diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index 587cc996b..6f60f14b5 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ func (c *AuthConfig) GitProtocol(hostname string) string {
 
 	// This should not happen, as we know there is a default value for this key.
 	// Perhaps it says something about our current default abstraction being not quite right?
+	// The defaults are also currently used to provide information about the config options.
 	return ""
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/gist/clone/clone.go b/pkg/cmd/gist/clone/clone.go
index 9b75a309c..cd477a745 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/gist/clone/clone.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/gist/clone/clone.go
@@ -80,10 +80,7 @@ func cloneRun(opts *CloneOptions) error {
 			return err
 		}
 		hostname, _ := cfg.Authentication().DefaultHost()
-		protocol, err := cfg.GetOrDefault(hostname, "git_protocol")
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+		protocol := cfg.Authentication().GitProtocol(hostname)
 		gistURL = formatRemoteURL(hostname, gistURL, protocol)
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/pr/checkout/checkout.go b/pkg/cmd/pr/checkout/checkout.go
index 193eea735..b91fb1765 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/pr/checkout/checkout.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/pr/checkout/checkout.go
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ func checkoutRun(opts *CheckoutOptions) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	protocol, _ := cfg.GetOrDefault(baseRepo.RepoHost(), "git_protocol")
+	protocol := cfg.Authentication().GitProtocol(baseRepo.RepoHost())
 
 	remotes, err := opts.Remotes()
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/pr/create/create.go b/pkg/cmd/pr/create/create.go
index 8c1047de7..81b2c05f3 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/pr/create/create.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/pr/create/create.go
@@ -761,7 +761,7 @@ func handlePush(opts CreateOptions, ctx CreateContext) error {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		cloneProtocol, _ := cfg.GetOrDefault(headRepo.RepoHost(), "git_protocol")
+		cloneProtocol := cfg.Authentication().GitProtocol(headRepo.RepoHost())
 		headRepoURL := ghrepo.FormatRemoteURL(headRepo, cloneProtocol)
 		gitClient := ctx.GitClient
 		origin, _ := remotes.FindByName("origin")
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/repo/clone/clone.go b/pkg/cmd/repo/clone/clone.go
index 174951243..298ca30de 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/repo/clone/clone.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/repo/clone/clone.go
@@ -129,10 +129,7 @@ func cloneRun(opts *CloneOptions) error {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		protocol, err = cfg.GetOrDefault(repo.RepoHost(), "git_protocol")
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+		protocol = cfg.Authentication().GitProtocol(repo.RepoHost())
 	}
 
 	wantsWiki := strings.HasSuffix(repo.RepoName(), ".wiki")
@@ -166,10 +163,7 @@ func cloneRun(opts *CloneOptions) error {
 
 	// If the repo is a fork, add the parent as an upstream remote and set the parent as the default repo.
 	if canonicalRepo.Parent != nil {
-		protocol, err := cfg.GetOrDefault(canonicalRepo.Parent.RepoHost(), "git_protocol")
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+		protocol := cfg.Authentication().GitProtocol(canonicalRepo.Parent.RepoHost())
 		upstreamURL := ghrepo.FormatRemoteURL(canonicalRepo.Parent, protocol)
 
 		upstreamName := opts.UpstreamName
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/repo/create/create.go b/pkg/cmd/repo/create/create.go
index c050607ed..c96aeb3f9 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/repo/create/create.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/repo/create/create.go
@@ -395,11 +395,7 @@ func createFromScratch(opts *CreateOptions) error {
 	}
 
 	if opts.Clone {
-		protocol, err := cfg.GetOrDefault(repo.RepoHost(), "git_protocol")
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
+		protocol := cfg.Authentication().GitProtocol(repo.RepoHost())
 		remoteURL := ghrepo.FormatRemoteURL(repo, protocol)
 
 		if !opts.AddReadme && opts.LicenseTemplate == "" && opts.GitIgnoreTemplate == "" && opts.Template == "" {
@@ -496,11 +492,7 @@ func createFromTemplate(opts *CreateOptions) error {
 	}
 
 	if opts.Clone {
-		protocol, err := cfg.GetOrDefault(repo.RepoHost(), "git_protocol")
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
+		protocol := cfg.Authentication().GitProtocol(repo.RepoHost())
 		remoteURL := ghrepo.FormatRemoteURL(repo, protocol)
 
 		if err := cloneWithRetry(opts, remoteURL, templateRepoMainBranch); err != nil {
@@ -622,11 +614,7 @@ func createFromLocal(opts *CreateOptions) error {
 		fmt.Fprintln(stdout, repo.URL)
 	}
 
-	protocol, err := cfg.GetOrDefault(repo.RepoHost(), "git_protocol")
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
+	protocol := cfg.Authentication().GitProtocol(repo.RepoHost())
 	remoteURL := ghrepo.FormatRemoteURL(repo, protocol)
 
 	if opts.Interactive {
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/repo/rename/rename.go b/pkg/cmd/repo/rename/rename.go
index 973eb7bd6..8dbc1326d 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/repo/rename/rename.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/repo/rename/rename.go
@@ -149,10 +149,7 @@ func updateRemote(repo ghrepo.Interface, renamed ghrepo.Interface, opts *RenameO
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	protocol, err := cfg.GetOrDefault(repo.RepoHost(), "git_protocol")
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
+	protocol := cfg.Authentication().GitProtocol(repo.RepoHost())
 
 	remotes, err := opts.Remotes()
 	if err != nil {