diff --git a/assets/runtime/config/gitlabhq/gitlab.yml b/assets/runtime/config/gitlabhq/gitlab.yml
index c81158d1..474e0330 100644
--- a/assets/runtime/config/gitlabhq/gitlab.yml
+++ b/assets/runtime/config/gitlabhq/gitlab.yml
@@ -469,17 +469,11 @@ production: &base
 
   # Gitaly settings
   gitaly:
-    # The socket_path setting is optional and obsolete. When this is set
-    # GitLab assumes it can reach a Gitaly services via a Unix socket at
-    # this path. When this is commented out GitLab will not use Gitaly.
-    #
-    # This setting is obsolete because we expect it to be moved under
-    # repositories/storages in GitLab 9.1.
-    #
-    # socket_path: tmp/sockets/gitaly.socket
-    # This setting controls whether GitLab uses Gitaly (new component
-    # introduced in 9.0). Eventually Gitaly use will become mandatory and
-    # this option will disappear.
+    # Path to the directory containing Gitaly client executables.
+    client_path: {{GITALY_CLIENT_PATH}}
+    # Default Gitaly authentication token. Can be overriden per storage. Can
+    # be left blank when Gitaly is running locally on a Unix socket, which
+    # is the normal way to deploy Gitaly.
     token: {{GITALY_TOKEN}}
 
   #
diff --git a/assets/runtime/env-defaults b/assets/runtime/env-defaults
index efabb573..4482a641 100644
--- a/assets/runtime/env-defaults
+++ b/assets/runtime/env-defaults
@@ -382,6 +382,7 @@ GITLAB_PAGES_EXTERNAL_HTTP=${GITLAB_PAGES_EXTERNAL_HTTP:-}
 GITLAB_PAGES_EXTERNAL_HTTPS=${GITLAB_PAGES_EXTERNAL_HTTPS:-}
 
 ## Gitaly
+GITALY_CLIENT_PATH=${GITALY_CLIENT_PATH:-$GITLAB_GITALY_INSTALL_DIR}
 GITALY_TOKEN=${GITALY_TOKEN:-}
 GITALY_SOCKET_PATH=${GITLAB_INSTALL_DIR}/tmp/sockets/private/gitaly.socket
 GITALY_ADDRESS=${GITALY_ADDRESS:-unix:$GITALY_SOCKET_PATH}
diff --git a/assets/runtime/functions b/assets/runtime/functions
index 97bb279f..05268d06 100644
--- a/assets/runtime/functions
+++ b/assets/runtime/functions
@@ -280,6 +280,7 @@ gitlab_configure_gitaly() {
     GITLAB_REPOS_DIR
 
   update_template ${GITLAB_CONFIG} \
+    GITALY_CLIENT_PATH \
     GITALY_TOKEN
 
 }