diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 697129f80..534285afa 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
 
 	"github.com/go-errors/errors"
@@ -22,8 +23,8 @@ var (
 func main() {
 	flaggy.DefaultParser.ShowVersionWithVersionFlag = false
 
-	repoPath := "."
-	flaggy.String(&repoPath, "p", "path", "Path of git repo")
+	repoPath := ""
+	flaggy.String(&repoPath, "p", "path", "Path of git repo. (Deprecated: use --git-dir for git directory and --work-tree for work tree directory)")
 
 	filterPath := ""
 	flaggy.String(&filterPath, "f", "filter", "Path to filter on in `git log -- <path>`. When in filter mode, the commits, reflog, and stash are filtered based on the given path, and some operations are restricted")
@@ -44,8 +45,31 @@ func main() {
 	configFlag := false
 	flaggy.Bool(&configFlag, "c", "config", "Print the default config")
 
+	workTree := ""
+	flaggy.String(&workTree, "w", "work-tree", "equivalent of the --work-tree git argument")
+
+	gitDir := ""
+	flaggy.String(&gitDir, "g", "git-dir", "equivalent of the --git-dir git argument")
+
 	flaggy.Parse()
 
+	if repoPath != "" {
+		if workTree != "" || gitDir != "" {
+			log.Fatal("--path option is incompatible with the --work-tree and --git-dir options")
+		}
+
+		workTree = repoPath
+		gitDir = filepath.Join(repoPath, ".git")
+	}
+
+	if workTree != "" {
+		os.Setenv("GIT_WORK_TREE", workTree)
+	}
+
+	if gitDir != "" {
+		os.Setenv("GIT_DIR", gitDir)
+	}
+
 	if versionFlag {
 		fmt.Printf("commit=%s, build date=%s, build source=%s, version=%s, os=%s, arch=%s\n", commit, date, buildSource, version, runtime.GOOS, runtime.GOARCH)
 		os.Exit(0)
@@ -61,8 +85,8 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
 
-	if repoPath != "." {
-		if err := os.Chdir(repoPath); err != nil {
+	if workTree != "" {
+		if err := os.Chdir(workTree); err != nil {
 			log.Fatal(err.Error())
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/app/app.go b/pkg/app/app.go
index 31144cc11..6446d8acd 100644
--- a/pkg/app/app.go
+++ b/pkg/app/app.go
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ func NewApp(config config.AppConfigurer, filterPath string) (*App, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return app, err
 	}
+
 	app.Gui, err = gui.NewGui(app.Log, app.GitCommand, app.OSCommand, app.Tr, config, app.Updater, filterPath, showRecentRepos)
 	if err != nil {
 		return app, err
@@ -169,6 +170,11 @@ func (app *App) setupRepo() (bool, error) {
 		return false, err
 	}
 
+	if os.Getenv("GIT_DIR") != "" {
+		// we've been given the git dir directly. We'll verify this dir when initializing our GitCommand object
+		return false, nil
+	}
+
 	// if we are not in a git repo, we ask if we want to `git init`
 	if err := app.OSCommand.RunCommand("git status"); err != nil {
 		cwd, err := os.Getwd()
@@ -219,6 +225,14 @@ func (app *App) Run() error {
 	return err
 }
 
+func gitDir() string {
+	dir := os.Getenv("GIT_DIR")
+	if dir == "" {
+		return ".git"
+	}
+	return dir
+}
+
 // Rebase contains logic for when we've been run in demon mode, meaning we've
 // given lazygit as a command for git to call e.g. to edit a file
 func (app *App) Rebase() error {
@@ -230,7 +244,7 @@ func (app *App) Rebase() error {
 			return err
 		}
 
-	} else if strings.HasSuffix(os.Args[1], ".git/COMMIT_EDITMSG") {
+	} else if strings.HasSuffix(os.Args[1], filepath.Join(gitDir(), "COMMIT_EDITMSG")) { // TODO: test
 		// if we are rebasing and squashing, we'll see a COMMIT_EDITMSG
 		// but in this case we don't need to edit it, so we'll just return
 	} else {
diff --git a/pkg/commands/git.go b/pkg/commands/git.go
index 8a7abb55b..da4324d4d 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git.go
@@ -35,6 +35,16 @@ func verifyInGitRepo(runCmd func(string, ...interface{}) error) error {
 }
 
 func navigateToRepoRootDirectory(stat func(string) (os.FileInfo, error), chdir func(string) error) error {
+	if os.Getenv("GIT_DIR") != "" {
+		// we've been given the git directory explicitly so no need to navigate to it
+		_, err := stat(os.Getenv("GIT_DIR"))
+		if err != nil {
+			return WrapError(err)
+		}
+
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	for {
 		_, err := stat(".git")
 
