diff --git a/example/config_example.dart b/example/config_example.dart
index 18505b8..bed8886 100644
--- a/example/config_example.dart
+++ b/example/config_example.dart
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ void main() {
   final config = Config.open();
 
   print('All entries of system/global config:');
-  // config.variables hold key/value from config file
-  for (final entry in config.variables.entries) {
+  final entries = config.getEntries();
+  for (final entry in entries.entries) {
     print('${entry.key}: ${entry.value}');
   }
   // .close should be called on object to free memory when done.
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ void main() {
     final repoConfig = Config.open(path: '.git/config');
 
     print('All entries of repo config:');
-    for (final entry in repoConfig.variables.entries) {
+    final entries = repoConfig.getEntries();
+    for (final entry in entries.entries) {
       print('${entry.key}: ${entry.value}');
     }
 
@@ -32,7 +33,8 @@ void main() {
   try {
     final globalConfig = Config.global();
 
-    final userName = globalConfig.variables['user.name'];
+    // get value of config variable
+    final userName = globalConfig.getValue('user.name');
     print('\nUser Name from global config: $userName');
 
     globalConfig.close();
diff --git a/lib/src/bindings/config.dart b/lib/src/bindings/config.dart
index b59862f..d8e8eb3 100644
--- a/lib/src/bindings/config.dart
+++ b/lib/src/bindings/config.dart
@@ -182,12 +182,12 @@ void setString(Pointer<git_config> cfg, String name, String value) {
 }
 
 /// Iterate over all the config variables.
-Map<String, dynamic> getVariables(Pointer<git_config> cfg) {
+Map<String, String> getEntries(Pointer<git_config> cfg) {
   final iterator = calloc<Pointer<git_config_iterator>>();
   final entry = calloc<Pointer<git_config_entry>>();
   libgit2.git_config_iterator_new(iterator, cfg);
   var error = 0;
-  final entries = <String, dynamic>{};
+  final entries = <String, String>{};
 
   while (error != -31) {
     error = libgit2.git_config_next(entry, iterator.value);
diff --git a/lib/src/config.dart b/lib/src/config.dart
index 3c0cbfc..81004d4 100644
--- a/lib/src/config.dart
+++ b/lib/src/config.dart
@@ -39,8 +39,6 @@ class Config {
       }
     }
 
-    variables = config.getVariables(configPointer.value);
-
     libgit2.git_libgit2_shutdown();
   }
 
@@ -55,7 +53,6 @@ class Config {
     try {
       final systemPath = config.findSystem();
       configPointer = config.open(systemPath);
-      variables = config.getVariables(configPointer.value);
     } catch (e) {
       configPointer = nullptr;
       rethrow;
@@ -75,7 +72,6 @@ class Config {
     try {
       final globalPath = config.findGlobal();
       configPointer = config.open(globalPath);
-      variables = config.getVariables(configPointer.value);
     } catch (e) {
       configPointer = nullptr;
       rethrow;
@@ -95,7 +91,6 @@ class Config {
     try {
       final xdgPath = config.findXdg();
       configPointer = config.open(xdgPath);
-      variables = config.getVariables(configPointer.value);
     } catch (e) {
       configPointer = nullptr;
       rethrow;
@@ -110,8 +105,10 @@ class Config {
   /// Pointer to memory address for allocated config object.
   late Pointer<Pointer<git_config>> configPointer;
 
-  /// Map of key/value entries from config file.
-  Map<String, dynamic> variables = {};
+  /// Returns map of all the config variables and their values
+  Map<String, String> getEntries() {
+    return config.getEntries(configPointer.value);
+  }
 
   /// Returns the value of config [variable]
   String getValue(String variable) {
@@ -132,7 +129,6 @@ class Config {
       } else {
         config.setString(configPointer.value, variable, value);
       }
-      variables = config.getVariables(configPointer.value);
     } catch (e) {
       rethrow;
     }
@@ -145,7 +141,6 @@ class Config {
   void deleteVariable(String key) {
     try {
       config.deleteVariable(configPointer.value, key);
-      variables = config.getVariables(configPointer.value);
     } catch (e) {
       rethrow;
     }
diff --git a/test/config_test.dart b/test/config_test.dart
index a3924a0..afed6ec 100644
--- a/test/config_test.dart
+++ b/test/config_test.dart
@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ void main() {
       expect(config, isA<Config>());
     });
 
+    test('getEntries() returns map with variables and values', () {
+      final entries = config.getEntries();
+      expect(entries['remote.origin.url'], equals('someurl'));
+    });
+
     group('getValue()', () {
       test('returns value of variable', () {
         expect(config.getValue('core.bare'), equals('false'));
@@ -59,23 +64,24 @@ void main() {
     group('setValue()', () {
       test('sets boolean value for provided variable', () {
         config.setValue('core.bare', true);
-        expect(config.variables['core.bare'], equals('true'));
+        expect(config.getValue('core.bare'), equals('true'));
       });
 
       test('sets integer value for provided variable', () {
         config.setValue('core.repositoryformatversion', 1);
-        expect(config.variables['core.repositoryformatversion'], equals('1'));
+        expect(config.getValue('core.repositoryformatversion'), equals('1'));
       });
 
       test('sets string value for provided variable', () {
         config.setValue('remote.origin.url', 'updated');
-        expect(config.variables['remote.origin.url'], equals('updated'));
+        expect(config.getValue('remote.origin.url'), equals('updated'));
       });
     });
 
     test('deletes variable', () {
       config.deleteVariable('core.bare');
-      expect(config.variables['core.bare'], isNull);
+      final entries = config.getEntries();
+      expect(entries['core.bare'], isNull);
     });
 
     test('throws on deleting non existing variable', () {