diff --git a/src/libgit2/config_backend.h b/src/libgit2/config_backend.h
index dbb190514..677b2236f 100644
--- a/src/libgit2/config_backend.h
+++ b/src/libgit2/config_backend.h
@@ -38,13 +38,19 @@ extern int git_config_backend_from_file(git_config_backend **out, const char *pa
 extern int git_config_backend_snapshot(git_config_backend **out, git_config_backend *source);
 
 /**
- * Create an in-memory configuration file backend
+ * Create an in-memory configuration file backend from a string in standard
+ * git configuration file format.
  *
  * @param out the new backend
+ * @param origin the name of the origin to use (or NULL for "memory")
  * @param cfg the configuration that is to be parsed
  * @param len the length of the string pointed to by `cfg`
  */
-extern int git_config_backend_from_string(git_config_backend **out, const char *cfg, size_t len);
+extern int git_config_backend_from_string(
+	git_config_backend **out,
+	const char *origin,
+	const char *cfg,
+	size_t len);
 
 GIT_INLINE(int) git_config_backend_open(git_config_backend *cfg, unsigned int level, const git_repository *repo)
 {
diff --git a/src/libgit2/config_file.c b/src/libgit2/config_file.c
index c86e98bf2..340e85691 100644
--- a/src/libgit2/config_file.c
+++ b/src/libgit2/config_file.c
@@ -803,11 +803,13 @@ static int read_on_variable(
 		GIT_ERROR_CHECK_ALLOC(entry->base.value);
 	}
 
-	entry->base.origin_path = git_config_list_add_path(parse_data->config_list, parse_data->file->path);
+	entry->base.backend_type = git_config_list_add_string(parse_data->config_list, CONFIG_FILE_TYPE);
+	GIT_ERROR_CHECK_ALLOC(entry->base.backend_type);
+
+	entry->base.origin_path = git_config_list_add_string(parse_data->config_list, parse_data->file->path);
 	GIT_ERROR_CHECK_ALLOC(entry->base.origin_path);
 
 	entry->base.level = parse_data->level;
-	entry->base.backend_type = CONFIG_FILE_TYPE;
 	entry->base.include_depth = parse_data->depth;
 	entry->base.free = git_config_list_entry_free;
 	entry->config_list = parse_data->config_list;
diff --git a/src/libgit2/config_list.c b/src/libgit2/config_list.c
index f642c87a4..0b7a4f360 100644
--- a/src/libgit2/config_list.c
+++ b/src/libgit2/config_list.c
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ typedef struct config_list_iterator {
 struct git_config_list {
 	git_refcount rc;
 
-	/* Paths to config files that contribute to these entries */
-	git_strmap *paths;
+	/* Interned strings - paths to config files or backend types */
+	git_strmap *strings;
 
 	/* Config entries */
 	git_strmap *map;
@@ -43,9 +43,9 @@ int git_config_list_new(git_config_list **out)
 	GIT_ERROR_CHECK_ALLOC(config_list);
 	GIT_REFCOUNT_INC(config_list);
 
-	if (git_strmap_new(&config_list->paths) < 0 ||
+	if (git_strmap_new(&config_list->strings) < 0 ||
 	    git_strmap_new(&config_list->map) < 0) {
-		git_strmap_free(config_list->paths);
+		git_strmap_free(config_list->strings);
 		git_strmap_free(config_list->map);
 		git__free(config_list);
 
@@ -72,12 +72,14 @@ int git_config_list_dup_entry(git_config_list *config_list, const git_config_ent
 		GIT_ERROR_CHECK_ALLOC(duplicated->base.value);
 	}
 
+	duplicated->base.backend_type = git_config_list_add_string(config_list, entry->backend_type);
+	GIT_ERROR_CHECK_ALLOC(duplicated->base.backend_type);
+
 	if (entry->origin_path) {
-		duplicated->base.origin_path = git_config_list_add_path(config_list, entry->origin_path);
+		duplicated->base.origin_path = git_config_list_add_string(config_list, entry->origin_path);
 		GIT_ERROR_CHECK_ALLOC(duplicated->base.origin_path);
 	}
 
-	duplicated->base.backend_type = entry->backend_type;
 	duplicated->base.level = entry->level;
 	duplicated->base.include_depth = entry->include_depth;
 	duplicated->base.free = git_config_list_entry_free;
@@ -125,12 +127,12 @@ static void config_list_free(git_config_list *config_list)
 {
 	config_entry_list *entry_list = NULL, *next;
 	config_entry_map_head *head;
-	char *path;
+	char *str;
 
-	git_strmap_foreach_value(config_list->paths, path, {
-		git__free(path);
+	git_strmap_foreach_value(config_list->strings, str, {
+		git__free(str);
 	});
-	git_strmap_free(config_list->paths);
+	git_strmap_free(config_list->strings);
 
 	git_strmap_foreach_value(config_list->map, head, {
 		git__free((char *) head->entry->base.name);
@@ -269,18 +271,18 @@ void git_config_list_entry_free(git_config_entry *e)
 	git_config_list_free(entry->config_list);
 }
 
-const char *git_config_list_add_path(
+const char *git_config_list_add_string(
 	git_config_list *config_list,
-	const char *path)
+	const char *str)
 {
-	const char *p;
+	const char *s;
 
-	if ((p = git_strmap_get(config_list->paths, path)) != NULL)
-		return p;
+	if ((s = git_strmap_get(config_list->strings, str)) != NULL)
+		return s;
 
-	if ((p = git__strdup(path)) == NULL ||
-	    git_strmap_set(config_list->paths, p, (void *)p) < 0)
+	if ((s = git__strdup(str)) == NULL ||
+	    git_strmap_set(config_list->strings, s, (void *)s) < 0)
 		return NULL;
 
