diff --git a/src/config_file.c b/src/config_file.c
index 0bd4e4ece..25ebd1c97 100644
--- a/src/config_file.c
+++ b/src/config_file.c
@@ -1178,6 +1178,22 @@ static int write_section(git_filebuf *file, const char *key)
 	return result;
 }
 
+static int value_needs_surrounding_quote(const char *value)
+{
+	const char *ptr = value;
+	if (*value == ' ')
+		return 1;
+	while (*ptr) {
+		if (*ptr == ';' || *ptr == '#')
+			return 1;
+		++ptr;
+	}
+	if (ptr != value && *(--ptr) == ' ')
+		return 1;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /*
  * This is pretty much the parsing, except we write out anything we don't have
  */
@@ -1302,7 +1318,10 @@ static int config_write(diskfile_backend *cfg, const char *key, const regex_t *p
 			/* Then replace the variable. If the value is NULL, it
 			 * means we want to delete it, so don't write anything. */
 			if (value != NULL) {
-				git_filebuf_printf(&file, "\t%s = %s\n", name, value);
+				if (value_needs_surrounding_quote(value))
+					git_filebuf_printf(&file, "\t%s = \"%s\"\n", name, value);
+				else
+					git_filebuf_printf(&file, "\t%s = %s\n", name, value);
 			}
 
 			/*
@@ -1362,7 +1381,10 @@ static int config_write(diskfile_backend *cfg, const char *key, const regex_t *p
 			if (reader->buffer.size > 0 && *(reader->buffer.ptr + reader->buffer.size - 1) != '\n')
 				git_filebuf_write(&file, "\n", 1);
 
-			git_filebuf_printf(&file, "\t%s = %s\n", name, value);
+			if (value_needs_surrounding_quote(value))
+				git_filebuf_printf(&file, "\t%s = \"%s\"\n", name, value);
+			else
+				git_filebuf_printf(&file, "\t%s = %s\n", name, value);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/tests-clar/config/write.c b/tests-clar/config/write.c
index 309fef65a..15f750dc0 100644
--- a/tests-clar/config/write.c
+++ b/tests-clar/config/write.c
@@ -229,6 +229,37 @@ void test_config_write__add_value_at_file_with_no_clrf_at_the_end(void)
 	git_config_free(cfg);
 }
 
+void test_config_write__add_value_which_needs_quotes(void)
+{
+	git_config *cfg;
+	const char* str1;
+	const char* str2;
+	const char* str3;
+	const char* str4;
+	const char* str5;
+
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_open_ondisk(&cfg, "config17"));
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_set_string(cfg, "core.startwithspace", " Something"));
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_set_string(cfg, "core.endwithspace", "Something "));
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_set_string(cfg, "core.containscommentchar1", "some#thing"));
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_set_string(cfg, "core.containscommentchar2", "some;thing"));
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_set_string(cfg, "core.startwhithsapceandcontainsdoublequote", " some\"thing"));
+	git_config_free(cfg);
+
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_open_ondisk(&cfg, "config17"));
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_get_string(&str1, cfg, "core.startwithspace"));
+	cl_assert_equal_s(" Something", str1);
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_get_string(&str2, cfg, "core.endwithspace"));
+	cl_assert_equal_s("Something ", str2);
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_get_string(&str3, cfg, "core.containscommentchar1"));
+	cl_assert_equal_s("some#thing", str3);
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_get_string(&str4, cfg, "core.containscommentchar2"));
+	cl_assert_equal_s("some;thing", str4);
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_get_string(&str5, cfg, "core.startwhithsapceandcontainsdoublequote"));
+	cl_assert_equal_s(" some\"thing", str5);
+	git_config_free(cfg);
+}
+
 void test_config_write__can_set_a_value_to_NULL(void)
 {
     git_repository *repository;