diff --git a/Documentation/git-maintenance.txt b/Documentation/git-maintenance.txt
index 9c630efe19..bb888690e4 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-maintenance.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-maintenance.txt
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ SYNOPSIS
 [verse]
 'git maintenance' run [<options>]
 'git maintenance' start [--scheduler=<scheduler>]
-'git maintenance' (stop|register|unregister)
+'git maintenance' (stop|register|unregister) [<options>]
 
 
 DESCRIPTION
@@ -79,6 +79,10 @@ unregister::
 	Remove the current repository from background maintenance. This
 	only removes the repository from the configured list. It does not
 	stop the background maintenance processes from running.
++
+The `unregister` subcommand will report an error if the current repository
+is not already registered. Use the `--force` option to return success even
+when the current repository is not registered.
 
 TASKS
 -----
diff --git a/builtin/gc.c b/builtin/gc.c
index 2753bd15a5..dc0ba9e364 100644
--- a/builtin/gc.c
+++ b/builtin/gc.c
@@ -1519,18 +1519,26 @@ done:
 }
 
 static char const * const builtin_maintenance_unregister_usage[] = {
-	"git maintenance unregister",
+	"git maintenance unregister [--force]",
 	NULL
 };
 
 static int maintenance_unregister(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
+	int force = 0;
 	struct option options[] = {
+		OPT__FORCE(&force,
+			   N_("return success even if repository was not registered"),
+			   PARSE_OPT_NOCOMPLETE),
 		OPT_END(),
 	};
-	int rc;
+	const char *key = "maintenance.repo";
+	int rc = 0;
 	struct child_process config_unset = CHILD_PROCESS_INIT;
 	char *maintpath = get_maintpath();
+	int found = 0;
+	struct string_list_item *item;
+	const struct string_list *list;
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, options,
 			     builtin_maintenance_unregister_usage, 0);
@@ -1538,11 +1546,26 @@ static int maintenance_unregister(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefi
 		usage_with_options(builtin_maintenance_unregister_usage,
 				   options);
 
-	config_unset.git_cmd = 1;
-	strvec_pushl(&config_unset.args, "config", "--global", "--unset",
-		     "--fixed-value", "maintenance.repo", maintpath, NULL);
+	list = git_config_get_value_multi(key);
+	if (list) {
+		for_each_string_list_item(item, list) {
+			if (!strcmp(maintpath, item->string)) {
+				found = 1;
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (found) {
+		config_unset.git_cmd = 1;
+		strvec_pushl(&config_unset.args, "config", "--global", "--unset",
+			     "--fixed-value", key, maintpath, NULL);
+
+		rc = run_command(&config_unset);
+	} else if (!force) {
+		die(_("repository '%s' is not registered"), maintpath);
+	}
 
-	rc = run_command(&config_unset);
 	free(maintpath);
 	return rc;
 }
diff --git a/t/t7900-maintenance.sh b/t/t7900-maintenance.sh
index 2724a44fe3..96bdd42045 100755
--- a/t/t7900-maintenance.sh
+++ b/t/t7900-maintenance.sh
@@ -480,6 +480,11 @@ test_expect_success 'maintenance.strategy inheritance' '
 
 test_expect_success 'register and unregister' '
 	test_when_finished git config --global --unset-all maintenance.repo &&
+
+	test_must_fail git maintenance unregister 2>err &&
+	grep "is not registered" err &&
+	git maintenance unregister --force &&
+
 	git config --global --add maintenance.repo /existing1 &&
 	git config --global --add maintenance.repo /existing2 &&
 	git config --global --get-all maintenance.repo >before &&
@@ -493,7 +498,11 @@ test_expect_success 'register and unregister' '
 
 	git maintenance unregister &&
 	git config --global --get-all maintenance.repo >actual &&
-	test_cmp before actual
+	test_cmp before actual &&
+
+	test_must_fail git maintenance unregister 2>err &&
+	grep "is not registered" err &&
+	git maintenance unregister --force
 '
 
 test_expect_success !MINGW 'register and unregister with regex metacharacters' '