diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index dfb0f1000f..89b1d53741 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -985,6 +985,7 @@ LIB_OBJS += setup.o
 LIB_OBJS += shallow.o
 LIB_OBJS += sideband.o
 LIB_OBJS += sigchain.o
+LIB_OBJS += sparse-index.o
 LIB_OBJS += split-index.o
 LIB_OBJS += stable-qsort.o
 LIB_OBJS += strbuf.o
diff --git a/repo-settings.c b/repo-settings.c
index f7fff0f5ab..d63569e404 100644
--- a/repo-settings.c
+++ b/repo-settings.c
@@ -77,4 +77,12 @@ void prepare_repo_settings(struct repository *r)
 		UPDATE_DEFAULT_BOOL(r->settings.core_untracked_cache, UNTRACKED_CACHE_KEEP);
 
 	UPDATE_DEFAULT_BOOL(r->settings.fetch_negotiation_algorithm, FETCH_NEGOTIATION_DEFAULT);
+
+	/*
+	 * This setting guards all index reads to require a full index
+	 * over a sparse index. After suitable guards are placed in the
+	 * codebase around uses of the index, this setting will be
+	 * removed.
+	 */
+	r->settings.command_requires_full_index = 1;
 }
diff --git a/repository.c b/repository.c
index c98298acd0..a8acae002f 100644
--- a/repository.c
+++ b/repository.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include "object.h"
 #include "lockfile.h"
 #include "submodule-config.h"
+#include "sparse-index.h"
 
 /* The main repository */
 static struct repository the_repo;
@@ -261,6 +262,8 @@ void repo_clear(struct repository *repo)
 
 int repo_read_index(struct repository *repo)
 {
+	int res;
+
 	if (!repo->index)
 		repo->index = xcalloc(1, sizeof(*repo->index));
 
@@ -270,7 +273,13 @@ int repo_read_index(struct repository *repo)
 	else if (repo->index->repo != repo)
 		BUG("repo's index should point back at itself");
 
-	return read_index_from(repo->index, repo->index_file, repo->gitdir);
+	res = read_index_from(repo->index, repo->index_file, repo->gitdir);
+
+	prepare_repo_settings(repo);
+	if (repo->settings.command_requires_full_index)
+		ensure_full_index(repo->index);
+
+	return res;
 }
 
 int repo_hold_locked_index(struct repository *repo,
diff --git a/repository.h b/repository.h
index b385ca3c94..e06a230156 100644
--- a/repository.h
+++ b/repository.h
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ struct repo_settings {
 	enum fetch_negotiation_setting fetch_negotiation_algorithm;
 
 	int core_multi_pack_index;
+
+	unsigned command_requires_full_index:1;
 };
 
 struct repository {
diff --git a/sparse-index.c b/sparse-index.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..82183ead56
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sparse-index.c
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#include "cache.h"
+#include "repository.h"
+#include "sparse-index.h"
+
+void ensure_full_index(struct index_state *istate)
+{
+	/* intentionally left blank */
+}
diff --git a/sparse-index.h b/sparse-index.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..09a20d036c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sparse-index.h
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#ifndef SPARSE_INDEX_H__
+#define SPARSE_INDEX_H__
+
+struct index_state;
+void ensure_full_index(struct index_state *istate);
+
+#endif