-	return p;
+	return s;
 }
diff --git a/src/libgit2/config_list.h b/src/libgit2/config_list.h
index 83c43b9a0..023bca1e5 100644
--- a/src/libgit2/config_list.h
+++ b/src/libgit2/config_list.h
@@ -27,6 +27,6 @@ int git_config_list_append(git_config_list *list, git_config_list_entry *entry);
 int git_config_list_get(git_config_list_entry **out, git_config_list *list, const char *key);
 int git_config_list_get_unique(git_config_list_entry **out, git_config_list *list, const char *key);
 int git_config_list_iterator_new(git_config_iterator **out, git_config_list *list);
-const char *git_config_list_add_path(git_config_list *list, const char *path);
+const char *git_config_list_add_string(git_config_list *list, const char *str);
 
 void git_config_list_entry_free(git_config_entry *entry);
diff --git a/src/libgit2/config_mem.c b/src/libgit2/config_mem.c
index 748a14716..8faa53dcb 100644
--- a/src/libgit2/config_mem.c
+++ b/src/libgit2/config_mem.c
@@ -13,11 +13,13 @@
 
 typedef struct {
 	git_config_backend parent;
+	char *type;
 	git_config_list *config_list;
 	git_str cfg;
 } config_memory_backend;
 
 typedef struct {
+	const char *backend_type;
 	git_config_list *config_list;
 	git_config_level_t level;
 } config_memory_parse_data;
@@ -68,7 +70,7 @@ static int read_variable_cb(
 	entry->base.value = var_value ? git__strdup(var_value) : NULL;
 	entry->base.level = parse_data->level;
 	entry->base.include_depth = 0;
-	entry->base.backend_type = "memory";
+	entry->base.backend_type = parse_data->backend_type;
 	entry->base.free = git_config_list_entry_free;
 	entry->config_list = parse_data->config_list;
 
@@ -90,6 +92,9 @@ static int config_memory_open(git_config_backend *backend, git_config_level_t le
 	if ((error = git_config_parser_init(&parser, "in-memory", memory_backend->cfg.ptr,
 					    memory_backend->cfg.size)) < 0)
 		goto out;
+
+	parse_data.backend_type = git_config_list_add_string(
+		memory_backend->config_list, memory_backend->type);
 	parse_data.config_list = memory_backend->config_list;
 	parse_data.level = level;
 
@@ -187,12 +192,17 @@ static void config_memory_free(git_config_backend *_backend)
 	if (backend == NULL)
 		return;
 
+	git__free(backend->type);
 	git_config_list_free(backend->config_list);
 	git_str_dispose(&backend->cfg);
 	git__free(backend);
 }
 
-int git_config_backend_from_string(git_config_backend **out, const char *cfg, size_t len)
+int git_config_backend_from_string(
+	git_config_backend **out,
+	const char *backend_type,
+	const char *cfg,
+	size_t len)
 {
 	config_memory_backend *backend;
 
@@ -210,6 +220,9 @@ int git_config_backend_from_string(git_config_backend **out, const char *cfg, si
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	backend->type = git__strdup(backend_type ? backend_type : "in-memory");
+	GIT_ERROR_CHECK_ALLOC(backend->type);
+
 	backend->parent.version = GIT_CONFIG_BACKEND_VERSION;
 	backend->parent.readonly = 1;
 	backend->parent.open = config_memory_open;
diff --git a/tests/libgit2/config/memory.c b/tests/libgit2/config/memory.c
index ae661899d..67a61a1c5 100644
--- a/tests/libgit2/config/memory.c
+++ b/tests/libgit2/config/memory.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ static void assert_config_contains_all(git_config_backend *backend,
 
 static void setup_backend(const char *cfg)
 {
-	cl_git_pass(git_config_backend_from_string(&backend, cfg, strlen(cfg)));
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_backend_from_string(&backend, "test", cfg, strlen(cfg)));
 	cl_git_pass(git_config_backend_open(backend, 0, NULL));
 }
 
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ void test_config_memory__malformed_fails_to_open(void)
 	const char *cfg =
 		"[general\n"
 		"foo=bar\n";
-	cl_git_pass(git_config_backend_from_string(&backend, cfg, strlen(cfg)));
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_backend_from_string(&backend, "test", cfg, strlen(cfg)));
 	cl_git_fail(git_config_backend_open(backend, 0, NULL));
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/libgit2/config/snapshot.c b/tests/libgit2/config/snapshot.c
index bfb68e21e..87a68600e 100644
--- a/tests/libgit2/config/snapshot.c
+++ b/tests/libgit2/config/snapshot.c
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ void test_config_snapshot__snapshot_from_in_memory(void)
 	int i;
 
 	cl_git_pass(git_config_new(&cfg));
-	cl_git_pass(git_config_backend_from_string(&backend, configuration, strlen(configuration)));
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_backend_from_string(&backend, "test", configuration, strlen(configuration)));
 	cl_git_pass(git_config_add_backend(cfg, backend, 0, NULL, 0));
 
 	cl_git_pass(git_config_snapshot(&snapshot, cfg));
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ void test_config_snapshot__snapshot_from_in_memory(void)
 
 	cl_assert_equal_s("section.key", entry->name);
 	cl_assert_equal_s("1", entry->value);
-	cl_assert_equal_s("memory", entry->backend_type);
+	cl_assert_equal_s("test", entry->backend_type);
 	cl_assert_equal_p(NULL, entry->origin_path);
 
 	git_config_entry_free(entry);