+		if (name)
+			GITERR_CHECK_ERROR(git_buf_joinpath(path, path->ptr, name));
 
 		if (git_path_exists(path->ptr))
 			return 0;
@@ -775,6 +786,12 @@ int git_futils_find_xdg_file(git_buf *path, const char *filename)
 		path, filename, GIT_FUTILS_DIR_XDG, "global/xdg");
 }
 
+int git_futils_find_template_dir(git_buf *path)
+{
+	return git_futils_find_in_dirlist(
+		path, NULL, GIT_FUTILS_DIR_TEMPLATE, "template");
+}
+
 int git_futils_fake_symlink(const char *old, const char *new)
 {
 	int retcode = GIT_ERROR;
diff --git a/src/fileops.h b/src/fileops.h
index 16bc58e93..6bd693b99 100644
--- a/src/fileops.h
+++ b/src/fileops.h
@@ -306,11 +306,20 @@ extern int git_futils_find_xdg_file(git_buf *path, const char *filename);
  */
 extern int git_futils_find_system_file(git_buf *path, const char *filename);
 
+/**
+ * Find template directory.
+ *
+ * @param path buffer to write the full path into
+ * @return 0 if found, GIT_ENOTFOUND if not found, or -1 on other OS error
+ */
+extern int git_futils_find_template_dir(git_buf *path);
+
 typedef enum {
 	GIT_FUTILS_DIR_SYSTEM = 0,
 	GIT_FUTILS_DIR_GLOBAL = 1,
 	GIT_FUTILS_DIR_XDG    = 2,
-	GIT_FUTILS_DIR__MAX   = 3,
+	GIT_FUTILS_DIR_TEMPLATE = 3,
+	GIT_FUTILS_DIR__MAX   = 4,
 } git_futils_dir_t;
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/repository.c b/src/repository.c
index 76e8228b7..d1b7d9131 100644
--- a/src/repository.c
+++ b/src/repository.c
@@ -33,8 +33,6 @@
 
 #define GIT_REPO_VERSION 0
 
-#define GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR "/usr/share/git-core/templates"
-
 static void set_odb(git_repository *repo, git_odb *odb)
 {
 	if (odb) {
@@ -1136,6 +1134,9 @@ static int repo_init_structure(
 	if (external_tpl) {
 		git_config *cfg;
 		const char *tdir;
+		git_buf template_buf = GIT_BUF_INIT;
+
+		git_futils_find_template_dir(&template_buf);
 
 		if (opts->template_path)
 			tdir = opts->template_path;
@@ -1150,7 +1151,7 @@ static int repo_init_structure(
 				return error;
 
 			giterr_clear();
-			tdir = GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR;
+			tdir = template_buf.ptr;
 		}
 
 		error = git_futils_cp_r(tdir, repo_dir,
@@ -1158,14 +1159,17 @@ static int repo_init_structure(
 			GIT_CPDIR_SIMPLE_TO_MODE, dmode);
 
 		if (error < 0) {
-			if (strcmp(tdir, GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR) != 0)
+			if (strcmp(tdir, template_buf.ptr) != 0) {
+				git_buf_free(&template_buf);
 				return error;
+			}
 
 			/* if template was default, ignore error and use internal */
 			giterr_clear();
 			external_tpl = false;
 			error = 0;
 		}
+		git_buf_free(&template_buf);
 	}
 
 	/* Copy internal template
diff --git a/src/util.c b/src/util.c
index 151782346..162ed6f70 100644
--- a/src/util.c
+++ b/src/util.c
@@ -117,6 +117,19 @@ int git_libgit2_opts(int key, ...)
 		*(va_arg(ap, ssize_t *)) = git_cache__current_storage.val;
 		*(va_arg(ap, ssize_t *)) = git_cache__max_storage;
 		break;
+
+	case GIT_OPT_GET_TEMPLATE_PATH:
+		{
+			char *out = va_arg(ap, char *);
+			size_t outlen = va_arg(ap, size_t);
+
+			error = git_futils_dirs_get_str(out, outlen, GIT_FUTILS_DIR_TEMPLATE);
+		}
+		break;
+
+	case GIT_OPT_SET_TEMPLATE_PATH:
+		error = git_futils_dirs_set(GIT_FUTILS_DIR_TEMPLATE, va_arg(ap, const char *));
+		break;
 	}
 
 	va_end(ap);
diff --git a/src/win32/findfile.c b/src/win32/findfile.c
index d8b8f60ca..a9e812e28 100644
--- a/src/win32/findfile.c
+++ b/src/win32/findfile.c
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ static wchar_t* win32_walkpath(wchar_t *path, wchar_t *buf, size_t buflen)
 	return (path != base) ? path : NULL;
 }
 
