diff --git a/git/config.py b/git/config.py
index 1d58db53a..cdcc32e7b 100644
--- a/git/config.py
+++ b/git/config.py
@@ -501,9 +501,6 @@ def string_decode(v: str) -> str:
                         if pos != -1 and optval[pos - 1].isspace():
                             optval = optval[:pos]
                     optval = optval.strip()
-                    if optval == '""':
-                        optval = ""
-                    # END handle empty string
                     optname = self.optionxform(optname.rstrip())
                     if len(optval) > 1 and optval[0] == '"' and optval[-1] != '"':
                         is_multi_line = True
diff --git a/test/fixtures/git_config_with_empty_quotes b/test/fixtures/git_config_with_empty_quotes
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f11fe4248
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/git_config_with_empty_quotes
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+[core]
+  filemode = ""
diff --git a/test/test_config.py b/test/test_config.py
index 879b98365..76b918a54 100644
--- a/test/test_config.py
+++ b/test/test_config.py
@@ -416,6 +416,10 @@ def test_config_with_quotes(self):
         self.assertEqual(cr.get("user", "name"), "Cody Veal")
         self.assertEqual(cr.get("user", "email"), "cveal05@gmail.com")
 
+    def test_config_with_empty_quotes(self):
+        cr = GitConfigParser(fixture_path("git_config_with_empty_quotes"), read_only=True)
+        self.assertEqual(cr.get("core", "filemode"), "", "quotes can form a literal empty string as value")
+
     def test_config_with_quotes_with_literal_whitespace(self):
         cr = GitConfigParser(fixture_path("git_config_with_quotes_whitespace_inside"), read_only=True)
         self.assertEqual(cr.get("core", "commentString"), "# ")