diff --git a/Documentation/git-add.txt b/Documentation/git-add.txt
index be5e3ac54b8..bb79016d2ca 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-add.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-add.txt
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ SYNOPSIS
 --------
 [verse]
 'git add' [--verbose | -v] [--dry-run | -n] [--force | -f] [--interactive | -i] [--patch | -p]
-	  [--edit | -e] [--[no-]all | --[no-]ignore-removal | [--update | -u]]
+	  [--edit | -e] [--[no-]all | --[no-]ignore-removal | [--update | -u]] [--sparse]
 	  [--intent-to-add | -N] [--refresh] [--ignore-errors] [--ignore-missing] [--renormalize]
 	  [--chmod=(+|-)x] [--pathspec-from-file=<file> [--pathspec-file-nul]]
 	  [--] [<pathspec>...]
@@ -79,6 +79,13 @@ in linkgit:gitglossary[7].
 --force::
 	Allow adding otherwise ignored files.
 
+--sparse::
+	Allow updating index entries outside of the sparse-checkout cone.
+	Normally, `git add` refuses to update index entries whose paths do
+	not fit within the sparse-checkout cone, since those files might
+	be removed from the working tree without warning. See
+	linkgit:git-sparse-checkout[1] for more.
+
 -i::
 --interactive::
 	Add modified contents in the working tree interactively to
diff --git a/builtin/add.c b/builtin/add.c
index 3a109276b74..68f2de80594 100644
--- a/builtin/add.c
+++ b/builtin/add.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ static int patch_interactive, add_interactive, edit_interactive;
 static int take_worktree_changes;
 static int add_renormalize;
 static int pathspec_file_nul;
+static int include_sparse;
 static const char *pathspec_from_file;
 static int legacy_stash_p; /* support for the scripted `git stash` */
 
@@ -46,7 +47,7 @@ static int chmod_pathspec(struct pathspec *pathspec, char flip, int show_only)
 		struct cache_entry *ce = active_cache[i];
 		int err;
 
-		if (ce_skip_worktree(ce))
+		if (!include_sparse && ce_skip_worktree(ce))
 			continue;
 
 		if (pathspec && !ce_path_match(&the_index, ce, pathspec, NULL))
@@ -379,6 +380,7 @@ static struct option builtin_add_options[] = {
 	OPT_BOOL( 0 , "refresh", &refresh_only, N_("don't add, only refresh the index")),
 	OPT_BOOL( 0 , "ignore-errors", &ignore_add_errors, N_("just skip files which cannot be added because of errors")),
 	OPT_BOOL( 0 , "ignore-missing", &ignore_missing, N_("check if - even missing - files are ignored in dry run")),
+	OPT_BOOL(0, "sparse", &include_sparse, N_("allow updating entries outside of the sparse-checkout cone")),
 	OPT_STRING(0, "chmod", &chmod_arg, "(+|-)x",
 		   N_("override the executable bit of the listed files")),
 	OPT_HIDDEN_BOOL(0, "warn-embedded-repo", &warn_on_embedded_repo,
@@ -457,7 +459,8 @@ static int add_files(struct dir_struct *dir, int flags)
 	}
 
 	for (i = 0; i < dir->nr; i++) {
-		if (!path_in_sparse_checkout(dir->entries[i]->name, &the_index)) {
+		if (!include_sparse &&
+		    !path_in_sparse_checkout(dir->entries[i]->name, &the_index)) {
 			string_list_append(&only_match_skip_worktree,
 					   dir->entries[i]->name);
 			continue;
@@ -642,7 +645,8 @@ int cmd_add(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			if (seen[i])
 				continue;
 
-			if (matches_skip_worktree(&pathspec, i, &skip_worktree_seen)) {
+			if (!include_sparse &&
+			    matches_skip_worktree(&pathspec, i, &skip_worktree_seen)) {
 				string_list_append(&only_match_skip_worktree,
 						   pathspec.items[i].original);
 				continue;
diff --git a/t/t1092-sparse-checkout-compatibility.sh b/t/t1092-sparse-checkout-compatibility.sh
index c2a4eec548d..1e7799fd76a 100755
--- a/t/t1092-sparse-checkout-compatibility.sh
+++ b/t/t1092-sparse-checkout-compatibility.sh
@@ -329,11 +329,7 @@ test_expect_success 'commit including unstaged changes' '
 	test_all_match git status --porcelain=v2
 '
 
