diff --git a/Documentation/git-checkout.txt b/Documentation/git-checkout.txt
index 8edcdcae9d0..23a9413525d 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-checkout.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-checkout.txt
@@ -180,6 +180,12 @@ branch by running "git rm -rf ." from the top level of the working tree.
 Afterwards you will be ready to prepare your new files, repopulating the
 working tree, by copying them from elsewhere, extracting a tarball, etc.
 
+--ignore-skip-worktree-bits::
+	In sparse checkout mode, `git checkout -- <paths>` would
+	update only entries matched by <paths> and sparse patterns
+	in $GIT_DIR/info/sparse-checkout. This option ignores
+	the sparse patterns and adds back any files in <paths>.
+
 -m::
 --merge::
 	When switching branches,
diff --git a/Documentation/gitrepository-layout.txt b/Documentation/gitrepository-layout.txt
index 2ad09f4baf2..d6f3393c5f5 100644
--- a/Documentation/gitrepository-layout.txt
+++ b/Documentation/gitrepository-layout.txt
@@ -184,6 +184,10 @@ info/exclude::
 	'git clean' look at it but the core Git commands do not look
 	at it.  See also: linkgit:gitignore[5].
 
+info/sparse-checkout::
+	This file stores sparse checkout patterns.
+	See also: linkgit:git-read-tree[1].
+
 remotes::
 	Stores shorthands for URL and default refnames for use
 	when interacting with remote repositories via 'git fetch',
diff --git a/builtin/checkout.c b/builtin/checkout.c
index eb51872347d..81b4419da51 100644
--- a/builtin/checkout.c
+++ b/builtin/checkout.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ struct checkout_opts {
 	int force_detach;
 	int writeout_stage;
 	int overwrite_ignore;
+	int ignore_skipworktree;
 
 	const char *new_branch;
 	const char *new_branch_force;
@@ -278,6 +279,8 @@ static int checkout_paths(const struct checkout_opts *opts,
 	for (pos = 0; pos < active_nr; pos++) {
 		struct cache_entry *ce = active_cache[pos];
 		ce->ce_flags &= ~CE_MATCHED;
+		if (!opts->ignore_skipworktree && ce_skip_worktree(ce))
+			continue;
 		if (opts->source_tree && !(ce->ce_flags & CE_UPDATE))
 			/*
 			 * "git checkout tree-ish -- path", but this entry
@@ -1058,6 +1061,8 @@ int cmd_checkout(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		OPT_STRING(0, "conflict", &conflict_style, N_("style"),
 			   N_("conflict style (merge or diff3)")),
 		OPT_BOOLEAN('p', "patch", &opts.patch_mode, N_("select hunks interactively")),
+		OPT_BOOL(0, "ignore-skip-worktree-bits", &opts.ignore_skipworktree,
+			 N_("do not limit pathspecs to sparse entries only")),
 		{ OPTION_BOOLEAN, 0, "guess", &dwim_new_local_branch, NULL,
 		  N_("second guess 'git checkout no-such-branch'"),
 		  PARSE_OPT_NOARG | PARSE_OPT_HIDDEN },
diff --git a/t/t1011-read-tree-sparse-checkout.sh b/t/t1011-read-tree-sparse-checkout.sh
index 5c0053a20bf..0c74beedd22 100755
--- a/t/t1011-read-tree-sparse-checkout.sh
+++ b/t/t1011-read-tree-sparse-checkout.sh
@@ -250,4 +250,28 @@ EOF
 	test_cmp expected actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'checkout without --ignore-skip-worktree-bits' '
+	echo "*" >.git/info/sparse-checkout &&
+	git checkout -f top &&
+	test_path_is_file init.t &&
+	echo sub >.git/info/sparse-checkout &&
+	git checkout &&
+	echo modified >> sub/added &&
+	git checkout . &&
+	test_path_is_missing init.t &&
+	git diff --exit-code HEAD
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'checkout with --ignore-skip-worktree-bits' '
+	echo "*" >.git/info/sparse-checkout &&
+	git checkout -f top &&
+	test_path_is_file init.t &&
+	echo sub >.git/info/sparse-checkout &&
+	git checkout &&
+	echo modified >> sub/added &&
+	git checkout --ignore-skip-worktree-bits . &&
+	test_path_is_file init.t &&
+	git diff --exit-code HEAD
+'
+
 test_done
diff --git a/t/t3001-ls-files-others-exclude.sh b/t/t3001-ls-files-others-exclude.sh
index efb7ebc91f2..2d274bf8ff2 100755
--- a/t/t3001-ls-files-others-exclude.sh
+++ b/t/t3001-ls-files-others-exclude.sh
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ test_expect_success \
      test_cmp expect output'
 
 test_expect_success 'restore gitignore' '
-	git checkout $allignores &&
+	git checkout --ignore-skip-worktree-bits $allignores &&
 	rm .git/index
 '