diff --git a/src/annotations/annotations.ts b/src/annotations/annotations.ts
index 556987f..156e0f3 100644
--- a/src/annotations/annotations.ts
+++ b/src/annotations/annotations.ts
@@ -4,11 +4,10 @@ import {
     MarkdownString,
     ThemableDecorationAttachmentRenderOptions,
     ThemableDecorationRenderOptions,
-    ThemeColor,
-    workspace
+    ThemeColor
 } from 'vscode';
 import { DiffWithCommand, ShowQuickCommitDetailsCommand } from '../commands';
-import { FileAnnotationType } from '../configuration';
+import { configuration, FileAnnotationType } from '../configuration';
 import { GlyphChars } from '../constants';
 import { Container } from '../container';
 import {
@@ -276,7 +275,7 @@ export class Annotations {
 
         let width;
         if (chars >= 0) {
-            const spacing = workspace.getConfiguration('editor').get<number>('letterSpacing');
+            const spacing = configuration.getAny<number>('editor.letterSpacing');
             if (spacing != null && spacing !== 0) {
                 width = `calc(${chars}ch + ${Math.round(chars * spacing)}px)`;
             }
diff --git a/src/configuration.ts b/src/configuration.ts
index 2904ddf..487609d 100644
--- a/src/configuration.ts
+++ b/src/configuration.ts
@@ -38,13 +38,22 @@ export class Configuration {
         return this._onDidChange.event;
     }
 
+    private _onDidChangeAny = new EventEmitter<ConfigurationChangeEvent>();
+    get onDidChangeAny(): Event<ConfigurationChangeEvent> {
+        return this._onDidChange.event;
+    }
+
     private _onWillChange = new EventEmitter<ConfigurationWillChangeEvent>();
     get onWillChange(): Event<ConfigurationWillChangeEvent> {
         return this._onWillChange.event;
     }
 
     private onConfigurationChanged(e: ConfigurationChangeEvent) {
-        if (!e.affectsConfiguration(extensionId, null!)) return;
+        if (!e.affectsConfiguration(extensionId, null!)) {
+            this._onDidChangeAny.fire(e);
+
+            return;
+        }
 
         const evt: ConfigurationWillChangeEvent = {
             change: e
@@ -72,6 +81,12 @@ export class Configuration {
                   .get<T>(section === undefined ? extensionId : section, defaultValue)!;
     }
 
+    getAny<T>(section: string, resource?: Uri | null, defaultValue?: T) {
+        return defaultValue === undefined
+            ? workspace.getConfiguration(undefined, resource!).get<T>(section)!
+            : workspace.getConfiguration(undefined, resource!).get<T>(section, defaultValue)!;
+    }
+
     changed(e: ConfigurationChangeEvent, section: string, resource?: Uri | null) {
         return e.affectsConfiguration(`${extensionId}.${section}`, resource!);
     }
@@ -86,6 +101,10 @@ export class Configuration {
             .inspect(section === undefined ? extensionId : section);
     }
 
+    inspectAny(section: string, resource?: Uri | null) {
+        return workspace.getConfiguration(undefined, resource!).inspect(section);
+    }
+
     async migrate<TFrom, TTo>(
         from: string,
         to: string,
@@ -228,6 +247,12 @@ export class Configuration {
             .update(section, value, target);
     }
 
+    updateAny(section: string, value: any, target: ConfigurationTarget, resource?: Uri | null) {
+        return workspace
+            .getConfiguration(undefined, target === ConfigurationTarget.Global ? undefined : resource!)
+            .update(section, value, target);
+    }
+
     async updateEffective(section: string, value: any, resource: Uri | null = null) {
         const inspect = await configuration.inspect(section, resource)!;
         if (inspect.workspaceFolderValue !== undefined) {
diff --git a/src/git/gitService.ts b/src/git/gitService.ts
index 463c6ae..bb15935 100644
--- a/src/git/gitService.ts
+++ b/src/git/gitService.ts
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ export class GitService implements Disposable {
             gitPath = gitApi.git.path;
         }
 
-        await Git.setOrFindGitPath(gitPath || workspace.getConfiguration('git').get<string>('path'));
+        await Git.setOrFindGitPath(gitPath || configuration.getAny<string>('git.path'));
     }
 
     get useCaching() {
@@ -306,8 +306,8 @@ export class GitService implements Disposable {
 
         // Get any specified excludes -- this is a total hack, but works for some simple cases and something is better than nothing :)
         let excludes = {
-            ...workspace.getConfiguration('files', uri).get<{ [key: string]: boolean }>('exclude', {}),
-            ...workspace.getConfiguration('search', uri).get<{ [key: string]: boolean }>('exclude', {})
+            ...configuration.getAny<{ [key: string]: boolean }>('files.exclude', uri, {}),
+            ...configuration.getAny<{ [key: string]: boolean }>('search.exclude', uri, {})
         };
 
         const excludedPaths = [
@@ -2613,7 +2613,7 @@ export class GitService implements Disposable {
     static getEncoding(uri: Uri): string;
     static getEncoding(repoPathOrUri: string | Uri, fileName?: string): string {
         const uri = typeof repoPathOrUri === 'string' ? GitUri.resolveToUri(fileName!, repoPathOrUri) : repoPathOrUri;
-        return Git.getEncoding(workspace.getConfiguration('files', uri).get<string>('encoding'));
+        return Git.getEncoding(configuration.getAny<string>('files.encoding', uri));
     }
 
     static deletedOrMissingSha = Git.deletedOrMissingSha;
diff --git a/src/telemetry.ts b/src/telemetry.ts
index bf1d5ba..db9c25a 100644
--- a/src/telemetry.ts
+++ b/src/telemetry.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 //     static configure(key: string) {
 //         if (!configuration.get<boolean>(configuration.name('advanced')('telemetry')('enabled').value) ||
-//             !workspace.getConfiguration('telemetry').get<boolean>('enableTelemetry', true)) {
+//             !configuration.getAny<boolean>('telemetry.enableTelemetry', undefined, true)) {
 //             return;
 //         }