diff --git a/builtin/fetch.c b/builtin/fetch.c
index 8e742135f..81218300d 100644
--- a/builtin/fetch.c
+++ b/builtin/fetch.c
@@ -1016,10 +1016,9 @@ static int add_remote_or_group(const char *name, struct string_list *list)
 
 	git_config(get_remote_group, &g);
 	if (list->nr == prev_nr) {
-		struct remote *remote;
-		if (!remote_is_configured(name))
+		struct remote *remote = remote_get(name);
+		if (!remote_is_configured(remote))
 			return 0;
-		remote = remote_get(name);
 		string_list_append(list, remote->name);
 	}
 	return 1;
diff --git a/builtin/remote.c b/builtin/remote.c
index 2b2ff9b7d..d966262ae 100644
--- a/builtin/remote.c
+++ b/builtin/remote.c
@@ -1441,9 +1441,9 @@ static int set_remote_branches(const char *remotename, const char **branches,
 
 	strbuf_addf(&key, "remote.%s.fetch", remotename);
 
-	if (!remote_is_configured(remotename))
-		die(_("No such remote '%s'"), remotename);
 	remote = remote_get(remotename);
+	if (!remote_is_configured(remote))
+		die(_("No such remote '%s'"), remotename);
 
 	if (!add_mode && remove_all_fetch_refspecs(remotename, key.buf)) {
 		strbuf_release(&key);
@@ -1498,9 +1498,9 @@ static int get_url(int argc, const char **argv)
 
 	remotename = argv[0];
 
-	if (!remote_is_configured(remotename))
-		die(_("No such remote '%s'"), remotename);
 	remote = remote_get(remotename);
+	if (!remote_is_configured(remote))
+		die(_("No such remote '%s'"), remotename);
 
 	url_nr = 0;
 	if (push_mode) {
@@ -1566,9 +1566,9 @@ static int set_url(int argc, const char **argv)
 	if (delete_mode)
 		oldurl = newurl;
 
-	if (!remote_is_configured(remotename))
-		die(_("No such remote '%s'"), remotename);
 	remote = remote_get(remotename);
+	if (!remote_is_configured(remote))
+		die(_("No such remote '%s'"), remotename);
 
 	if (push_mode) {
 		strbuf_addf(&name_buf, "remote.%s.pushurl", remotename);
diff --git a/remote.c b/remote.c
index 011c9fb86..e4a647cb7 100644
--- a/remote.c
+++ b/remote.c
@@ -713,18 +713,9 @@ struct remote *pushremote_get(const char *name)
 	return remote_get_1(name, pushremote_for_branch);
 }
 
-int remote_is_configured(const char *name)
+int remote_is_configured(struct remote *remote)
 {
-	struct remotes_hash_key lookup;
-	struct hashmap_entry lookup_entry;
-	read_config();
-
-	init_remotes_hash();
-	lookup.str = name;
-	lookup.len = strlen(name);
-	hashmap_entry_init(&lookup_entry, memhash(name, lookup.len));
-
-	return hashmap_get(&remotes_hash, &lookup_entry, &lookup) != NULL;
+	return remote && remote->origin;
 }
 
 int for_each_remote(each_remote_fn fn, void *priv)
diff --git a/remote.h b/remote.h
index 4fd7a0f9b..c21fd3788 100644
--- a/remote.h
+++ b/remote.h
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "hashmap.h"
 
 enum {
+	REMOTE_UNCONFIGURED = 0,
 	REMOTE_CONFIG,
 	REMOTE_REMOTES,
 	REMOTE_BRANCHES
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ struct remote {
 
 struct remote *remote_get(const char *name);
 struct remote *pushremote_get(const char *name);
-int remote_is_configured(const char *name);
+int remote_is_configured(struct remote *remote);
 
 typedef int each_remote_fn(struct remote *remote, void *priv);
 int for_each_remote(each_remote_fn fn, void *priv);