@@ -52,31 +62,29 @@ func navigateToRepoRootDirectory(stat func(string) (os.FileInfo, error), chdir f
 	}
 }
 
-func setupRepositoryAndWorktree(openGitRepository func(string) (*gogit.Repository, error), sLocalize func(string) string) (repository *gogit.Repository, worktree *gogit.Worktree, err error) {
-	repository, err = openGitRepository(".")
+func setupRepository(openGitRepository func(string) (*gogit.Repository, error), sLocalize func(string) string) (*gogit.Repository, error) {
+	path := os.Getenv("GIT_DIR")
+	if path == "" {
+		path = "."
+	}
+
+	repository, err := openGitRepository(path)
 
 	if err != nil {
 		if strings.Contains(err.Error(), `unquoted '\' must be followed by new line`) {
-			return nil, nil, errors.New(sLocalize("GitconfigParseErr"))
+			return nil, errors.New(sLocalize("GitconfigParseErr"))
 		}
 
-		return
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	worktree, err = repository.Worktree()
-
-	if err != nil {
-		return
-	}
-
-	return
+	return repository, err
 }
 
 // GitCommand is our main git interface
 type GitCommand struct {
 	Log                  *logrus.Entry
 	OSCommand            *OSCommand
-	Worktree             *gogit.Worktree
 	Repo                 *gogit.Repository
 	Tr                   *i18n.Localizer
 	Config               config.AppConfigurer
@@ -93,7 +101,7 @@ type GitCommand struct {
 
 // NewGitCommand it runs git commands
 func NewGitCommand(log *logrus.Entry, osCommand *OSCommand, tr *i18n.Localizer, config config.AppConfigurer) (*GitCommand, error) {
-	var worktree *gogit.Worktree
+	// var worktree *gogit.Worktree
 	var repo *gogit.Repository
 
 	// see what our default push behaviour is
@@ -105,24 +113,16 @@ func NewGitCommand(log *logrus.Entry, osCommand *OSCommand, tr *i18n.Localizer,
 		pushToCurrent = strings.TrimSpace(output) == "current"
 	}
 
-	fs := []func() error{
-		func() error {
-			return verifyInGitRepo(osCommand.RunCommand)
-		},
-		func() error {
-			return navigateToRepoRootDirectory(os.Stat, os.Chdir)
-		},
-		func() error {
-			var err error
-			repo, worktree, err = setupRepositoryAndWorktree(gogit.PlainOpen, tr.SLocalize)
-			return err
-		},
+	if err := verifyInGitRepo(osCommand.RunCommand); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	for _, f := range fs {
-		if err := f(); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
+	if err := navigateToRepoRootDirectory(os.Stat, os.Chdir); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	if repo, err = setupRepository(gogit.PlainOpen, tr.SLocalize); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	dotGitDir, err := findDotGitDir(os.Stat, ioutil.ReadFile)
@@ -134,7 +134,6 @@ func NewGitCommand(log *logrus.Entry, osCommand *OSCommand, tr *i18n.Localizer,
 		Log:                log,
 		OSCommand:          osCommand,
 		Tr:                 tr,
-		Worktree:           worktree,
 		Repo:               repo,
 		Config:             config,
 		getGlobalGitConfig: gitconfig.Global,
@@ -150,6 +149,10 @@ func NewGitCommand(log *logrus.Entry, osCommand *OSCommand, tr *i18n.Localizer,
 }
 
 func findDotGitDir(stat func(string) (os.FileInfo, error), readFile func(filename string) ([]byte, error)) (string, error) {
+	if os.Getenv("GIT_DIR") != "" {
+		return os.Getenv("GIT_DIR"), nil
+	}
+
 	f, err := stat(".git")
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
@@ -236,8 +239,22 @@ type GetStatusFileOptions struct {
 	NoRenames bool
 }
 
