diff --git a/codex-rs/git-utils/src/patch_paths_tests.rs b/codex-rs/git-utils/src/patch_paths_tests.rs
index 52000767e6..889d46dc6f 100644
--- a/codex-rs/git-utils/src/patch_paths_tests.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/git-utils/src/patch_paths_tests.rs
@@ -1017,17 +1017,46 @@ fn staging_allows_selected_symlink_while_neutralizing_off_path_filters() {
 #[cfg(unix)]
 #[test]
 fn staging_allows_optional_smudge_only_but_refuses_required_or_malformed_smudge() {
-    for (required, accepted) in [("false", true), ("yes", false), ("not-a-bool", false)] {
+    use std::io::Write as _;
+
+    for (required, accepted) in [
+        ("absent", true),
+        ("empty", true),
+        ("false", true),
+        ("yes", false),
+        ("implicit", false),
+        ("not-a-bool", false),
+    ] {
         let fixture = init_racy_filter_fixture("selected", "smudge");
         let root = fixture.repo.path();
-        assert_eq!(
-            run(
-                root,
-                &["git", "config", "filter.selected.required", required],
-            )
-            .0,
-            0
-        );
+        if matches!(required, "absent" | "implicit") {
+            assert_eq!(
+                run(
+                    root,
+                    &["git", "config", "--unset-all", "filter.selected.required"],
+                )
+                .0,
+                0
+            );
+        }
+        match required {
+            "absent" => {}
+            "implicit" => {
+                let mut config = std::fs::OpenOptions::new()
+                    .append(true)
+                    .open(root.join(".git/config"))
+                    .expect("open repository config");
+                writeln!(config, "[filter \"selected\"]\n\trequired")
+                    .expect("write implicit true required value");
+            }
+            value => {
+                let value = if value == "empty" { "" } else { value };
+                assert_eq!(
+                    run(root, &["git", "config", "filter.selected.required", value],).0,
+                    0
+                );
+            }
+        }
         std::fs::write(root.join("selected.txt"), "new selected\n")
             .expect("modify selected target");
         let before = git_index_bytes(root);
diff --git a/codex-rs/git-utils/src/safe_git.rs b/codex-rs/git-utils/src/safe_git.rs
index 5a2561811d..f36e78abc3 100644
--- a/codex-rs/git-utils/src/safe_git.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/git-utils/src/safe_git.rs
@@ -13,8 +13,7 @@ use crate::git_config::parse_effective_config;
 use crate::git_config::parse_effective_config_with_origins;
 
 pub(crate) const DISABLED_HOOKS_PATH: &str = if cfg!(windows) { "NUL" } else { "/dev/null" };
-pub(crate) const EXECUTABLE_FILTER_CONFIG_PATTERN: &str =
-    r"^filter\..*\.(clean|smudge|process|required)$";
+pub(crate) const EXECUTABLE_FILTER_CONFIG_PATTERN: &str = r"^filter\..*\.(clean|smudge|process)$";
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
 enum FilterAttributeValue {
@@ -126,7 +125,7 @@ fn ensure_no_selected_executable_git_filters_for(
         }
         let refused = neutralized_drivers.contains(driver)
             || matches!(execution, FilterExecution::GitAdd)
-                && git_filter_required(git, cwd, &entries, driver)?;
+                && git_filter_required(git, cwd, driver, git_config_args)?;
         if refused {
             return Err(io::Error::new(
                 io::ErrorKind::Unsupported,
@@ -531,31 +530,25 @@ fn effective_filter_value<'a>(
 fn git_filter_required(
     git: &GitRunner,
     cwd: &Path,
-    entries: &BTreeMap<String, GitConfigEntry>,
     driver: &str,
+    git_config_args: &[String],
 ) -> io::Result<bool> {
-    let Some(value) = effective_filter_value(entries, driver, "required") else {
-        return Ok(false);
-    };
-    let config = format!("codex.required={value}");
     let mut command = git.command();
     command
         .env("GIT_OPTIONAL_LOCKS", "0")
-        .args([
-            "-c",
-            &config,
-            "config",
-            "--type=bool",
-            "--get",
-            "codex.required",
-        ])
+        .args(git_config_args)
+        .args(["config", "--type=bool", "--get"])
+        .arg(format!("filter.{driver}.required"))
         .current_dir(cwd);
     let output = git.output(command)?;
+    if output.status.code() == Some(1) && output.stderr.is_empty() {
+        return Ok(false);
+    }
     if !output.status.success() {
         return Err(io::Error::new(
             io::ErrorKind::Unsupported,
             format!(
-                "refusing selected Git filter {driver:?} with malformed required value {value:?}: {}",
+                "refusing selected Git filter {driver:?} with malformed required value: {}",
                 String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr).trim()
             ),
         ));
diff --git a/codex-rs/git-utils/src/safe_git_tests.rs b/codex-rs/git-utils/src/safe_git_tests.rs
index 39ffd242bf..328c76e77f 100644
--- a/codex-rs/git-utils/src/safe_git_tests.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/git-utils/src/safe_git_tests.rs
@@ -92,43 +92,16 @@ fn git_add_filter_policy_rejects_clean_and_process_but_allows_smudge_only() {
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn filter_snapshot_retains_required_without_treating_it_as_executable() {
-    let mut entries = filter_entries(
-        GitConfigScope::Local,
-        Path::new("config"),
-        "filter.demo.smudge",
-        "smudge-command",
-    );
-    entries.extend(filter_entries(
+fn required_config_is_not_treated_as_an_executable_command() {
+    let entries = filter_entries(
         GitConfigScope::Command,
         Path::new("command line:"),
         "filter.demo.required",
         "true",
-    ));
+    );
     assert_eq!(
         executable_filter_drivers(&entries).expect("executable drivers"),
-        BTreeSet::from(["demo".to_string()])
-    );
-    let neutralization = GitFilterNeutralization {
-        git_config_args: Vec::new(),
-        _config_dir: None,
-        filter_config: entries,
-    };
-    assert_eq!(
-        neutralization.filter_value("demo", "required"),
-        Some("true")
-    );
-
-    let required_only = filter_entries(
-        GitConfigScope::Local,
-        Path::new("config"),
-        "filter.demo.required",
-        "true",
-    );
-    assert!(
-        executable_filter_drivers(&required_only)
-            .expect("required-only config")
-            .is_empty()
+        BTreeSet::new()
     );
 }