diff --git a/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/ClangTidyOptions.h b/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/ClangTidyOptions.h
--- a/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/ClangTidyOptions.h
+++ b/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/ClangTidyOptions.h
@@ -124,19 +124,14 @@
   /// Add extra compilation arguments to the start of the list.
   llvm::Optional<ArgList> ExtraArgsBefore;
 
-  /// Only used in the FileOptionsProvider and ConfigOptionsProvider. If true
-  /// and using a FileOptionsProvider, it will take a configuration file in the
-  /// parent directory (if any exists) and apply this config file on top of the
-  /// parent one. IF true and using a ConfigOptionsProvider, it will apply this
-  /// config on top of any configuation file it finds in the directory using the
-  /// same logic as FileOptionsProvider. If false or missing, only this
-  /// configuration file will be used.
-  llvm::Optional<bool> InheritParentConfig;
-
   /// Use colors in diagnostics. If missing, it will be auto detected.
   llvm::Optional<bool> UseColor;
 };
 
+struct ClangTidyInheritableOptions : public ClangTidyOptions {
+  bool Inherit = false;
+};
+
 /// Abstract interface for retrieving various ClangTidy options.
 class ClangTidyOptionsProvider {
 public:
@@ -190,10 +185,14 @@
 public:
   // A pair of configuration file base name and a function parsing
   // configuration from text in the corresponding format.
-  typedef std::pair<std::string, std::function<llvm::ErrorOr<ClangTidyOptions>(
-                                     llvm::StringRef)>>
+  typedef std::pair<std::string,
+                    std::function<llvm::ErrorOr<ClangTidyInheritableOptions>(
+                        llvm::StringRef)>>
       ConfigFileHandler;
 
+  using InheritableOptionsSource =
+      std::pair<ClangTidyInheritableOptions, std::string>;
+
   /// Configuration file handlers listed in the order of priority.
   ///
   /// Custom configuration file formats can be supported by constructing the
@@ -230,9 +229,10 @@
 
   /// Try to read configuration files from \p Directory using registered
   /// \c ConfigHandlers.
-  llvm::Optional<OptionsSource> tryReadConfigFile(llvm::StringRef Directory);
+  llvm::Optional<InheritableOptionsSource>
+  tryReadConfigFile(llvm::StringRef Directory);
 
-  llvm::StringMap<OptionsSource> CachedOptions;
+  llvm::StringMap<InheritableOptionsSource> CachedOptions;
   ClangTidyOptions OverrideOptions;
   ConfigFileHandlers ConfigHandlers;
   llvm::IntrusiveRefCntPtr<llvm::vfs::FileSystem> FS;
@@ -245,13 +245,13 @@
   ConfigOptionsProvider(
       const ClangTidyGlobalOptions &GlobalOptions,
       const ClangTidyOptions &DefaultOptions,
-      const ClangTidyOptions &ConfigOptions,
+      const ClangTidyInheritableOptions &ConfigOptions,
       const ClangTidyOptions &OverrideOptions,
       llvm::IntrusiveRefCntPtr<llvm::vfs::FileSystem> FS = nullptr);
   std::vector<OptionsSource> getRawOptions(llvm::StringRef FileName) override;
 
 private:
-  ClangTidyOptions ConfigOptions;
+  ClangTidyInheritableOptions ConfigOptions;
 };
 
 /// Implementation of the \c ClangTidyOptionsProvider interface, which
@@ -309,9 +309,10 @@
 std::error_code parseLineFilter(llvm::StringRef LineFilter,
                                 ClangTidyGlobalOptions &Options);
 
-/// Parses configuration from JSON and returns \c ClangTidyOptions or an
-/// error.
-llvm::ErrorOr<ClangTidyOptions> parseConfiguration(llvm::StringRef Config);
+/// Parses configuration from JSON and returns \c ClangTidyOptions and a bool
+/// indicating if we should inherit from a parent config or an error.
+llvm::ErrorOr<ClangTidyInheritableOptions>
+parseConfiguration(llvm::StringRef Config);
 
 /// Serializes configuration to a YAML-encoded string.
 std::string configurationAsText(const ClangTidyOptions &Options);
diff --git a/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/ClangTidyOptions.cpp b/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/ClangTidyOptions.cpp
--- a/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/ClangTidyOptions.cpp
+++ b/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/ClangTidyOptions.cpp
@@ -95,11 +95,17 @@
     IO.mapOptional("CheckOptions", NOpts->Options);
     IO.mapOptional("ExtraArgs", Options.ExtraArgs);
     IO.mapOptional("ExtraArgsBefore", Options.ExtraArgsBefore);
-    IO.mapOptional("InheritParentConfig", Options.InheritParentConfig);
     IO.mapOptional("UseColor", Options.UseColor);
   }
 };
 
+template <> struct MappingTraits<clang::tidy::ClangTidyInheritableOptions> {
+  static void mapping(IO &IO, clang::tidy::ClangTidyInheritableOptions &Opts) {
+    MappingTraits<ClangTidyOptions>::mapping(IO, Opts);
+    IO.mapOptional("InheritParentConfig", Opts.Inherit, false);
+  }
+};
+
 } // namespace yaml
 } // namespace llvm
 
