diff --git a/plumbing/transport/server/loader.go b/plumbing/transport/server/loader.go
index e7e2b075e..f03a91c6d 100644
--- a/plumbing/transport/server/loader.go
+++ b/plumbing/transport/server/loader.go
@@ -40,8 +40,16 @@ func (l *fsLoader) Load(ep *transport.Endpoint) (storer.Storer, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	if _, err := fs.Stat("config"); err != nil {
-		return nil, transport.ErrRepositoryNotFound
+	var bare bool
+	if _, err := fs.Stat("config"); err == nil {
+		bare = true
+	}
+
+	if !bare {
+		// do not use git.GitDirName due to import cycle
+		if _, err := fs.Stat(".git"); err != nil {
+			return nil, transport.ErrRepositoryNotFound
+		}
 	}
 
 	return filesystem.NewStorage(fs, cache.NewObjectLRUDefault()), nil
diff --git a/plumbing/transport/server/loader_test.go b/plumbing/transport/server/loader_test.go
index 88f040348..d478e6521 100644
--- a/plumbing/transport/server/loader_test.go
+++ b/plumbing/transport/server/loader_test.go
@@ -10,11 +10,22 @@ import (
 	. "gopkg.in/check.v1"
 )
 
+type loaderSuiteRepo struct {
+	bare bool
+
+	path string
+}
+
 type LoaderSuite struct {
-	RepoPath string
+	Repos map[string]loaderSuiteRepo
 }
 
-var _ = Suite(&LoaderSuite{})
+var _ = Suite(&LoaderSuite{
+	Repos: map[string]loaderSuiteRepo{
+		"repo": {path: "repo.git"},
+		"bare": {path: "bare.git", bare: true},
+	},
+})
 
 func (s *LoaderSuite) SetUpSuite(c *C) {
 	if err := exec.Command("git", "--version").Run(); err != nil {
@@ -22,8 +33,17 @@ func (s *LoaderSuite) SetUpSuite(c *C) {
 	}
 
 	dir := c.MkDir()
-	s.RepoPath = filepath.Join(dir, "repo.git")
-	c.Assert(exec.Command("git", "init", "--bare", s.RepoPath).Run(), IsNil)
+
+	for key, repo := range s.Repos {
+		repo.path = filepath.Join(dir, repo.path)
+		if repo.bare {
+			c.Assert(exec.Command("git", "init", "--bare", repo.path).Run(), IsNil)
+		} else {
+			c.Assert(exec.Command("git", "init", repo.path).Run(), IsNil)
+		}
+		s.Repos[key] = repo
+	}
+
 }
 
 func (s *LoaderSuite) endpoint(c *C, url string) *transport.Endpoint {
@@ -45,13 +65,13 @@ func (s *LoaderSuite) TestLoadNonExistentIgnoreHost(c *C) {
 }
 
 func (s *LoaderSuite) TestLoad(c *C) {
-	sto, err := DefaultLoader.Load(s.endpoint(c, s.RepoPath))
+	sto, err := DefaultLoader.Load(s.endpoint(c, s.Repos["repo"].path))
 	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
 	c.Assert(sto, NotNil)
 }
 
-func (s *LoaderSuite) TestLoadIgnoreHost(c *C) {
-	sto, err := DefaultLoader.Load(s.endpoint(c, s.RepoPath))
+func (s *LoaderSuite) TestLoadBare(c *C) {
+	sto, err := DefaultLoader.Load(s.endpoint(c, s.Repos["bare"].path))
 	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
 	c.Assert(sto, NotNil)
 }