diff --git a/internal/diff/compare.go b/internal/diff/compare.go
index 57c292f..c7f414c 100644
--- a/internal/diff/compare.go
+++ b/internal/diff/compare.go
@@ -171,6 +171,12 @@ func diffDotfiles(systemURL, referenceURL string) *DotfilesDiff {
 		dd.RepoChanged = &ValueChange{System: systemURL, Reference: referenceURL}
 	}
 
+	// Only check local dotfiles repo state if dotfiles are actually configured
+	// If both URLs are empty, there's no dotfiles setup to check
+	if sysNorm == "" && refNorm == "" {
+		return dd
+	}
+
 	// Check local dotfiles repo for dirty state
 	home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/system/system.go b/internal/system/system.go
index f22be6e..a920f12 100644
--- a/internal/system/system.go
+++ b/internal/system/system.go
@@ -70,11 +70,18 @@ func InstallHomebrew() error {
 }
 
 func GetGitConfig(key string) string {
+	// Try global first (most common)
 	output, err := RunCommandSilent("git", "config", "--global", key)
-	if err != nil {
-		return ""
+	if err == nil && output != "" {
+		return output
+	}
+	// Fall back to any available config (local, system, etc.)
+	output, err = RunCommandSilent("git", "config", key)
+	if err == nil {
+		return output
 	}
-	return output
+
+	return ""
 }
 
 func GetExistingGitConfig() (name, email string) {
diff --git a/internal/system/system_test.go b/internal/system/system_test.go
index 84ca188..8c82f20 100644
--- a/internal/system/system_test.go
+++ b/internal/system/system_test.go
@@ -302,3 +302,38 @@ func TestRunCommandSilent_MultilineOutput(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Contains(t, output, "line2")
 	assert.Contains(t, output, "line3")
 }
+
+// TestGetGitConfig_FallsBackToAnyScope verifies that GetGitConfig checks all git config scopes,
+// not just --global. This handles cases where user.name/user.email are set in local or system config.
+// Regression test for: git config detection issue
+func TestGetGitConfig_FallsBackToAnyScope(t *testing.T) {
+	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+	t.Setenv("HOME", tmpDir)
+
+	// Create a git repo in tmpDir
+	cmd := exec.Command("git", "init")
+	cmd.Dir = tmpDir
+	if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
+		t.Skip("git not installed, skipping")
+	}
+
+	// Set a local config value (not global)
+	cmd = exec.Command("git", "config", "user.localtest", "local-value")
+	cmd.Dir = tmpDir
+	require.NoError(t, cmd.Run())
+
+	// Change to the tmpDir so git can find the local config
+	oldWd, _ := os.Getwd()
+	os.Chdir(tmpDir)
+	defer os.Chdir(oldWd)
+
+	// Set XDG_CONFIG_HOME to avoid reading global git config
+	oldXdg := os.Getenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME")
+	os.Setenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME", tmpDir+"/nonexistent")
+	defer os.Setenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME", oldXdg)
+
+	// The global config should be empty since we changed HOME
+	// but the local config should be found via fallback
+	value := GetGitConfig("user.localtest")
+	assert.Equal(t, "local-value", value, "GetGitConfig should fall back to local config when global is not set")
+}