diff --git a/src/checkout.c b/src/checkout.c
index fcc0f872a..960bc6140 100644
--- a/src/checkout.c
+++ b/src/checkout.c
@@ -1938,6 +1938,29 @@ static int checkout_data_init(
 			goto cleanup;
 	}
 
+	if ((data->opts.checkout_strategy &
+		(GIT_CHECKOUT_CONFLICT_STYLE_MERGE | GIT_CHECKOUT_CONFLICT_STYLE_DIFF3)) == 0) {
+		const char *conflict_style;
+		git_config *cfg = NULL;
+
+		if ((error = git_repository_config__weakptr(&cfg, repo)) < 0 ||
+			(error = git_config_get_string(&conflict_style, cfg, "merge.conflictstyle")) < 0 ||
+			error == GIT_ENOTFOUND)
+			;
+		else if (error)
+			goto cleanup;
+		else if (strcmp(conflict_style, "merge") == 0)
+			data->opts.checkout_strategy |= GIT_CHECKOUT_CONFLICT_STYLE_MERGE;
+		else if (strcmp(conflict_style, "diff3") == 0)
+			data->opts.checkout_strategy |= GIT_CHECKOUT_CONFLICT_STYLE_DIFF3;
+		else {
+			giterr_set(GITERR_CHECKOUT, "unknown style '%s' given for 'merge.conflictstyle'",
+				conflict_style);
+			error = -1;
+			goto cleanup;
+		}
+	}
+
 	if ((error = git_vector_init(&data->removes, 0, git__strcmp_cb)) < 0 ||
 		(error = git_vector_init(&data->conflicts, 0, NULL)) < 0 ||
 		(error = git_pool_init(&data->pool, 1, 0)) < 0 ||
diff --git a/tests/merge/workdir/simple.c b/tests/merge/workdir/simple.c
index 40a07d5e7..757e20c6c 100644
--- a/tests/merge/workdir/simple.c
+++ b/tests/merge/workdir/simple.c
@@ -329,6 +329,92 @@ void test_merge_workdir_simple__diff3(void)
 	git_merge_result_free(result);
 }
 
+void test_merge_workdir_simple__diff3_from_config(void)
+{
+	git_merge_result *result;
+	git_config *config;
+	git_buf conflicting_buf = GIT_BUF_INIT;
+
+	struct merge_index_entry merge_index_entries[] = {
+		ADDED_IN_MASTER_INDEX_ENTRY,
+		AUTOMERGEABLE_INDEX_ENTRY,
+		CHANGED_IN_BRANCH_INDEX_ENTRY,
+		CHANGED_IN_MASTER_INDEX_ENTRY,
+
+		{ 0100644, "d427e0b2e138501a3d15cc376077a3631e15bd46", 1, "conflicting.txt" },
+		{ 0100644, "4e886e602529caa9ab11d71f86634bd1b6e0de10", 2, "conflicting.txt" },
+		{ 0100644, "2bd0a343aeef7a2cf0d158478966a6e587ff3863", 3, "conflicting.txt" },
+
+		UNCHANGED_INDEX_ENTRY,
+	};
+
+	struct merge_reuc_entry merge_reuc_entries[] = {
+		AUTOMERGEABLE_REUC_ENTRY,
+		REMOVED_IN_BRANCH_REUC_ENTRY,
+		REMOVED_IN_MASTER_REUC_ENTRY
+	};
+
+	cl_git_pass(git_repository_config(&config, repo));
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_set_string(config, "merge.conflictstyle", "diff3"));
+
+	cl_assert(result = merge_simple_branch(0, 0));
+	cl_assert(!git_merge_result_is_fastforward(result));
+
+	cl_git_pass(git_futils_readbuffer(&conflicting_buf,
+		TEST_REPO_PATH "/conflicting.txt"));
+	cl_assert(strcmp(conflicting_buf.ptr, CONFLICTING_DIFF3_FILE) == 0);
+	git_buf_free(&conflicting_buf);
+
+	cl_assert(merge_test_index(repo_index, merge_index_entries, 8));
+	cl_assert(merge_test_reuc(repo_index, merge_reuc_entries, 3));
+
+	git_merge_result_free(result);
+	git_config_free(config);
+}
+
+void test_merge_workdir_simple__merge_overrides_config(void)
+{
+	git_merge_result *result;
+	git_config *config;
+	git_buf conflicting_buf = GIT_BUF_INIT;
+
+	struct merge_index_entry merge_index_entries[] = {
+		ADDED_IN_MASTER_INDEX_ENTRY,
+		AUTOMERGEABLE_INDEX_ENTRY,
+		CHANGED_IN_BRANCH_INDEX_ENTRY,
+		CHANGED_IN_MASTER_INDEX_ENTRY,
+
+		{ 0100644, "d427e0b2e138501a3d15cc376077a3631e15bd46", 1, "conflicting.txt" },
+		{ 0100644, "4e886e602529caa9ab11d71f86634bd1b6e0de10", 2, "conflicting.txt" },
+		{ 0100644, "2bd0a343aeef7a2cf0d158478966a6e587ff3863", 3, "conflicting.txt" },
+
+		UNCHANGED_INDEX_ENTRY,
+	};
+
+	struct merge_reuc_entry merge_reuc_entries[] = {
+		AUTOMERGEABLE_REUC_ENTRY,
+		REMOVED_IN_BRANCH_REUC_ENTRY,
+		REMOVED_IN_MASTER_REUC_ENTRY
+	};
+
+	cl_git_pass(git_repository_config(&config, repo));
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_set_string(config, "merge.conflictstyle", "diff3"));
+
+	cl_assert(result = merge_simple_branch(0, GIT_CHECKOUT_CONFLICT_STYLE_MERGE));
+	cl_assert(!git_merge_result_is_fastforward(result));
+
+	cl_git_pass(git_futils_readbuffer(&conflicting_buf,
+		TEST_REPO_PATH "/conflicting.txt"));
+	cl_assert(strcmp(conflicting_buf.ptr, CONFLICTING_MERGE_FILE) == 0);
+	git_buf_free(&conflicting_buf);
+
+	cl_assert(merge_test_index(repo_index, merge_index_entries, 8));
+	cl_assert(merge_test_reuc(repo_index, merge_reuc_entries, 3));
+
+	git_merge_result_free(result);
+	git_config_free(config);
+}
+
 void test_merge_workdir_simple__checkout_ours(void)
 {
 	git_merge_result *result;