int depth, int shallow_flag, int not_shallow_flag);
 extern struct commit_list *get_shallow_commits_by_rev_list(
                int ac, const char **av, int shallow_flag, int not_shallow_flag);
-extern void set_alternate_shallow_file(const char *path, int override);
+#define set_alternate_shallow_file(r, p, o) set_alternate_shallow_file_##r(p, o)
+extern void set_alternate_shallow_file_the_repository(const char *path, int override);
 extern int write_shallow_commits(struct strbuf *out, int use_pack_protocol,
                                 const struct oid_array *extra);
 extern void setup_alternate_shallow(struct lock_file *shallow_lock,
 
        git_namespace = expand_namespace(getenv(GIT_NAMESPACE_ENVIRONMENT));
        shallow_file = getenv(GIT_SHALLOW_FILE_ENVIRONMENT);
        if (shallow_file)
-               set_alternate_shallow_file(shallow_file, 0);
+               set_alternate_shallow_file(the_repository, shallow_file, 0);
 }
 
 int is_bare_repository(void)
 
                } else if (!strcmp(cmd, "--shallow-file")) {
                        (*argv)++;
                        (*argc)--;
-                       set_alternate_shallow_file((*argv)[0], 1);
+                       set_alternate_shallow_file(the_repository, (*argv)[0], 1);
                        if (envchanged)
                                *envchanged = 1;
                } else if (!strcmp(cmd, "-C")) {
 
 static struct stat_validity shallow_stat;
 static char *alternate_shallow_file;
 
-void set_alternate_shallow_file(const char *path, int override)
+void set_alternate_shallow_file_the_repository(const char *path, int override)
 {
        if (is_shallow != -1)
                die("BUG: is_repository_shallow must not be called before set_alternate_shallow_file");