@@ -197,7 +203,7 @@
 ConfigOptionsProvider::ConfigOptionsProvider(
     const ClangTidyGlobalOptions &GlobalOptions,
     const ClangTidyOptions &DefaultOptions,
-    const ClangTidyOptions &ConfigOptions,
+    const ClangTidyInheritableOptions &ConfigOptions,
     const ClangTidyOptions &OverrideOptions,
     llvm::IntrusiveRefCntPtr<llvm::vfs::FileSystem> FS)
     : FileOptionsBaseProvider(GlobalOptions, DefaultOptions, OverrideOptions,
@@ -208,7 +214,7 @@
 ConfigOptionsProvider::getRawOptions(llvm::StringRef FileName) {
   std::vector<OptionsSource> RawOptions =
       DefaultOptionsProvider::getRawOptions(FileName);
-  if (ConfigOptions.InheritParentConfig.getValueOr(false)) {
+  if (ConfigOptions.Inherit) {
     LLVM_DEBUG(llvm::dbgs()
                << "Getting options for file " << FileName << "...\n");
     assert(FS && "FS must be set.");
@@ -255,7 +261,7 @@
   StringRef Path = llvm::sys::path::parent_path(AbsolutePath);
   for (StringRef CurrentPath = Path; !CurrentPath.empty();
        CurrentPath = llvm::sys::path::parent_path(CurrentPath)) {
-    llvm::Optional<OptionsSource> Result;
+    llvm::Optional<InheritableOptionsSource> Result;
 
     auto Iter = CachedOptions.find(CurrentPath);
     if (Iter != CachedOptions.end())
@@ -275,8 +281,10 @@
       }
       CachedOptions[Path] = *Result;
 
-      CurOptions.push_back(*Result);
-      if (!Result->first.InheritParentConfig.getValueOr(false))
+      bool Inherit = Result->first.Inherit;
+
+      CurOptions.push_back(std::move(*Result));
+      if (!Inherit)
         break;
     }
   }
@@ -325,7 +333,7 @@
   return RawOptions;
 }
 
-llvm::Optional<OptionsSource>
+llvm::Optional<FileOptionsBaseProvider::InheritableOptionsSource>
 FileOptionsBaseProvider::tryReadConfigFile(StringRef Directory) {
   assert(!Directory.empty());
 
@@ -359,7 +367,7 @@
     // redirection.
     if ((*Text)->getBuffer().empty())
       continue;
-    llvm::ErrorOr<ClangTidyOptions> ParsedOptions =
+    llvm::ErrorOr<ClangTidyInheritableOptions> ParsedOptions =
         ConfigHandler.second((*Text)->getBuffer());
     if (!ParsedOptions) {
       if (ParsedOptions.getError())
@@ -367,7 +375,8 @@
                      << ParsedOptions.getError().message() << "\n";
       continue;
     }
-    return OptionsSource(*ParsedOptions, std::string(ConfigFile));
+    return InheritableOptionsSource(std::move(*ParsedOptions),
+                                    std::string(ConfigFile));
   }
   return llvm::None;
 }
@@ -380,9 +389,10 @@
   return Input.error();
 }
 
-llvm::ErrorOr<ClangTidyOptions> parseConfiguration(StringRef Config) {
+llvm::ErrorOr<ClangTidyInheritableOptions>
+parseConfiguration(StringRef Config) {
   llvm::yaml::Input Input(Config);
-  ClangTidyOptions Options;
+  ClangTidyInheritableOptions Options;
   Input >> Options;
   if (Input.error())
     return Input.error();
diff --git a/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/tool/ClangTidyMain.cpp b/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/tool/ClangTidyMain.cpp
--- a/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/tool/ClangTidyMain.cpp
+++ b/clang-tools-extra/clang-tidy/tool/ClangTidyMain.cpp
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@
 
   auto LoadConfig = [&](StringRef Configuration)
       -> std::unique_ptr<ClangTidyOptionsProvider> {
-    llvm::ErrorOr<ClangTidyOptions> ParsedConfig =
+    llvm::ErrorOr<ClangTidyInheritableOptions> ParsedConfig =
         parseConfiguration(Configuration);
     if (ParsedConfig)
       return std::make_unique<ConfigOptionsProvider>(
diff --git a/clang-tools-extra/clangd/TidyProvider.cpp b/clang-tools-extra/clangd/TidyProvider.cpp
--- a/clang-tools-extra/clangd/TidyProvider.cpp
+++ b/clang-tools-extra/clangd/TidyProvider.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
   *Checks = llvm::join_items(",", *Checks, List);
 }
 
-static llvm::Optional<tidy::ClangTidyOptions>
+static llvm::Optional<tidy::ClangTidyInheritableOptions>
 tryReadConfigFile(llvm::vfs::FileSystem *FS, llvm::StringRef Directory) {
   assert(!Directory.empty());
   // We guaranteed that child directories of Directory exist, so this assert
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
   // redirection.
   if ((*Text)->getBuffer().empty())
     return llvm::None;
-  llvm::ErrorOr<tidy::ClangTidyOptions> ParsedOptions =
+  llvm::ErrorOr<tidy::ClangTidyInheritableOptions> ParsedOptions =
       tidy::parseConfiguration((*Text)->getBuffer());
   if (!ParsedOptions) {
     if (ParsedOptions.getError())
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@
 
 TidyProvider provideClangTidyFiles(ThreadsafeFS &TFS) {
   return [&TFS](tidy::ClangTidyOptions &Opts, llvm::StringRef Filename) {
-    llvm::SmallVector<tidy::ClangTidyOptions, 4> OptionStack;
+    llvm::SmallVector<tidy::ClangTidyInheritableOptions, 4> OptionStack;
     auto FS(TFS.view(llvm::None));
     llvm::SmallString<256> AbsolutePath(Filename);
 
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@
         continue;
       OptionStack.push_back(std::move(*ConfigFile));
       // Should we search for a parent config to merge
-      if (!OptionStack.back().InheritParentConfig.getValueOr(false))
+      if (!OptionStack.back().Inherit)
         break;
     }
     unsigned Order = 1U;