diff --git a/builtin/sparse-checkout.c b/builtin/sparse-checkout.c
index 8d5ae6f2a6..fe3d2686ce 100644
--- a/builtin/sparse-checkout.c
+++ b/builtin/sparse-checkout.c
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ static int sparse_checkout_list(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	char *sparse_filename;
 	int res;
 
+	setup_work_tree();
 	if (!core_apply_sparse_checkout)
 		die(_("this worktree is not sparse"));
 
@@ -446,6 +447,7 @@ static int sparse_checkout_init(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		OPT_END(),
 	};
 
+	setup_work_tree();
 	repo_read_index(the_repository);
 
 	init_opts.cone_mode = -1;
@@ -758,6 +760,7 @@ static int sparse_checkout_add(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		OPT_END(),
 	};
 
+	setup_work_tree();
 	if (!core_apply_sparse_checkout)
 		die(_("no sparse-checkout to add to"));
 
@@ -804,6 +807,7 @@ static int sparse_checkout_set(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		OPT_END(),
 	};
 
+	setup_work_tree();
 	repo_read_index(the_repository);
 
 	set_opts.cone_mode = -1;
@@ -853,6 +857,7 @@ static int sparse_checkout_reapply(int argc, const char **argv,
 		OPT_END(),
 	};
 
+	setup_work_tree();
 	if (!core_apply_sparse_checkout)
 		die(_("must be in a sparse-checkout to reapply sparsity patterns"));
 
@@ -896,6 +901,7 @@ static int sparse_checkout_disable(int argc, const char **argv,
 	 * forcibly return to a dense checkout regardless of initial state.
 	 */
 
+	setup_work_tree();
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix,
 			     builtin_sparse_checkout_disable_options,
 			     builtin_sparse_checkout_disable_usage, 0);
diff --git a/git.c b/git.c
index ae2134f29a..9dee94a4b3 100644
--- a/git.c
+++ b/git.c
@@ -584,7 +584,7 @@ static struct cmd_struct commands[] = {
 	{ "show-branch", cmd_show_branch, RUN_SETUP },
 	{ "show-index", cmd_show_index, RUN_SETUP_GENTLY },
 	{ "show-ref", cmd_show_ref, RUN_SETUP },
-	{ "sparse-checkout", cmd_sparse_checkout, RUN_SETUP | NEED_WORK_TREE },
+	{ "sparse-checkout", cmd_sparse_checkout, RUN_SETUP },
 	{ "stage", cmd_add, RUN_SETUP | NEED_WORK_TREE },
 	{ "stash", cmd_stash, RUN_SETUP | NEED_WORK_TREE },
 	{ "status", cmd_status, RUN_SETUP | NEED_WORK_TREE },
diff --git a/t/t1091-sparse-checkout-builtin.sh b/t/t1091-sparse-checkout-builtin.sh
index 627267be15..7216267aec 100755
--- a/t/t1091-sparse-checkout-builtin.sh
+++ b/t/t1091-sparse-checkout-builtin.sh
@@ -882,4 +882,37 @@ test_expect_success 'by default, non-cone mode will warn on individual files' '
 	grep "pass a leading slash before paths.*if you want a single file" warning
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'setup bare repo' '
+	git clone --bare "file://$(pwd)/repo" bare
+'
+test_expect_success 'list fails outside work tree' '
+	test_must_fail git -C bare sparse-checkout list 2>err &&
+	test_i18ngrep "this operation must be run in a work tree" err
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'add fails outside work tree' '
+	test_must_fail git -C bare sparse-checkout add deeper 2>err &&
+	test_i18ngrep "this operation must be run in a work tree" err
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'set fails outside work tree' '
+	test_must_fail git -C bare sparse-checkout set deeper 2>err &&
+	test_i18ngrep "this operation must be run in a work tree" err
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'init fails outside work tree' '
+	test_must_fail git -C bare sparse-checkout init 2>err &&
+	test_i18ngrep "this operation must be run in a work tree" err
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'reapply fails outside work tree' '
+	test_must_fail git -C bare sparse-checkout reapply 2>err &&
+	test_i18ngrep "this operation must be run in a work tree" err
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'disable fails outside work tree' '
+	test_must_fail git -C bare sparse-checkout disable 2>err &&
+	test_i18ngrep "this operation must be run in a work tree" err
+'
+
 test_done