diff --git a/src/fileops.c b/src/fileops.c
index 126d45f26..4dfc8a533 100644
--- a/src/fileops.c
+++ b/src/fileops.c
@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ 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
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);