diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/config-migration/branch/migrated-data.spec.ts b/lib/workers/repository/config-migration/branch/migrated-data.spec.ts
index c63ca22f81..38b237c72a 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/config-migration/branch/migrated-data.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/config-migration/branch/migrated-data.spec.ts
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@ jest.mock('../../../../util/json-writer');
 jest.mock('../../init/merge');
 jest.mock('detect-indent');
 
-const rawNonMigrated = Fixtures.get('./renovate.json');
-const rawNonMigratedJson5 = Fixtures.get('./renovate.json5');
 const migratedData = Fixtures.getJson('./migrated-data.json');
 const migratedDataJson5 = Fixtures.getJson('./migrated-data.json5');
 const migratedConfigObj = Fixtures.getJson('./migrated.json');
@@ -35,7 +33,6 @@ describe('workers/repository/config-migration/branch/migrated-data', () => {
       });
       mockedFunction(detectRepoFileConfig).mockResolvedValue({
         configFileName: 'renovate.json',
-        configFileRaw: rawNonMigrated,
       });
       mockedFunction(migrateConfig).mockReturnValue({
         isMigrated: true,
@@ -102,7 +99,6 @@ describe('workers/repository/config-migration/branch/migrated-data', () => {
     it('Migrate a JSON5 config file', async () => {
       mockedFunction(detectRepoFileConfig).mockResolvedValueOnce({
         configFileName: 'renovate.json5',
-        configFileRaw: rawNonMigratedJson5,
       });
       MigratedDataFactory.reset();
       await expect(MigratedDataFactory.getAsync()).resolves.toEqual(
@@ -131,7 +127,6 @@ describe('workers/repository/config-migration/branch/migrated-data', () => {
       });
       mockedFunction(detectRepoFileConfig).mockResolvedValueOnce({
         configFileName: 'renovate.json',
-        configFileRaw: rawNonMigrated,
       });
       mockedFunction(migrateConfig).mockReturnValueOnce({
         isMigrated: true,
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/config-migration/branch/migrated-data.ts b/lib/workers/repository/config-migration/branch/migrated-data.ts
index e96a24d9ec..5dd49c6bc5 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/config-migration/branch/migrated-data.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/config-migration/branch/migrated-data.ts
@@ -130,11 +130,8 @@ export class MigratedDataFactory {
   private static async build(): Promise<MigratedData | null> {
     let res: MigratedData | null = null;
     try {
-      const {
-        configFileName,
-        configFileRaw: raw,
-        configFileParsed = {},
-      } = await detectRepoFileConfig();
+      const { configFileName, configFileParsed = {} } =
+        await detectRepoFileConfig();
 
       // get migrated config
       const { isMigrated, migratedConfig } = migrateConfig(configFileParsed);
@@ -147,6 +144,7 @@ export class MigratedDataFactory {
 
       // indent defaults to 2 spaces
       // TODO #22198
+      const raw = await readLocalFile(configFileName!, 'utf8');
       const indent = detectIndent(raw!);
       const indentSpace = indent.indent ?? '  ';
       const filename = configFileName!;
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/init/merge.spec.ts b/lib/workers/repository/init/merge.spec.ts
index b8e9bcbbe8..51fb01fe24 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/init/merge.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/init/merge.spec.ts
@@ -124,7 +124,6 @@ describe('workers/repository/init/merge', () => {
         configFileParsed: {
           schema: 'https://docs.renovate.com',
         },
-        configFileRaw: undefined,
       });
     });
 
@@ -199,7 +198,6 @@ describe('workers/repository/init/merge', () => {
       expect(await detectRepoFileConfig()).toEqual({
         configFileName: 'renovate.json5',
         configFileParsed: {},
-        configFileRaw,
       });
     });
 
@@ -212,7 +210,6 @@ describe('workers/repository/init/merge', () => {
       expect(await detectRepoFileConfig()).toEqual({
         configFileName: '.github/renovate.json',
         configFileParsed: {},
-        configFileRaw: '{}',
       });
     });
 
@@ -225,7 +222,6 @@ describe('workers/repository/init/merge', () => {
       expect(await detectRepoFileConfig()).toEqual({
         configFileName: '.gitlab/renovate.json',
         configFileParsed: {},
-        configFileRaw: '{}',
       });
     });
 
@@ -236,14 +232,12 @@ describe('workers/repository/init/merge', () => {
       expect(await detectRepoFileConfig()).toEqual({
         configFileName: '.renovaterc.json',
         configFileParsed: {},
-        configFileRaw: '{}',
       });
       expect(await detectRepoFileConfig()).toEqual({
         configFileName: '.renovaterc.json',
         configFileParsed: {
           something: 'new',
         },
-        configFileRaw: '{"something":"new"}',
       });
     });
 
@@ -254,14 +248,12 @@ describe('workers/repository/init/merge', () => {
       expect(await detectRepoFileConfig()).toEqual({
         configFileName: '.renovaterc.json5',
         configFileParsed: {},
-        configFileRaw: '{}',
       });
       expect(await detectRepoFileConfig()).toEqual({
         configFileName: '.renovaterc.json5',
         configFileParsed: {
           something: 'new',
         },
-        configFileRaw: '{"something":"new"}',
       });
     });
   });
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/init/merge.ts b/lib/workers/repository/init/merge.ts
index 9bfcf8fe86..93350d0293 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/init/merge.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/init/merge.ts
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ export async function detectRepoFileConfig(): Promise<RepoFileConfig> {
     if (configFileRaw) {
       let configFileParsed = parseJson(configFileRaw, configFileName) as any;
       if (configFileName !== 'package.json') {
-        return { configFileName, configFileRaw, configFileParsed };
+        return { configFileName, configFileParsed };
       }
       configFileParsed = configFileParsed.renovate;
       return { configFileName, configFileParsed }; // don't return raw 'package.json'
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ export async function detectRepoFileConfig(): Promise<RepoFileConfig> {
     const parsedConfig = cachedConfig ? JSON.parse(cachedConfig) : undefined;
     if (parsedConfig) {
       setOnboardingConfigDetails(configFileName, JSON.stringify(parsedConfig));
-      return { configFileName, configFileRaw, configFileParsed: parsedConfig };
+      return { configFileName, configFileParsed: parsedConfig };
     }
   }
 
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ export async function detectRepoFileConfig(): Promise<RepoFileConfig> {
   }
 
   setOnboardingConfigDetails(configFileName, JSON.stringify(configFileParsed));
-  return { configFileName, configFileRaw, configFileParsed };
+  return { configFileName, configFileParsed };
 }
 
 export function checkForRepoConfigError(repoConfig: RepoFileConfig): void {
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/init/types.ts b/lib/workers/repository/init/types.ts
index ebd6a87313..96590b420a 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/init/types.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/init/types.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ export interface RepoConfigError {
 
 export interface RepoFileConfig {
   configFileName?: string;
-  configFileRaw?: string | null;
   configFileParsed?: any;
   configFileParseError?: RepoConfigError;
 }