-# NEEDSWORK: Now that 'git add folder1/new' fails, the changes being
-# attempted here fail for the sparse-checkout and sparse-index repos.
-# We must enable a way for adding files outside the sparse-checkout
-# done, even if it is by an optional flag.
-test_expect_failure 'status/add: outside sparse cone' '
+test_expect_success 'status/add: outside sparse cone' '
 	init_repos &&
 
 	# folder1 is at HEAD, but outside the sparse cone
@@ -355,15 +351,16 @@ test_expect_failure 'status/add: outside sparse cone' '
 	test_sparse_match test_must_fail git add folder1/a &&
 	test_sparse_match test_must_fail git add --refresh folder1/a &&
 	test_sparse_match test_must_fail git add folder1/new &&
+	test_sparse_match git add --sparse folder1/a &&
+	test_sparse_match git add --sparse folder1/new &&
 
-	# NEEDSWORK: behavior begins to deviate here.
-	test_all_match git add . &&
+	test_all_match git add --sparse . &&
 	test_all_match git status --porcelain=v2 &&
 	test_all_match git commit -m folder1/new &&
 	test_all_match git rev-parse HEAD^{tree} &&
 
 	run_on_all ../edit-contents folder1/newer &&
-	test_all_match git add folder1/ &&
+	test_all_match git add --sparse folder1/ &&
 	test_all_match git status --porcelain=v2 &&
 	test_all_match git commit -m folder1/newer &&
 	test_all_match git rev-parse HEAD^{tree}
@@ -507,12 +504,7 @@ test_expect_success 'merge, cherry-pick, and rebase' '
 	done
 '
 
-# NEEDSWORK: This test is documenting current behavior, but that
-# behavior can be confusing to users so there is desire to change it.
-# Right now, users might be using this flow to work through conflicts,
-# so any solution should present advice to users who try this sequence
-# of commands to follow whatever new method we create.
-test_expect_failure 'merge with conflict outside cone' '
+test_expect_success 'merge with conflict outside cone' '
 	init_repos &&
 
 	test_all_match git checkout -b merge-tip merge-left &&
@@ -528,17 +520,15 @@ test_expect_failure 'merge with conflict outside cone' '
 	# 2. Add the file with conflict markers
 	# NEEDSWORK: Even though the merge conflict removed the
 	# SKIP_WORKTREE bit from the index entry for folder1/a, we should
-	# warn that this is a problematic add.
-	test_sparse_match test_must_fail git add folder1/a &&
+	# warn that this is a problematic add when --sparse is not set.
+	test_all_match git add --sparse folder1/a &&
 	test_all_match git status --porcelain=v2 &&
 
 	# 3. Rename the file to another sparse filename and
 	#    accept conflict markers as resolved content.
 	run_on_all mv folder2/a folder2/z &&
-	# NEEDSWORK: This mode now fails, because folder2/z is
-	# outside of the sparse-checkout cone and does not match an
-	# existing index entry with the SKIP_WORKTREE bit cleared.
 	test_sparse_match test_must_fail git add folder2 &&
+	test_all_match git add --sparse folder2 &&
 	test_all_match git status --porcelain=v2 &&
 
 	test_all_match git merge --continue &&
diff --git a/t/t3705-add-sparse-checkout.sh b/t/t3705-add-sparse-checkout.sh
index 2b1fd0d0eef..99c27dd9fb7 100755
--- a/t/t3705-add-sparse-checkout.sh
+++ b/t/t3705-add-sparse-checkout.sh
@@ -152,4 +152,12 @@ test_expect_success 'add obeys advice.updateSparsePath' '
 
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'add allows sparse entries with --sparse' '
+	git sparse-checkout set a &&
+	echo modified >sparse_entry &&
+	test_must_fail git add sparse_entry &&
+	git add --sparse sparse_entry 2>stderr &&
+	test_must_be_empty stderr
+'
+
 test_done
