diff --git a/builtin/merge-ours.c b/builtin/merge-ours.c
index 97b8a792c7..405b2989f7 100644
--- a/builtin/merge-ours.c
+++ b/builtin/merge-ours.c
@@ -8,31 +8,34 @@
  * Pretend we resolved the heads, but declare our tree trumps everybody else.
  */
 
-#define USE_THE_REPOSITORY_VARIABLE
-
 #include "git-compat-util.h"
 #include "builtin.h"
+#include "config.h"
+#include "environment.h"
 #include "diff.h"
 
-
 static const char builtin_merge_ours_usage[] =
 	"git merge-ours <base>... -- HEAD <remote>...";
 
 int cmd_merge_ours(int argc,
 		   const char **argv,
 		   const char *prefix UNUSED,
-		   struct repository *repo UNUSED)
+		   struct repository *repo)
 {
 	show_usage_if_asked(argc, argv, builtin_merge_ours_usage);
 
+	repo_config(repo, git_default_config, NULL);
+	prepare_repo_settings(repo);
+	repo->settings.command_requires_full_index = 0;
+
 	/*
 	 * The contents of the current index becomes the tree we
 	 * commit.  The index must match HEAD, or this merge cannot go
 	 * through.
 	 */
-	if (repo_read_index(the_repository) < 0)
+	if (repo_read_index(repo) < 0)
 		die_errno("read_cache failed");
-	if (index_differs_from(the_repository, "HEAD", NULL, 0))
+	if (index_differs_from(repo, "HEAD", NULL, 0))
 		return 2;
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/t/t1092-sparse-checkout-compatibility.sh b/t/t1092-sparse-checkout-compatibility.sh
index b0f691c151..d98cb4ac11 100755
--- a/t/t1092-sparse-checkout-compatibility.sh
+++ b/t/t1092-sparse-checkout-compatibility.sh
@@ -2559,4 +2559,18 @@ test_expect_success 'cat-file --batch' '
 	ensure_expanded cat-file --batch <in
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'merge -s ours' '
+	init_repos &&
+
+	test_all_match git rev-parse HEAD^{tree} &&
+	test_all_match git merge -s ours merge-right &&
+	test_all_match git rev-parse HEAD^{tree} &&
+	test_all_match git rev-parse HEAD^2
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'sparse-index is not expanded: merge-ours' '
+	init_repos &&
+	ensure_not_expanded merge -s ours merge-right
+'
+
 test_done