diff --git a/builtin/check-attr.c b/builtin/check-attr.c
index b22ff748c3..c1da1d184e 100644
--- a/builtin/check-attr.c
+++ b/builtin/check-attr.c
@@ -122,6 +122,9 @@ int cmd_check_attr(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, check_attr_options,
 			     check_attr_usage, PARSE_OPT_KEEP_DASHDASH);
 
+	prepare_repo_settings(the_repository);
+	the_repository->settings.command_requires_full_index = 0;
+
 	if (repo_read_index(the_repository) < 0) {
 		die("invalid cache");
 	}
diff --git a/t/perf/p2000-sparse-operations.sh b/t/perf/p2000-sparse-operations.sh
index 96ed3e1d69..39e92b0841 100755
--- a/t/perf/p2000-sparse-operations.sh
+++ b/t/perf/p2000-sparse-operations.sh
@@ -134,5 +134,6 @@ test_perf_on_all git diff-files -- $SPARSE_CONE/a
 test_perf_on_all git diff-tree HEAD
 test_perf_on_all git diff-tree HEAD -- $SPARSE_CONE/a
 test_perf_on_all "git worktree add ../temp && git worktree remove ../temp"
+test_perf_on_all git check-attr -a -- $SPARSE_CONE/a
 
 test_done
diff --git a/t/t1092-sparse-checkout-compatibility.sh b/t/t1092-sparse-checkout-compatibility.sh
index dc84b3e2e1..2a4f35e984 100755
--- a/t/t1092-sparse-checkout-compatibility.sh
+++ b/t/t1092-sparse-checkout-compatibility.sh
@@ -2316,4 +2316,19 @@ test_expect_failure 'diff --check with pathspec outside sparse definition' '
 	test_all_match test_must_fail git diff --check --cached -- folder1/a
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'sparse-index is not expanded: check-attr' '
+	init_repos &&
+
+	echo "a -crlf myAttr" >>.gitattributes &&
+	mkdir ./sparse-index/folder1 &&
+	cp ./sparse-index/a ./sparse-index/folder1/a &&
+	cp .gitattributes ./sparse-index/deep &&
+	cp .gitattributes ./sparse-index/folder1 &&
+
+	git -C sparse-index add deep/.gitattributes &&
+	git -C sparse-index add --sparse folder1/.gitattributes &&
+	ensure_not_expanded check-attr -a --cached -- deep/a &&
+	ensure_not_expanded check-attr -a --cached -- folder1/a
+'
+
 test_done