+func (c *GitCommand) GetConfigValue(key string) string {
+	output, _ := c.OSCommand.RunCommandWithOutput("git config --get %s", key)
+	// looks like this returns an error if there is no matching value which we're okay with
+	return strings.TrimSpace(output)
+}
+
 func (c *GitCommand) GetStatusFiles(opts GetStatusFileOptions) []*File {
-	statusOutput, err := c.GitStatus(GitStatusOptions{NoRenames: opts.NoRenames})
+	// check if config wants us ignoring untracked files
+	untrackedFilesSetting := c.GetConfigValue("status.showUntrackedFiles")
+
+	if untrackedFilesSetting == "" {
+		untrackedFilesSetting = "all"
+	}
+	untrackedFilesArg := fmt.Sprintf("--untracked-files=%s", untrackedFilesSetting)
+
+	statusOutput, err := c.GitStatus(GitStatusOptions{NoRenames: opts.NoRenames, UntrackedFilesArg: untrackedFilesArg})
 	if err != nil {
 		c.Log.Error(err)
 	}
@@ -582,7 +599,8 @@ func (c *GitCommand) UnStageFile(fileName string, tracked bool) error {
 
 // GitStatus returns the plaintext short status of the repo
 type GitStatusOptions struct {
-	NoRenames bool
+	NoRenames         bool
+	UntrackedFilesArg string
 }
 
 func (c *GitCommand) GitStatus(opts GitStatusOptions) (string, error) {
@@ -590,7 +608,8 @@ func (c *GitCommand) GitStatus(opts GitStatusOptions) (string, error) {
 	if opts.NoRenames {
 		noRenamesFlag = "--no-renames"
 	}
-	return c.OSCommand.RunCommandWithOutput("git status --untracked-files=all --porcelain %s", noRenamesFlag)
+
+	return c.OSCommand.RunCommandWithOutput("git status %s --porcelain %s", opts.UntrackedFilesArg, noRenamesFlag)
 }
 
 // IsInMergeState states whether we are still mid-merge
diff --git a/pkg/commands/git_test.go b/pkg/commands/git_test.go
index d6761148b..b2a20fe08 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git_test.go
@@ -150,13 +150,13 @@ func TestNavigateToRepoRootDirectory(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// TestSetupRepositoryAndWorktree is a function.
-func TestSetupRepositoryAndWorktree(t *testing.T) {
+// TestSetupRepository is a function.
+func TestSetupRepository(t *testing.T) {
 	type scenario struct {
 		testName          string
 		openGitRepository func(string) (*gogit.Repository, error)
 		sLocalize         func(string) string
-		test              func(*gogit.Repository, *gogit.Worktree, error)
+		test              func(*gogit.Repository, error)
 	}
 
 	scenarios := []scenario{
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ func TestSetupRepositoryAndWorktree(t *testing.T) {
 			func(string) string {
 				return "error translated"
 			},
-			func(r *gogit.Repository, w *gogit.Worktree, err error) {
+			func(r *gogit.Repository, err error) {
 				assert.Error(t, err)
 				assert.EqualError(t, err, "error translated")
 			},
@@ -179,22 +179,11 @@ func TestSetupRepositoryAndWorktree(t *testing.T) {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error from inside gogit")
 			},
 			func(string) string { return "" },
-			func(r *gogit.Repository, w *gogit.Worktree, err error) {
+			func(r *gogit.Repository, err error) {
 				assert.Error(t, err)
 				assert.EqualError(t, err, "Error from inside gogit")
 			},
 		},
-		{
-			"An error occurred cause git repository is a bare repository",
-			func(string) (*gogit.Repository, error) {
-				return &gogit.Repository{}, nil
-			},
-			func(string) string { return "" },
-			func(r *gogit.Repository, w *gogit.Worktree, err error) {
-				assert.Error(t, err)
-				assert.Equal(t, gogit.ErrIsBareRepository, err)
-			},
-		},
 		{
 			"Setup done properly",
 			func(string) (*gogit.Repository, error) {
@@ -204,9 +193,8 @@ func TestSetupRepositoryAndWorktree(t *testing.T) {
 				return r, nil
 			},
 			func(string) string { return "" },
-			func(r *gogit.Repository, w *gogit.Worktree, err error) {
+			func(r *gogit.Repository, err error) {
 				assert.NoError(t, err)
-				assert.NotNil(t, w)
 				assert.NotNil(t, r)
 			},
 		},
@@ -214,7 +202,7 @@ func TestSetupRepositoryAndWorktree(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, s := range scenarios {
 		t.Run(s.testName, func(t *testing.T) {
-			s.test(setupRepositoryAndWorktree(s.openGitRepository, s.sLocalize))
+			s.test(setupRepository(s.openGitRepository, s.sLocalize))
 		})
 	}
 }