diff --git a/merge-ort.c b/merge-ort.c
index b954f7184a..ccf85b738c 100644
--- a/merge-ort.c
+++ b/merge-ort.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "entry.h"
 #include "ll-merge.h"
 #include "object-store.h"
+#include "promisor-remote.h"
 #include "revision.h"
 #include "strmap.h"
 #include "submodule.h"
@@ -3460,6 +3461,54 @@ static void process_entry(struct merge_options *opt,
 	record_entry_for_tree(dir_metadata, path, &ci->merged);
 }
 
+static void prefetch_for_content_merges(struct merge_options *opt,
+					struct string_list *plist)
+{
+	struct string_list_item *e;
+	struct oid_array to_fetch = OID_ARRAY_INIT;
+
+	if (opt->repo != the_repository || !has_promisor_remote())
+		return;
+
+	for (e = &plist->items[plist->nr-1]; e >= plist->items; --e) {
+		/* char *path = e->string; */
+		struct conflict_info *ci = e->util;
+		int i;
+
+		/* Ignore clean entries */
+		if (ci->merged.clean)
+			continue;
+
+		/* Ignore entries that don't need a content merge */
+		if (ci->match_mask || ci->filemask < 6 ||
+		    !S_ISREG(ci->stages[1].mode) ||
+		    !S_ISREG(ci->stages[2].mode) ||
+		    oideq(&ci->stages[1].oid, &ci->stages[2].oid))
+			continue;
+
+		/* Also don't need content merge if base matches either side */
+		if (ci->filemask == 7 &&
+		    S_ISREG(ci->stages[0].mode) &&
+		    (oideq(&ci->stages[0].oid, &ci->stages[1].oid) ||
+		     oideq(&ci->stages[0].oid, &ci->stages[2].oid)))
+			continue;
+
+		for (i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
+			unsigned side_mask = (1 << i);
+			struct version_info *vi = &ci->stages[i];
+
+			if ((ci->filemask & side_mask) &&
+			    S_ISREG(vi->mode) &&
+			    oid_object_info_extended(opt->repo, &vi->oid, NULL,
+						     OBJECT_INFO_FOR_PREFETCH))
+				oid_array_append(&to_fetch, &vi->oid);
+		}
+	}
+
+	promisor_remote_get_direct(opt->repo, to_fetch.oid, to_fetch.nr);
+	oid_array_clear(&to_fetch);
+}
+
 static void process_entries(struct merge_options *opt,
 			    struct object_id *result_oid)
 {
@@ -3506,6 +3555,7 @@ static void process_entries(struct merge_options *opt,
 	 * the way when it is time to process the file at the same path).
 	 */
 	trace2_region_enter("merge", "processing", opt->repo);
+	prefetch_for_content_merges(opt, &plist);
 	for (entry = &plist.items[plist.nr-1]; entry >= plist.items; --entry) {
 		char *path = entry->string;
 		/*
diff --git a/t/t6421-merge-partial-clone.sh b/t/t6421-merge-partial-clone.sh
index aad975d24d..36bcd7c328 100755
--- a/t/t6421-merge-partial-clone.sh
+++ b/t/t6421-merge-partial-clone.sh
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ test_expect_merge_algorithm failure success 'Objects downloaded when a directory
 #
 #   Summary: 4 fetches (1 for 6 objects, 1 for 8, 1 for 3, 1 for 2)
 #
-test_expect_merge_algorithm failure failure 'Objects downloaded with lots of renames and modifications' '
+test_expect_merge_algorithm failure success 'Objects downloaded with lots of renames and modifications' '
 	test_setup_repo &&
 	git clone --sparse --filter=blob:none "file://$(pwd)/server" objects-many &&
 	(