@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import threading
 from collections import OrderedDict
 from textwrap import dedent
+from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional
 
 from git.compat import (
     defenc,
@@ -39,6 +40,8 @@
     stream_copy,
 )
 
+from .types import PathLike
+
 execute_kwargs = {'istream', 'with_extended_output',
                   'with_exceptions', 'as_process', 'stdout_as_string',
                   'output_stream', 'with_stdout', 'kill_after_timeout',
@@ -516,7 +519,7 @@ def __del__(self):
                 self._stream.read(bytes_left + 1)
             # END handle incomplete read
 
-    def __init__(self, working_dir=None):
+    def __init__(self, working_dir: Optional[PathLike]=None) -> None:
         """Initialize this instance with:
 
         :param working_dir:
@@ -525,12 +528,12 @@ def __init__(self, working_dir=None):
            It is meant to be the working tree directory if available, or the
            .git directory in case of bare repositories."""
         super(Git, self).__init__()
-        self._working_dir = expand_path(working_dir)
+        self._working_dir = expand_path(working_dir) if working_dir is not None else None
         self._git_options = ()
-        self._persistent_git_options = []
+        self._persistent_git_options = []  # type: List[str]
 
         # Extra environment variables to pass to git commands
-        self._environment = {}
+        self._environment = {}  # type: Dict[str, Any]
 
         # cached command slots
         self.cat_file_header = None
@@ -544,7 +547,7 @@ def __getattr__(self, name):
             return LazyMixin.__getattr__(self, name)
         return lambda *args, **kwargs: self._call_process(name, *args, **kwargs)
 
-    def set_persistent_git_options(self, **kwargs):
+    def set_persistent_git_options(self, **kwargs) -> None:
         """Specify command line options to the git executable
         for subsequent subcommand calls
 
 
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 import locale
 import os
 import sys
+from typing import AnyStr, Optional, Type
 
 
 from gitdb.utils.encoding import (
@@ -18,40 +19,46 @@
 )
 
 
-is_win = (os.name == 'nt')
+is_win = (os.name == 'nt')  # type: bool
 is_posix = (os.name == 'posix')
 is_darwin = (os.name == 'darwin')
 defenc = sys.getfilesystemencoding()
 
 
-def safe_decode(s):
+def safe_decode(s: Optional[AnyStr]) -> Optional[str]:
     """Safely decodes a binary string to unicode"""
     if isinstance(s, str):
         return s
     elif isinstance(s, bytes):
         return s.decode(defenc, 'surrogateescape')
-    elif s is not None:
+    elif s is None:
+        return None
+    else:
         raise TypeError('Expected bytes or text, but got %r' % (s,))
 
 
-def safe_encode(s):
-    """Safely decodes a binary string to unicode"""
+
+def safe_encode(s: Optional[AnyStr]) -> Optional[bytes]:
+    """Safely encodes a binary string to unicode"""
     if isinstance(s, str):
         return s.encode(defenc)
     elif isinstance(s, bytes):
         return s
-    elif s is not None:
+    elif s is None:
+        return None
+    else:
         raise TypeError('Expected bytes or text, but got %r' % (s,))
 
 
-def win_encode(s):
+def win_encode(s: Optional[AnyStr]) -> Optional[bytes]:
     """Encode unicodes for process arguments on Windows."""
     if isinstance(s, str):
         return s.encode(locale.getpreferredencoding(False))
     elif isinstance(s, bytes):
         return s
     elif s is not None:
         raise TypeError('Expected bytes or text, but got %r' % (s,))
+    return None
 
 
 def with_metaclass(meta, *bases):
 
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 import fnmatch
 from collections import OrderedDict
 
+from typing_extensions import Literal
+
 from git.compat import (
     defenc,
     force_text,
@@ -194,7 +196,7 @@ def items_all(self):
         return [(k, self.getall(k)) for k in self]
 
 
-def get_config_path(config_level):
+def get_config_path(config_level: Literal['system','global','user','repository']) -> str:
 
     # we do not support an absolute path of the gitconfig on windows ,
     # use the global config instead
 
@@ -513,7 +513,7 @@ def _create(cls, repo, path, resolve, reference, force, logmsg=None):
         return ref
 
     @classmethod
-    def create(cls, repo, path, reference='HEAD', force=False, logmsg=None):
+    def create(cls, repo, path, reference='HEAD', force=False, logmsg=None, **kwargs):
         """Create a new symbolic reference, hence a reference pointing to another reference.
 
         :param repo: