diff --git a/archive.c b/archive.c
index 0a07b140fe..c1870105eb 100644
--- a/archive.c
+++ b/archive.c
@@ -110,7 +110,8 @@ static const struct attr_check *get_archive_attrs(struct index_state *istate,
 	static struct attr_check *check;
 	if (!check)
 		check = attr_check_initl("export-ignore", "export-subst", NULL);
-	return git_check_attr(istate, path, check) ? NULL : check;
+	git_check_attr(istate, path, check);
+	return check;
 }
 
 static int check_attr_export_ignore(const struct attr_check *check)
diff --git a/attr.c b/attr.c
index 98e4953f6e..60d284796d 100644
--- a/attr.c
+++ b/attr.c
@@ -1143,9 +1143,9 @@ static void collect_some_attrs(const struct index_state *istate,
 	fill(path, pathlen, basename_offset, check->stack, check->all_attrs, rem);
 }
 
-int git_check_attr(const struct index_state *istate,
-		   const char *path,
-		   struct attr_check *check)
+void git_check_attr(const struct index_state *istate,
+		    const char *path,
+		    struct attr_check *check)
 {
 	int i;
 
@@ -1158,8 +1158,6 @@ int git_check_attr(const struct index_state *istate,
 			value = ATTR__UNSET;
 		check->items[i].value = value;
 	}
-
-	return 0;
 }
 
 void git_all_attrs(const struct index_state *istate,
diff --git a/attr.h b/attr.h
index 2be86db36e..b0378bfe5f 100644
--- a/attr.h
+++ b/attr.h
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ void attr_check_free(struct attr_check *check);
  */
 const char *git_attr_name(const struct git_attr *);
 
-int git_check_attr(const struct index_state *istate,
-		   const char *path, struct attr_check *check);
+void git_check_attr(const struct index_state *istate,
+		    const char *path, struct attr_check *check);
 
 /*
  * Retrieve all attributes that apply to the specified path.
diff --git a/builtin/check-attr.c b/builtin/check-attr.c
index c05573ff9c..30a2f84274 100644
--- a/builtin/check-attr.c
+++ b/builtin/check-attr.c
@@ -65,8 +65,7 @@ static void check_attr(const char *prefix,
 	if (collect_all) {
 		git_all_attrs(&the_index, full_path, check);
 	} else {
-		if (git_check_attr(&the_index, full_path, check))
-			die("git_check_attr died");
+		git_check_attr(&the_index, full_path, check);
 	}
 	output_attr(check, file);
 
diff --git a/builtin/pack-objects.c b/builtin/pack-objects.c
index d1144a8f7e..eb71dab5be 100644
--- a/builtin/pack-objects.c
+++ b/builtin/pack-objects.c
@@ -951,8 +951,7 @@ static int no_try_delta(const char *path)
 
 	if (!check)
 		check = attr_check_initl("delta", NULL);
-	if (git_check_attr(&the_index, path, check))
-		return 0;
+	git_check_attr(&the_index, path, check);
 	if (ATTR_FALSE(check->items[0].value))
 		return 1;
 	return 0;
diff --git a/convert.c b/convert.c
index 6057f1f580..e0848226d2 100644
--- a/convert.c
+++ b/convert.c
@@ -1297,6 +1297,7 @@ static void convert_attrs(const struct index_state *istate,
 			  struct conv_attrs *ca, const char *path)
 {
 	static struct attr_check *check;
+	struct attr_check_item *ccheck = NULL;
 
 	if (!check) {
 		check = attr_check_initl("crlf", "ident", "filter",
@@ -1306,30 +1307,25 @@ static void convert_attrs(const struct index_state *istate,
 		git_config(read_convert_config, NULL);
 	}
 
-	if (!git_check_attr(istate, path, check)) {
-		struct attr_check_item *ccheck = check->items;
-		ca->crlf_action = git_path_check_crlf(ccheck + 4);
-		if (ca->crlf_action == CRLF_UNDEFINED)
-			ca->crlf_action = git_path_check_crlf(ccheck + 0);
-		ca->ident = git_path_check_ident(ccheck + 1);
-		ca->drv = git_path_check_convert(ccheck + 2);
-		if (ca->crlf_action != CRLF_BINARY) {
-			enum eol eol_attr = git_path_check_eol(ccheck + 3);
-			if (ca->crlf_action == CRLF_AUTO && eol_attr == EOL_LF)
-				ca->crlf_action = CRLF_AUTO_INPUT;
-			else if (ca->crlf_action == CRLF_AUTO && eol_attr == EOL_CRLF)
-				ca->crlf_action = CRLF_AUTO_CRLF;
-			else if (eol_attr == EOL_LF)
-				ca->crlf_action = CRLF_TEXT_INPUT;
-			else if (eol_attr == EOL_CRLF)
-				ca->crlf_action = CRLF_TEXT_CRLF;
-		}
-		ca->working_tree_encoding = git_path_check_encoding(ccheck + 5);
-	} else {
-		ca->drv = NULL;
-		ca->crlf_action = CRLF_UNDEFINED;
-		ca->ident = 0;
+	git_check_attr(istate, path, check);
+	ccheck = check->items;
+	ca->crlf_action = git_path_check_crlf(ccheck + 4);
+	if (ca->crlf_action == CRLF_UNDEFINED)
+		ca->crlf_action = git_path_check_crlf(ccheck + 0);
+	ca->ident = git_path_check_ident(ccheck + 1);
+	ca->drv = git_path_check_convert(ccheck + 2);
+	if (ca->crlf_action != CRLF_BINARY) {
+		enum eol eol_attr = git_path_check_eol(ccheck + 3);
+		if (ca->crlf_action == CRLF_AUTO && eol_attr == EOL_LF)
+			ca->crlf_action = CRLF_AUTO_INPUT;
+		else if (ca->crlf_action == CRLF_AUTO && eol_attr == EOL_CRLF)
+			ca->crlf_action = CRLF_AUTO_CRLF;
+		else if (eol_attr == EOL_LF)
+			ca->crlf_action = CRLF_TEXT_INPUT;
+		else if (eol_attr == EOL_CRLF)
+			ca->crlf_action = CRLF_TEXT_CRLF;
 	}
+	ca->working_tree_encoding = git_path_check_encoding(ccheck + 5);
 
