diff --git a/gitoxide-core/src/repository/credential.rs b/gitoxide-core/src/repository/credential.rs
index c901f06f2ba..9684250bd4d 100644
--- a/gitoxide-core/src/repository/credential.rs
+++ b/gitoxide-core/src/repository/credential.rs
@@ -15,9 +15,14 @@ pub fn function(repo: gix::Repository, action: gix::credentials::program::main::
         std::io::stdin(),
         std::io::stdout(),
         |action, context| -> Result<_, Error> {
-            let (mut cascade, _action, prompt_options) = repo.config_snapshot().credential_helpers(gix::url::parse(
-                context.url.as_ref().expect("framework assures URL is present").as_ref(),
-            )?)?;
+            let url = context
+                .url
+                .clone()
+                .or_else(|| context.to_url())
+                .ok_or(Error::Protocol(gix::credentials::protocol::Error::UrlMissing))?;
+            let (mut cascade, _action, prompt_options) = repo
+                .config_snapshot()
+                .credential_helpers(gix::url::parse(url.as_ref())?)?;
             cascade
                 .invoke(
                     match action {
diff --git a/gix-credentials/src/program/main.rs b/gix-credentials/src/program/main.rs
index 34f4163a01e..ef7556c5977 100644
--- a/gix-credentials/src/program/main.rs
+++ b/gix-credentials/src/program/main.rs
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ pub enum Error {
     Context(#[from] crate::protocol::context::decode::Error),
     #[error("Credentials for {url:?} could not be obtained")]
     CredentialsMissing { url: BString },
-    #[error("The url wasn't provided in input - the git credentials protocol mandates this")]
+    #[error("Either 'url' field or both 'protocol' and 'host' fields must be provided")]
     UrlMissing,
 }
 
@@ -89,15 +89,19 @@ pub(crate) mod function {
         let mut buf = Vec::<u8>::with_capacity(512);
         stdin.read_to_end(&mut buf)?;
         let ctx = Context::from_bytes(&buf)?;
-        if ctx.url.is_none() {
+        if ctx.url.is_none() && (ctx.protocol.is_none() || ctx.host.is_none()) {
             return Err(Error::UrlMissing);
         }
-        let res = credentials(action, ctx).map_err(|err| Error::Helper { source: Box::new(err) })?;
+        let res = credentials(action, ctx.clone()).map_err(|err| Error::Helper { source: Box::new(err) })?;
         match (action, res) {
             (Action::Get, None) => {
-                return Err(Error::CredentialsMissing {
-                    url: Context::from_bytes(&buf)?.url.expect("present and checked above"),
-                })
+                let ctx_for_error = ctx;
+                let url = ctx_for_error
+                    .url
+                    .clone()
+                    .or_else(|| ctx_for_error.to_url())
+                    .expect("URL is available either directly or via protocol+host which we checked for");
+                return Err(Error::CredentialsMissing { url });
             }
             (Action::Get, Some(ctx)) => ctx.write_to(stdout)?,
             (Action::Erase | Action::Store, None) => {}
diff --git a/gix-credentials/src/protocol/context/mod.rs b/gix-credentials/src/protocol/context/mod.rs
index 01ee151f306..ccbe9e0954a 100644
--- a/gix-credentials/src/protocol/context/mod.rs
+++ b/gix-credentials/src/protocol/context/mod.rs
@@ -92,7 +92,11 @@ mod mutate {
         /// normally this isn't the case.
         #[allow(clippy::result_large_err)]
         pub fn destructure_url_in_place(&mut self, use_http_path: bool) -> Result<&mut Self, protocol::Error> {
-            let url = gix_url::parse(self.url.as_ref().ok_or(protocol::Error::UrlMissing)?.as_ref())?;
+            if self.url.is_none() {
+                self.url = Some(self.to_url().ok_or(protocol::Error::UrlMissing)?);
+            }
+
+            let url = gix_url::parse(self.url.as_ref().expect("URL is present after check above").as_ref())?;
             self.protocol = Some(url.scheme.as_str().into());
             self.username = url.user().map(ToOwned::to_owned);
             self.password = url.password().map(ToOwned::to_owned);
diff --git a/gix-credentials/src/protocol/mod.rs b/gix-credentials/src/protocol/mod.rs
index 2920780bf95..7a71c9c4b3d 100644
--- a/gix-credentials/src/protocol/mod.rs
+++ b/gix-credentials/src/protocol/mod.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ pub type Result = std::result::Result<Option<Outcome>, Error>;
 pub enum Error {
     #[error(transparent)]
     UrlParse(#[from] gix_url::parse::Error),
-    #[error("The 'url' field must be set when performing a 'get/fill' action")]
+    #[error("Either 'url' field or both 'protocol' and 'host' fields must be provided")]
     UrlMissing,
     #[error(transparent)]
     ContextDecode(#[from] context::decode::Error),
diff --git a/gix-credentials/tests/program/main.rs b/gix-credentials/tests/program/main.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0a6c985e267
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gix-credentials/tests/program/main.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+use gix_credentials::program::main;
+use std::io::Cursor;
+
+#[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error)]
+#[error("Test error")]
+struct TestError;
+
+#[test]
+fn protocol_and_host_without_url_is_valid() {
