diff --git a/contrib/scalar/scalar.c b/contrib/scalar/scalar.c
index 65da885c5ac..60a9466421b 100644
--- a/contrib/scalar/scalar.c
+++ b/contrib/scalar/scalar.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include "parse-options.h"
 #include "config.h"
 #include "run-command.h"
+#include "refs.h"
 
 /*
  * Remove the deepest subdirectory in the provided path string. Path must not
@@ -251,6 +252,205 @@ static int unregister_dir(void)
 	return res;
 }
 
+/* printf-style interface, expects `<key>=<value>` argument */
+static int set_config(const char *fmt, ...)
+{
+	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
+	char *value;
+	int res;
+	va_list args;
+
+	va_start(args, fmt);
+	strbuf_vaddf(&buf, fmt, args);
+	va_end(args);
+
+	value = strchr(buf.buf, '=');
+	if (value)
+		*(value++) = '\0';
+	res = git_config_set_gently(buf.buf, value);
+	strbuf_release(&buf);
+
+	return res;
+}
+
+static char *remote_default_branch(const char *url)
+{
+	struct child_process cp = CHILD_PROCESS_INIT;
+	struct strbuf out = STRBUF_INIT;
+
+	cp.git_cmd = 1;
+	strvec_pushl(&cp.args, "ls-remote", "--symref", url, "HEAD", NULL);
+	if (!pipe_command(&cp, NULL, 0, &out, 0, NULL, 0)) {
+		const char *line = out.buf;
+
+		while (*line) {
+			const char *eol = strchrnul(line, '\n'), *p;
+			size_t len = eol - line;
+			char *branch;
+
+			if (!skip_prefix(line, "ref: ", &p) ||
+			    !strip_suffix_mem(line, &len, "\tHEAD")) {
+				line = eol + (*eol == '\n');
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			eol = line + len;
+			if (skip_prefix(p, "refs/heads/", &p)) {
+				branch = xstrndup(p, eol - p);
+				strbuf_release(&out);
+				return branch;
+			}
+
+			error(_("remote HEAD is not a branch: '%.*s'"),
+			      (int)(eol - p), p);
+			strbuf_release(&out);
+			return NULL;
+		}
+	}
+	warning(_("failed to get default branch name from remote; "
+		  "using local default"));
+	strbuf_reset(&out);
+
+	child_process_init(&cp);
+	cp.git_cmd = 1;
+	strvec_pushl(&cp.args, "symbolic-ref", "--short", "HEAD", NULL);
+	if (!pipe_command(&cp, NULL, 0, &out, 0, NULL, 0)) {
+		strbuf_trim(&out);
+		return strbuf_detach(&out, NULL);
+	}
+
+	strbuf_release(&out);
+	error(_("failed to get default branch name"));
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+static int cmd_clone(int argc, const char **argv)
+{
+	const char *branch = NULL;
+	int full_clone = 0;
+	struct option clone_options[] = {
+		OPT_STRING('b', "branch", &branch, N_("<branch>"),
+			   N_("branch to checkout after clone")),
+		OPT_BOOL(0, "full-clone", &full_clone,
+			 N_("when cloning, create full working directory")),
+		OPT_END(),
+	};
+	const char * const clone_usage[] = {
+		N_("scalar clone [<options>] [--] <repo> [<dir>]"),
+		NULL
+	};
+	const char *url;
+	char *enlistment = NULL, *dir = NULL;
+	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
+	int res;
+
+	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, NULL, clone_options, clone_usage, 0);
+
+	if (argc == 2) {
+		url = argv[0];
+		enlistment = xstrdup(argv[1]);
+	} else if (argc == 1) {
+		url = argv[0];
+
+		strbuf_addstr(&buf, url);
+		/* Strip trailing slashes, if any */
+		while (buf.len > 0 && is_dir_sep(buf.buf[buf.len - 1]))
+			strbuf_setlen(&buf, buf.len - 1);
+		/* Strip suffix `.git`, if any */
+		strbuf_strip_suffix(&buf, ".git");
+
+		enlistment = find_last_dir_sep(buf.buf);
+		if (!enlistment) {
+			die(_("cannot deduce worktree name from '%s'"), url);
+		}
+		enlistment = xstrdup(enlistment + 1);
+	} else {
+		usage_msg_opt(_("You must specify a repository to clone."),
+			      clone_usage, clone_options);
+	}
+
+	if (is_directory(enlistment))
+		die(_("directory '%s' exists already"), enlistment);
+
+	dir = xstrfmt("%s/src", enlistment);
+
+	strbuf_reset(&buf);
+	if (branch)
+		strbuf_addf(&buf, "init.defaultBranch=%s", branch);
+	else {
+		char *b = repo_default_branch_name(the_repository, 1);
+		strbuf_addf(&buf, "init.defaultBranch=%s", b);
+		free(b);
+	}
+
+	if ((res = run_git("-c", buf.buf, "init", "--", dir, NULL)))
+		goto cleanup;
+
+	if (chdir(dir) < 0) {
+		res = error_errno(_("could not switch to '%s'"), dir);
+		goto cleanup;
+	}
+
+	setup_git_directory();
+
+	/* common-main already logs `argv` */
+	trace2_def_repo(the_repository);
+
+	if (!branch && !(branch = remote_default_branch(url))) {
+		res = error(_("failed to get default branch for '%s'"), url);
+		goto cleanup;
+	}
+
+	if (set_config("remote.origin.url=%s", url) ||
+	    set_config("remote.origin.fetch="
+		       "+refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*") ||
+	    set_config("remote.origin.promisor=true") ||
+	    set_config("remote.origin.partialCloneFilter=blob:none")) {
+		res = error(_("could not configure remote in '%s'"), dir);
+		goto cleanup;
+	}
+
+	if (!full_clone &&
+	    (res = run_git("sparse-checkout", "init", "--cone", NULL)))
+		goto cleanup;
+
+	if (set_recommended_config())
+		return error(_("could not configure '%s'"), dir);
+
+	if ((res = run_git("fetch", "--quiet", "origin", NULL))) {
+		warning(_("partial clone failed; attempting full clone"));
+
+		if (set_config("remote.origin.promisor") ||
+		    set_config("remote.origin.partialCloneFilter")) {
+			res = error(_("could not configure for full clone"));
+			goto cleanup;
+		}
+
+		if ((res = run_git("fetch", "--quiet", "origin", NULL)))
+			goto cleanup;
+	}
+
+	if ((res = set_config("branch.%s.remote=origin", branch)))
+		goto cleanup;
+	if ((res = set_config("branch.%s.merge=refs/heads/%s",
+			      branch, branch)))
+		goto cleanup;
+
+	strbuf_reset(&buf);
+	strbuf_addf(&buf, "origin/%s", branch);
+	res = run_git("checkout", "-f", "-t", buf.buf, NULL);
+	if (res)
+		goto cleanup;
+
+	res = register_dir();
+
+cleanup:
+	free(enlistment);
+	free(dir);
+	strbuf_release(&buf);
+	return res;
+}
+
 static int cmd_list(int argc, const char **argv)
 {
 	if (argc != 1)
@@ -347,6 +547,7 @@ static struct {
 	const char *name;
 	int (*fn)(int, const char **);
 } builtins[] = {
+	{ "clone", cmd_clone },
 	{ "list", cmd_list },
 	{ "register", cmd_register },
 	{ "unregister", cmd_unregister },
diff --git a/contrib/scalar/scalar.txt b/contrib/scalar/scalar.txt
index f93e3d00efd..e8730967f16 100644
--- a/contrib/scalar/scalar.txt
+++ b/contrib/scalar/scalar.txt
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ scalar - an opinionated repository management tool
 SYNOPSIS
 --------
 [verse]
+scalar clone [--branch <main-branch>] [--full-clone] <url> [<enlistment>]
 scalar list
 scalar register [<enlistment>]
 scalar unregister [<enlistment>]
@@ -29,12 +30,37 @@ an existing Git worktree with Scalar whose name is not `src`, the enlistment
 will be identical to the worktree.
 
