diff --git a/builtin/clone.c b/builtin/clone.c
index 05f52d6f2bd120..afab299433f551 100644
--- a/builtin/clone.c
+++ b/builtin/clone.c
@@ -776,7 +776,9 @@ static int checkout(int submodule_progress)
 
 static int write_one_config(const char *key, const char *value, void *data)
 {
-	return git_config_set_multivar_gently(key, value ? value : "true", "^$", 0);
+	return git_config_set_multivar_gently(key,
+					      value ? value : "true",
+					      CONFIG_REGEX_NONE, 0);
 }
 
 static void write_config(struct string_list *config)
diff --git a/t/t5611-clone-config.sh b/t/t5611-clone-config.sh
index e4850b778c2f20..39329eb7a8a64b 100755
--- a/t/t5611-clone-config.sh
+++ b/t/t5611-clone-config.sh
@@ -19,6 +19,14 @@ test_expect_success 'clone -c can set multi-keys' '
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'clone -c can set multi-keys, including some empty' '
+	rm -rf child &&
+	git clone -c credential.helper= -c credential.helper=hi . child &&
+	printf "%s\n" "" hi >expect &&
+	git --git-dir=child/.git config --get-all credential.helper >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'clone -c without a value is boolean true' '
 	rm -rf child &&
 	git clone -c core.foo . child &&