+    let input = b"protocol=https\nhost=github.com\n";
+    let mut output = Vec::new();
+
+    let mut called = false;
+    let result = main(
+        ["get".into()],
+        Cursor::new(input),
+        &mut output,
+        |_action, context| -> Result<Option<gix_credentials::protocol::Context>, TestError> {
+            assert_eq!(context.protocol.as_deref(), Some("https"));
+            assert_eq!(context.host.as_deref(), Some("github.com"));
+            assert_eq!(context.url, None, "the URL isn't automatically populated");
+            called = true;
+
+            Ok(None)
+        },
+    );
+
+    // This should fail because our mock helper returned None (no credentials found)
+    // but it should NOT fail because of missing URL
+    match result {
+        Err(gix_credentials::program::main::Error::CredentialsMissing { .. }) => {
+            assert!(
+                called,
+                "The helper gets called, but as nothing is provided in the function it ulimately fails"
+            );
+        }
+        other => panic!("Expected CredentialsMissing error, got: {other:?}"),
+    }
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn missing_protocol_with_only_host_or_protocol_fails() {
+    for input in ["host=github.com\n", "protocol=https\n"] {
+        let mut output = Vec::new();
+
+        let mut called = false;
+        let result = main(
+            ["get".into()],
+            Cursor::new(input),
+            &mut output,
+            |_action, _context| -> Result<Option<gix_credentials::protocol::Context>, TestError> {
+                called = true;
+                Ok(None)
+            },
+        );
+
+        match result {
+            Err(gix_credentials::program::main::Error::UrlMissing) => {
+                assert!(!called, "the context is lacking, hence nothing gets called");
+            }
+            other => panic!("Expected UrlMissing error, got: {other:?}"),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn url_alone_is_valid() {
+    let input = b"url=https://github.com\n";
+    let mut output = Vec::new();
+
+    let mut called = false;
+    let result = main(
+        ["get".into()],
+        Cursor::new(input),
+        &mut output,
+        |_action, context| -> Result<Option<gix_credentials::protocol::Context>, TestError> {
+            called = true;
+            assert_eq!(context.url.unwrap(), "https://github.com");
+            assert_eq!(context.host, None, "not auto-populated");
+            assert_eq!(context.protocol, None, "not auto-populated");
+
+            Ok(None)
+        },
+    );
+
+    // This should fail because our mock helper returned None (no credentials found)
+    // but it should NOT fail because of missing URL
+    match result {
+        Err(gix_credentials::program::main::Error::CredentialsMissing { .. }) => {
+            assert!(called);
+        }
+        other => panic!("Expected CredentialsMissing error, got: {other:?}"),
+    }
+}
diff --git a/gix-credentials/tests/program/mod.rs b/gix-credentials/tests/program/mod.rs
index 3672dd18e38..12a307d0979 100644
--- a/gix-credentials/tests/program/mod.rs
+++ b/gix-credentials/tests/program/mod.rs
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 mod from_custom_definition;
+mod main;
diff --git a/gix-credentials/tests/protocol/context.rs b/gix-credentials/tests/protocol/context.rs
index e60f3ebf850..e12c4549523 100644
--- a/gix-credentials/tests/protocol/context.rs
+++ b/gix-credentials/tests/protocol/context.rs
@@ -72,6 +72,48 @@ mod destructure_url_in_place {
             true,
         );
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn protocol_and_host_with_path_without_url_constructs_full_url() {
+        let mut ctx = Context {
+            protocol: Some("https".into()),
+            host: Some("github.com".into()),
+            path: Some("org/repo".into()),
+            username: Some("user".into()),
+            password: Some("pass-to-be-ignored".into()),
+            ..Default::default()
+        };
+        ctx.destructure_url_in_place(false)
+            .expect("should work with protocol, host and path");
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            ctx.url.unwrap(),
+            "https://user@github.com/org/repo",
+            "URL should be constructed from all provided fields, except password"
+        );
+        // Original fields should be preserved
+        assert_eq!(ctx.protocol.as_deref(), Some("https"));
+        assert_eq!(ctx.host.as_deref(), Some("github.com"));
+        assert_eq!(ctx.path.unwrap(), "org/repo");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn missing_protocol_or_host_without_url_fails() {
+        let mut ctx_no_protocol = Context {
+            host: Some("github.com".into()),
+            ..Default::default()
+        };
+        assert_eq!(
+            ctx_no_protocol.destructure_url_in_place(false).unwrap_err().to_string(),
+            "Either 'url' field or both 'protocol' and 'host' fields must be provided"
+        );
+
+        let mut ctx_no_host = Context {
+            protocol: Some("https".into()),
+            ..Default::default()
+        };
+        assert!(ctx_no_host.destructure_url_in_place(false).is_err());
+    }
 }
 
 mod to_prompt {