diff --git a/tools/tools/git/git-arc.sh b/tools/tools/git/git-arc.sh
--- a/tools/tools/git/git-arc.sh
+++ b/tools/tools/git/git-arc.sh
@@ -147,6 +147,16 @@
     exit 1
 }
 
+#
+# Fetch the value of a boolean config variable ($1) and return true
+# (0) if the variable is true.  The default value to use if the
+# variable is not set is passed in $2.
+#
+get_bool_config()
+{
+    test "$(git config --bool --get $1 2>/dev/null || echo $2)" != "false"
+}
+
 #
 # Filter the output of call-conduit to remove the warnings that are generated
 # for some installations where openssl module is mysteriously installed twice so
@@ -378,7 +388,7 @@
 
     list=
     prev=""
-    if [ "$(git config --bool --get arc.list 2>/dev/null || echo false)" != "false" ]; then
+    if get_bool_config arc.list false; then
         list=1
     fi
     doprompt=1
@@ -672,7 +682,7 @@
     local commit commits diff doprompt have_msg list o msg
 
     list=
-    if [ "$(git config --bool --get arc.list 2>/dev/null || echo false)" != "false" ]; then
+    if get_bool_config arc.list false; then
         list=1
     fi
     doprompt=1
@@ -727,7 +737,7 @@
 set -e
 
 ASSUME_YES=
-if [ "$(git config --bool --get arc.assume-yes 2>/dev/null || echo false)" != "false" ]; then
+if get_bool_config arc.assume-yes false; then
     ASSUME_YES=1
 fi
 
@@ -801,7 +811,7 @@
     ;;
 esac
 
-if [ "$(git config --bool --get arc.browse 2>/dev/null || echo false)" != "false" ]; then
+if get_bool_config arc.browse false; then
     BROWSE=--browse
 fi