diff --git a/git-fat b/git-fat
index 97315ea..50668f9 100755
--- a/git-fat
+++ b/git-fat
@@ -122,6 +122,10 @@ class GitFat(object):
     DecodeError = RuntimeError
     def __init__(self):
         self.verbose = verbose_stderr if os.environ.get('GIT_FAT_VERBOSE') else verbose_ignore
+        self.rsync_remote = os.environ.get('GIT_FAT_RSYNC_REMOTE')
+        self.rsync_ssh_port = os.environ.get('GIT_FAT_RSYNC_SSH_PORT')
+        self.rsync_ssh_user = os.environ.get('GIT_FAT_RSYNC_SSH_USER')
+        self.rsync_options = os.environ.get('GIT_FAT_RSYNC_OPTIONS')
         self.gitroot = subprocess.check_output('git rev-parse --show-toplevel'.split()).strip()
         self.gitdir = subprocess.check_output('git rev-parse --git-dir'.split()).strip()
         self.objdir = os.path.join(self.gitdir, 'fat', 'objects')
@@ -137,10 +141,10 @@ class GitFat(object):
         mkdir_p(self.objdir)
     def get_rsync(self):
         cfgpath   = os.path.join(self.gitroot,'.gitfat')
-        remote    = gitconfig_get('rsync.remote', file=cfgpath)
-        ssh_port  = gitconfig_get('rsync.sshport', file=cfgpath)
-        ssh_user  = gitconfig_get('rsync.sshuser', file=cfgpath)
-        options   = gitconfig_get('rsync.options', file=cfgpath)
+        remote    = self.rsync_remote or gitconfig_get('rsync.remote', file=cfgpath)
+        ssh_port  = self.rsync_ssh_port or gitconfig_get('rsync.sshport', file=cfgpath)
+        ssh_user  = self.rsync_ssh_user or gitconfig_get('rsync.sshuser', file=cfgpath)
+        options   = self.rsync_options or gitconfig_get('rsync.options', file=cfgpath)
         if remote is None:
             raise RuntimeError('No rsync.remote in %s' % cfgpath)
         return remote, ssh_port, ssh_user, options
diff --git a/test.sh b/test.sh
index e9c9163..44f6a44 100755
--- a/test.sh
+++ b/test.sh
@@ -38,3 +38,11 @@ git commit -m'add d with normal content'
 rm d
 git fat pull
 
+# Test env var overrides rsync.remote from .gitfat file
+mv .gitfat .gitfat.bak
+cat - >> .gitfat <<EOF
+[rsync]
+remote = not-a-valid-name:/tmp/fat-store
+EOF
+GIT_FAT_RSYNC_REMOTE='localhost:/tmp/fat-store' git fat pull
+mv .gitfat.bak .gitfat