diff --git a/src/plugins/git/gitclient.cpp b/src/plugins/git/gitclient.cpp
index f2020b3a5ff3e25f244c3255f4ec0dbab659feb2..91a25b9a2e4a74735309915cfddc9f40275eb85e 100644
--- a/src/plugins/git/gitclient.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/git/gitclient.cpp
@@ -132,7 +132,8 @@ GitClient::GitClient(GitPlugin* plugin)
     m_plugin(plugin),
     m_core(Core::ICore::instance()),
     m_repositoryChangedSignalMapper(0),
-    m_cachedGitVersion(0)
+    m_cachedGitVersion(0),
+    m_hasCachedGitVersion(false)
 {
     if (QSettings *s = m_core->settings()) {
         m_settings.fromSettings(s);
@@ -1021,16 +1022,24 @@ bool GitClient::synchronousGit(const QString &workingDirectory,
     process.setWorkingDirectory(workingDirectory);
     process.setEnvironment(processEnvironment());
 
-    QStringList args = binary();
+    QStringList args = binary(); // "cmd /c git" on Windows
     const QString executable = args.front();
     args.pop_front();
     args.append(gitArguments);
     process.start(executable, args);
     process.closeWriteChannel();
+    if (!process.waitForStarted()) {
+        if (errorText) {
+            const QString msg = QString::fromLatin1("Unable to execute '%1': %2:")
+                                .arg(binary().join(QString(QLatin1Char(' '))), process.errorString());
+            *errorText = msg.toLocal8Bit();
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
 
     if (!process.waitForFinished()) {
         if (errorText)
-            *errorText = "Error: Git timed out";
+            *errorText = "Error: Git timed out.";
         process.kill();
         return false;
     }
@@ -1556,6 +1565,7 @@ void GitClient::setSettings(const GitSettings &s)
             m_settings.toSettings(s);
         m_binaryPath = m_settings.gitBinaryPath();
         m_cachedGitVersion = 0u;
+        m_hasCachedGitVersion = false;
     }
 }
 
@@ -1573,16 +1583,20 @@ void GitClient::connectRepositoryChanged(const QString & repository, GitCommand
 }
 
 // determine version as '(major << 16) + (minor << 8) + patch' or 0.
-unsigned GitClient::gitVersion(QString *errorMessage  /* = 0 */)
+unsigned GitClient::gitVersion(bool silent, QString *errorMessage  /* = 0 */)
 {
-    if (!m_cachedGitVersion)
-        m_cachedGitVersion = synchronousGitVersion(errorMessage);
+    if (!m_hasCachedGitVersion) {
+        // Do not execute repeatedly if that fails (due to git
+        // not being installed) until settings are changed.
+        m_cachedGitVersion = synchronousGitVersion(silent, errorMessage);
+        m_hasCachedGitVersion = true;
+    }
     return m_cachedGitVersion;
 }
 
-QString GitClient::gitVersionString(QString *errorMessage)
+QString GitClient::gitVersionString(bool silent, QString *errorMessage)
 {
-    if (const unsigned version = gitVersion(errorMessage)) {
+    if (const unsigned version = gitVersion(silent, errorMessage)) {
         QString rc;
         QTextStream(&rc) << (version >> 16) << '.'
                 << (0xFF & (version >> 8)) << '.'
@@ -1593,7 +1607,7 @@ QString GitClient::gitVersionString(QString *errorMessage)
 }
 
 // determine version as '(major << 16) + (minor << 8) + patch' or 0.
-unsigned GitClient::synchronousGitVersion(QString *errorMessage /* = 0 */)
+unsigned GitClient::synchronousGitVersion(bool silent, QString *errorMessage /* = 0 */)
 {
     // run git --version
     QByteArray outputText;
@@ -1604,7 +1618,11 @@ unsigned GitClient::synchronousGitVersion(QString *errorMessage /* = 0 */)
         if (errorMessage) {
             *errorMessage = msg;
         } else {
-            VCSBase::VCSBaseOutputWindow::instance()->appendError(msg);
+            if (silent) {
+                VCSBase::VCSBaseOutputWindow::instance()->append(msg);
+            } else {
+                VCSBase::VCSBaseOutputWindow::instance()->appendError(msg);
+            }
         }
         return 0;
     }
diff --git a/src/plugins/git/gitclient.h b/src/plugins/git/gitclient.h
index 6b6ca1a655c5b1d5ef4cd11dae1b31dee0bfb837..ea1fbd9f9fb7f4badbef0eb681318e03386fa1c2 100644
--- a/src/plugins/git/gitclient.h
+++ b/src/plugins/git/gitclient.h
@@ -147,8 +147,8 @@ public:
                                 QString *branch = 0, QString *errorMessage = 0);
     // determine version as '(major << 16) + (minor << 8) + patch' or 0
     // with some smart caching.
-    unsigned gitVersion(QString *errorMessage = 0);
-    QString gitVersionString(QString *errorMessage = 0);
+    unsigned gitVersion(bool silent, QString *errorMessage = 0);
+    QString gitVersionString(bool silent, QString *errorMessage = 0);
 
     void pull(const QString &workingDirectory);
     void push(const QString &workingDirectory);
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ private:
                         QByteArray* errorText = 0,
                         bool logCommandToWindow = true);
     // determine version as '(major << 16) + (minor << 8) + patch' or 0.
-    unsigned synchronousGitVersion(QString *errorMessage = 0);
+    unsigned synchronousGitVersion(bool silent, QString *errorMessage = 0);
 
     enum RevertResult { RevertOk, RevertUnchanged, RevertCanceled, RevertFailed };
     RevertResult revertI(QStringList files, bool *isDirectory, QString *errorMessage);
@@ -247,6 +247,7 @@ private:
     QString m_binaryPath;
     QSignalMapper *m_repositoryChangedSignalMapper;
     unsigned      m_cachedGitVersion;
+    bool          m_hasCachedGitVersion;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/git/gitversioncontrol.cpp b/src/plugins/git/gitversioncontrol.cpp
index 49955873ab347e42fca531a2cc47e064f8f33367..e26f05c8352be7e660372520f7f0fa580d009b6a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/git/gitversioncontrol.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/git/gitversioncontrol.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ QString GitVersionControl::displayName() const
 // Add: Implement using "git add --intent-to-add" starting from 1.6.1
 static inline bool addOperationSupported()
 {
-    return gitClient()->gitVersion() >= version(1, 6, 1);
+    return gitClient()->gitVersion(true) >= version(1, 6, 1);
 }
 
 bool GitVersionControl::supportsOperation(Operation operation) const