diff --git a/crates/walgit-config/src/lib.rs b/crates/walgit-config/src/lib.rs
index 0ae1a152..6c3a2257 100644
--- a/crates/walgit-config/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/walgit-config/src/lib.rs
@@ -565,8 +565,6 @@ pub struct UpstreamConfig {
     reason = "Independent configuration switches, not mutually exclusive states"
 )]
 pub struct GitConfig {
-    /// Path to the upstream git binary (repack, optional upload-pack engine).
-    pub binary: PathBuf,
     pub upload_pack_engine: UploadPackEngine,
     pub allow_filter: bool,
     /// Default object format for new repos.
@@ -923,7 +921,6 @@ impl Default for LfsConfig {
 impl Default for GitConfig {
     fn default() -> Self {
         GitConfig {
-            binary: PathBuf::from("git"),
             upload_pack_engine: UploadPackEngine::Auto,
             allow_filter: true,
             object_format: ObjectFormat::Sha1,
@@ -1567,6 +1564,13 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn removed_git_binary_configuration_is_rejected() {
+        let input = "[git]\nbinary = \"/opt/git/bin/git\"\n";
+        assert!(Config::parse(input).is_err());
+        assert!(Config::default().with_settings(input).is_err());
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn settings_merge_over_config_and_are_restricted() {
         let mut base = Config::default();
diff --git a/walgit.example.toml b/walgit.example.toml
index bfa570c2..e7c7df23 100644
--- a/walgit.example.toml
+++ b/walgit.example.toml
@@ -179,7 +179,6 @@ max_object_bytes = "16GiB"
                                                           # maintenance.follow_interval, published through the WAL as a push; fast-forward only
 
 [git]
-binary = "git"                    # path to upstream git binary (>= 2.47 recommended: pack.writeReverseIndex)
 upload_pack_engine = "auto"       # "auto" = stock git when packs are local/mount-linked, gix only for remote-served bases | "git" | "gix"
 allow_filter = true               # uploadpack.allowFilter
 object_format = "sha1"            # default for new repos: "sha1" | "sha256"