 	/* Save attr and make a decision for action */
 	ca->attr_action = ca->crlf_action;
diff --git a/ll-merge.c b/ll-merge.c
index 0e2800f7bb..1936fee9e1 100644
--- a/ll-merge.c
+++ b/ll-merge.c
@@ -371,13 +371,12 @@ int ll_merge(mmbuffer_t *result_buf,
 	if (!check)
 		check = attr_check_initl("merge", "conflict-marker-size", NULL);
 
-	if (!git_check_attr(&the_index, path, check)) {
-		ll_driver_name = check->items[0].value;
-		if (check->items[1].value) {
-			marker_size = atoi(check->items[1].value);
-			if (marker_size <= 0)
-				marker_size = DEFAULT_CONFLICT_MARKER_SIZE;
-		}
+	git_check_attr(&the_index, path, check);
+	ll_driver_name = check->items[0].value;
+	if (check->items[1].value) {
+		marker_size = atoi(check->items[1].value);
+		if (marker_size <= 0)
+			marker_size = DEFAULT_CONFLICT_MARKER_SIZE;
 	}
 	driver = find_ll_merge_driver(ll_driver_name);
 
@@ -398,7 +397,8 @@ int ll_merge_marker_size(const char *path)
 
 	if (!check)
 		check = attr_check_initl("conflict-marker-size", NULL);
-	if (!git_check_attr(&the_index, path, check) && check->items[0].value) {
+	git_check_attr(&the_index, path, check);
+	if (check->items[0].value) {
 		marker_size = atoi(check->items[0].value);
 		if (marker_size <= 0)
 			marker_size = DEFAULT_CONFLICT_MARKER_SIZE;
diff --git a/userdiff.c b/userdiff.c
index f3f4be579c..f565f6731d 100644
--- a/userdiff.c
+++ b/userdiff.c
@@ -278,8 +278,7 @@ struct userdiff_driver *userdiff_find_by_path(const char *path)
 		check = attr_check_initl("diff", NULL);
 	if (!path)
 		return NULL;
-	if (git_check_attr(&the_index, path, check))
-		return NULL;
+	git_check_attr(&the_index, path, check);
 
 	if (ATTR_TRUE(check->items[0].value))
 		return &driver_true;
diff --git a/ws.c b/ws.c
index 5b67b426e7..a64ab51e09 100644
--- a/ws.c
+++ b/ws.c
@@ -74,35 +74,31 @@ unsigned parse_whitespace_rule(const char *string)
 unsigned whitespace_rule(const char *pathname)
 {
 	static struct attr_check *attr_whitespace_rule;
+	const char *value;
 
 	if (!attr_whitespace_rule)
 		attr_whitespace_rule = attr_check_initl("whitespace", NULL);
 
-	if (!git_check_attr(&the_index, pathname, attr_whitespace_rule)) {
-		const char *value;
-
-		value = attr_whitespace_rule->items[0].value;
-		if (ATTR_TRUE(value)) {
-			/* true (whitespace) */
-			unsigned all_rule = ws_tab_width(whitespace_rule_cfg);
-			int i;
-			for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(whitespace_rule_names); i++)
-				if (!whitespace_rule_names[i].loosens_error &&
-				    !whitespace_rule_names[i].exclude_default)
-					all_rule |= whitespace_rule_names[i].rule_bits;
-			return all_rule;
-		} else if (ATTR_FALSE(value)) {
-			/* false (-whitespace) */
-			return ws_tab_width(whitespace_rule_cfg);
-		} else if (ATTR_UNSET(value)) {
-			/* reset to default (!whitespace) */
-			return whitespace_rule_cfg;
-		} else {
-			/* string */
-			return parse_whitespace_rule(value);
-		}
-	} else {
+	git_check_attr(&the_index, pathname, attr_whitespace_rule);
+	value = attr_whitespace_rule->items[0].value;
+	if (ATTR_TRUE(value)) {
+		/* true (whitespace) */
+		unsigned all_rule = ws_tab_width(whitespace_rule_cfg);
+		int i;
+		for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(whitespace_rule_names); i++)
+			if (!whitespace_rule_names[i].loosens_error &&
+			    !whitespace_rule_names[i].exclude_default)
+				all_rule |= whitespace_rule_names[i].rule_bits;
+		return all_rule;
+	} else if (ATTR_FALSE(value)) {
+		/* false (-whitespace) */
+		return ws_tab_width(whitespace_rule_cfg);
+	} else if (ATTR_UNSET(value)) {
+		/* reset to default (!whitespace) */
 		return whitespace_rule_cfg;
+	} else {
+		/* string */
+		return parse_whitespace_rule(value);
 	}
 }