 The `scalar` command implements various subcommands, and different options
-depending on the subcommand. With the exception of `list`, all subcommands
-expect to be run in an enlistment.
+depending on the subcommand. With the exception of `clone` and `list`, all
+subcommands expect to be run in an enlistment.
 
 COMMANDS
 --------
 
+Clone
+~~~~~
+
+clone [<options>] <url> [<enlistment>]::
+	Clones the specified repository, similar to linkgit:git-clone[1]. By
+	default, only commit and tree objects are cloned. Once finished, the
+	worktree is located at `<enlistment>/src`.
++
+The sparse-checkout feature is enabled (except when run with `--full-clone`)
+and the only files present are those in the top-level directory. Use
+`git sparse-checkout set` to expand the set of directories you want to see,
+or `git sparse-checkout disable` to expand to all files (see
+linkgit:git-sparse-checkout[1] for more details). You can explore the
+subdirectories outside your sparse-checkout by using `git ls-tree
+HEAD[:<directory>]`.
+
+-b <name>::
+--branch <name>::
+	Instead of checking out the branch pointed to by the cloned
+	repository's HEAD, check out the `<name>` branch instead.
+
+--[no-]full-clone::
+	A sparse-checkout is initialized by default. This behavior can be
+	turned off via `--full-clone`.
+
 List
 ~~~~
 
@@ -64,7 +90,7 @@ unregister [<enlistment>]::
 
 SEE ALSO
 --------
-linkgit:git-maintenance[1].
+linkgit:git-clone[1], linkgit:git-maintenance[1].
 
 Scalar
 ---
diff --git a/contrib/scalar/t/t9099-scalar.sh b/contrib/scalar/t/t9099-scalar.sh
index ef0e8d680d5..984d69e8f75 100755
--- a/contrib/scalar/t/t9099-scalar.sh
+++ b/contrib/scalar/t/t9099-scalar.sh
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ PATH=$PWD/..:$PATH
 
 . ../../../t/test-lib.sh
 
+GIT_TEST_MAINT_SCHEDULER="crontab:test-tool crontab ../cron.txt,launchctl:true,schtasks:true"
+export GIT_TEST_MAINT_SCHEDULER
+
 test_expect_success 'scalar shows a usage' '
 	test_expect_code 129 scalar -h
 '
@@ -29,4 +32,33 @@ test_expect_success 'scalar unregister' '
 	! grep -F "$(pwd)/vanish/src" scalar.repos
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'set up repository to clone' '
+	test_commit first &&
+	test_commit second &&
+	test_commit third &&
+	git switch -c parallel first &&
+	mkdir -p 1/2 &&
+	test_commit 1/2/3 &&
+	git config uploadPack.allowFilter true &&
+	git config uploadPack.allowAnySHA1InWant true
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'scalar clone' '
+	second=$(git rev-parse --verify second:second.t) &&
+	scalar clone "file://$(pwd)" cloned &&
+	(
+		cd cloned/src &&
+
+		git config --get --global --fixed-value maintenance.repo \
+			"$(pwd)" &&
+
+		test_path_is_missing 1/2 &&
+		test_must_fail git rev-list --missing=print $second &&
+		git rev-list $second &&
+		git cat-file blob $second >actual &&
+		echo "second" >expect &&
+		test_cmp expect actual
+	)
+'
+
 test_done
