diff --git a/Documentation/git-clone.txt b/Documentation/git-clone.txt
index 34011c2940..0fe91d2f04 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-clone.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-clone.txt
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ SYNOPSIS
 	  [--dissociate] [--separate-git-dir <git dir>]
 	  [--depth <depth>] [--[no-]single-branch] [--no-tags]
 	  [--recurse-submodules[=<pathspec>]] [--[no-]shallow-submodules]
-	  [--[no-]remote-submodules] [--jobs <n>] [--] <repository>
+	  [--[no-]remote-submodules] [--jobs <n>] [--sparse] [--] <repository>
 	  [<directory>]
 
 DESCRIPTION
@@ -156,6 +156,12 @@ objects from the source repository into a pack in the cloned repository.
 	used, neither remote-tracking branches nor the related
 	configuration variables are created.
 
+--sparse::
+	Initialize the sparse-checkout file so the working
+	directory starts with only the files in the root
+	of the repository. The sparse-checkout file can be
+	modified to grow the working directory as needed.
+
 --mirror::
 	Set up a mirror of the source repository.  This implies `--bare`.
 	Compared to `--bare`, `--mirror` not only maps local branches of the
diff --git a/builtin/clone.c b/builtin/clone.c
index c46ee29f0a..4348d962c9 100644
--- a/builtin/clone.c
+++ b/builtin/clone.c
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ static const char *real_git_dir;
 static char *option_upload_pack = "git-upload-pack";
 static int option_verbosity;
 static int option_progress = -1;
+static int option_sparse_checkout;
 static enum transport_family family;
 static struct string_list option_config = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
 static struct string_list option_required_reference = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
@@ -146,6 +147,8 @@ static struct option builtin_clone_options[] = {
 	OPT_PARSE_LIST_OBJECTS_FILTER(&filter_options),
 	OPT_BOOL(0, "remote-submodules", &option_remote_submodules,
 		    N_("any cloned submodules will use their remote-tracking branch")),
+	OPT_BOOL(0, "sparse", &option_sparse_checkout,
+		    N_("initialize sparse-checkout file to include only files at root")),
 	OPT_END()
 };
 
@@ -733,6 +736,27 @@ static void update_head(const struct ref *our, const struct ref *remote,
 	}
 }
 
+static int git_sparse_checkout_init(const char *repo)
+{
+	struct argv_array argv = ARGV_ARRAY_INIT;
+	int result = 0;
+	argv_array_pushl(&argv, "-C", repo, "sparse-checkout", "init", NULL);
+
+	/*
+	 * We must apply the setting in the current process
+	 * for the later checkout to use the sparse-checkout file.
+	 */
+	core_apply_sparse_checkout = 1;
+
+	if (run_command_v_opt(argv.argv, RUN_GIT_CMD)) {
+		error(_("failed to initialize sparse-checkout"));
+		result = 1;
+	}
+
+	argv_array_clear(&argv);
+	return result;
+}
+
 static int checkout(int submodule_progress)
 {
 	struct object_id oid;
@@ -1106,6 +1130,9 @@ int cmd_clone(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	if (option_required_reference.nr || option_optional_reference.nr)
 		setup_reference();
 
+	if (option_sparse_checkout && git_sparse_checkout_init(repo))
+		return 1;
+
 	remote = remote_get(option_origin);
 
 	strbuf_addf(&default_refspec, "+%s*:%s*", src_ref_prefix,
diff --git a/builtin/sparse-checkout.c b/builtin/sparse-checkout.c
index 77aa52ca01..6c336b7ab3 100644
--- a/builtin/sparse-checkout.c
+++ b/builtin/sparse-checkout.c
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ static int sparse_checkout_init(int argc, const char **argv)
 	char *sparse_filename;
 	FILE *fp;
 	int res;
+	struct object_id oid;
 
 	if (sc_set_config(MODE_ALL_PATTERNS))
 		return 1;
@@ -130,6 +131,11 @@ static int sparse_checkout_init(int argc, const char **argv)
 	fprintf(fp, "/*\n!/*/\n");
 	fclose(fp);
 
+	if (get_oid("HEAD", &oid)) {
+		/* assume we are in a fresh repo */
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 reset_dir:
 	return update_working_directory();
 }
diff --git a/t/t1091-sparse-checkout-builtin.sh b/t/t1091-sparse-checkout-builtin.sh
index cd56cc384b..cb74715ca6 100755
--- a/t/t1091-sparse-checkout-builtin.sh
+++ b/t/t1091-sparse-checkout-builtin.sh
@@ -83,4 +83,17 @@ test_expect_success 'init with existing sparse-checkout' '
 	test_cmp expect dir
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'clone --sparse' '
+	git clone --sparse repo clone &&
+	git -C clone sparse-checkout list >actual &&
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+		/*
+		!/*/
+	EOF
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+	ls clone >dir &&
+	echo a >expect &&
+	test_cmp expect dir
+'
+
 test_done
