diff --git a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
index 8af9bc3f4e..57a8da7ca1 100644
--- a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
+++ b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
@@ -2596,6 +2596,15 @@ __git_compute_config_vars ()
 	__git_config_vars="$(git help --config-for-completion)"
 }
 
+__git_compute_first_level_config_vars_for_section ()
+{
+	local section="$1"
+	__git_compute_config_vars
+	local this_section="__git_first_level_config_vars_for_section_${section}"
+	test -n "${!this_section}" ||
+	printf -v "__git_first_level_config_vars_for_section_${section}" %s "$(echo "$__git_config_vars" | grep -E "^${section}\.[a-z]" | awk -F. '{print $2}')"
+}
+
 __git_config_sections=
 __git_compute_config_sections ()
 {
@@ -2749,8 +2758,11 @@ __git_complete_config_variable_name ()
 	branch.*)
 		local pfx="${cur_%.*}."
 		cur_="${cur_#*.}"
+		local section="${pfx%.}"
 		__gitcomp_direct "$(__git_heads "$pfx" "$cur_" ".")"
-		__gitcomp_nl_append $'autoSetupMerge\nautoSetupRebase\n' "$pfx" "$cur_" "${sfx:- }"
+		__git_compute_first_level_config_vars_for_section "${section}"
+		local this_section="__git_first_level_config_vars_for_section_${section}"
+		__gitcomp_nl_append "${!this_section}" "$pfx" "$cur_" "${sfx:- }"
 		return
 		;;
 	guitool.*.*)
@@ -2799,8 +2811,11 @@ __git_complete_config_variable_name ()
 	remote.*)
 		local pfx="${cur_%.*}."
 		cur_="${cur_#*.}"
+		local section="${pfx%.}"
 		__gitcomp_nl "$(__git_remotes)" "$pfx" "$cur_" "."
-		__gitcomp_nl_append "pushDefault" "$pfx" "$cur_" "${sfx:- }"
+		__git_compute_first_level_config_vars_for_section "${section}"
+		local this_section="__git_first_level_config_vars_for_section_${section}"
+		__gitcomp_nl_append "${!this_section}" "$pfx" "$cur_" "${sfx:- }"
 		return
 		;;
 	submodule.*.*)
@@ -2812,8 +2827,11 @@ __git_complete_config_variable_name ()
 	submodule.*)
 		local pfx="${cur_%.*}."
 		cur_="${cur_#*.}"
+		local section="${pfx%.}"
 		__gitcomp_nl "$(__git config -f "$(__git rev-parse --show-toplevel)/.gitmodules" --get-regexp 'submodule.*.path' | awk -F. '{print $2}')" "$pfx" "$cur_" "."
-		__gitcomp_nl_append $'alternateErrorStrategy\nfetchJobs\nactive\nalternateLocation\nrecurse\npropagateBranches' "$pfx" "$cur_" "${sfx:- }"
+		__git_compute_first_level_config_vars_for_section "${section}"
+		local this_section="__git_first_level_config_vars_for_section_${section}"
+		__gitcomp_nl_append "${!this_section}" "$pfx" "$cur_" "${sfx:- }"
 		return
 		;;
 	url.*.*)
diff --git a/t/t9902-completion.sh b/t/t9902-completion.sh
index 23d0e71324..8600b9e0dd 100755
--- a/t/t9902-completion.sh
+++ b/t/t9902-completion.sh
@@ -2589,7 +2589,7 @@ test_expect_success 'setup for git config submodule tests' '
 	git submodule add ./sub
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'git config - variable name - submodule' '
+test_expect_success 'git config - variable name - submodule and __git_compute_first_level_config_vars_for_section' '
 	test_completion "git config submodule." <<-\EOF
 	submodule.active Z
 	submodule.alternateErrorStrategy Z