-static int win32_find_git_in_path(git_buf *buf, const wchar_t *gitexe)
+static int win32_find_git_in_path(git_buf *buf, const wchar_t *gitexe, const wchar_t *subdir)
 {
 	wchar_t *env = _wgetenv(L"PATH"), lastch;
 	struct git_win32__path root;
@@ -110,8 +110,8 @@ static int win32_find_git_in_path(git_buf *buf, const wchar_t *gitexe)
 		wcscpy(&root.path[root.len], gitexe);
 
 		if (_waccess(root.path, F_OK) == 0 && root.len > 5) {
-			/* replace "bin\\" or "cmd\\" with "etc\\" */
-			wcscpy(&root.path[root.len - 4], L"etc\\");
+			/* replace "bin\\" or "cmd\\" with subdir */
+			wcscpy(&root.path[root.len - 4], subdir);
 
 			win32_path_to_8(buf, root.path);
 			return 0;
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ static int win32_find_git_in_path(git_buf *buf, const wchar_t *gitexe)
 }
 
 static int win32_find_git_in_registry(
-	git_buf *buf, const HKEY hieve, const wchar_t *key)
+	git_buf *buf, const HKEY hieve, const wchar_t *key, const wchar_t *subdir)
 {
 	HKEY hKey;
 	DWORD dwType = REG_SZ;
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ static int win32_find_git_in_registry(
 				return -1;
 			}
 
-			wcscat(path16.path, L"etc\\");
+			wcscat(path16.path, subdir);
 			path16.len += 4;
 
 			win32_path_to_8(buf, path16.path);
@@ -180,26 +180,26 @@ static int win32_find_existing_dirs(
 	return (git_buf_oom(out) ? -1 : 0);
 }
 
-int git_win32__find_system_dirs(git_buf *out)
+int git_win32__find_system_dirs(git_buf *out, const wchar_t *subdir)
 {
 	git_buf buf = GIT_BUF_INIT;
 
 	/* directories where git.exe & git.cmd are found */
-	if (!win32_find_git_in_path(&buf, L"git.exe") && buf.size)
+	if (!win32_find_git_in_path(&buf, L"git.exe", subdir) && buf.size)
 		git_buf_set(out, buf.ptr, buf.size);
 	else
 		git_buf_clear(out);
 
-	if (!win32_find_git_in_path(&buf, L"git.cmd") && buf.size)
+	if (!win32_find_git_in_path(&buf, L"git.cmd", subdir) && buf.size)
 		git_buf_join(out, GIT_PATH_LIST_SEPARATOR, out->ptr, buf.ptr);
 
 	/* directories where git is installed according to registry */
 	if (!win32_find_git_in_registry(
-			&buf, HKEY_CURRENT_USER, REG_MSYSGIT_INSTALL_LOCAL) && buf.size)
+			&buf, HKEY_CURRENT_USER, REG_MSYSGIT_INSTALL_LOCAL, subdir) && buf.size)
 		git_buf_join(out, GIT_PATH_LIST_SEPARATOR, out->ptr, buf.ptr);
 
 	if (!win32_find_git_in_registry(
-			&buf, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, REG_MSYSGIT_INSTALL) && buf.size)
+			&buf, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, REG_MSYSGIT_INSTALL, subdir) && buf.size)
 		git_buf_join(out, GIT_PATH_LIST_SEPARATOR, out->ptr, buf.ptr);
 
 	git_buf_free(&buf);
diff --git a/src/win32/findfile.h b/src/win32/findfile.h
index fc79e1b72..11bf7e620 100644
--- a/src/win32/findfile.h
+++ b/src/win32/findfile.h
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ extern int git_win32__expand_path(
 extern int git_win32__find_file(
 	git_buf *path, const struct git_win32__path *root, const char *filename);
 
-extern int git_win32__find_system_dirs(git_buf *out);
+extern int git_win32__find_system_dirs(git_buf *out, const wchar_t *subpath);
 extern int git_win32__find_global_dirs(git_buf *out);
 extern int git_win32__find_xdg_dirs(git_buf *out);