diff --git a/hgext3rd/sparse.py b/hgext3rd/sparse.py
--- a/hgext3rd/sparse.py
+++ b/hgext3rd/sparse.py
@@ -763,7 +763,7 @@
                 raise error.Abort(err)
 
             if (not ui.configbool('sparse', 'includereporootpaths', False)
-                and (include or exclude)):
+                and (include or exclude or delete)):
                 # supplied file patterns should be treated as relative
                 # to current working dir, so we need to convert them first
                 pats = scmutil.match(repo['.'], pats).files()
diff --git a/tests/test-sparse.t b/tests/test-sparse.t
--- a/tests/test-sparse.t
+++ b/tests/test-sparse.t
@@ -53,6 +53,30 @@
   $ cd ..
   $ rm -rf subdir
 
+Verify deleting uses relative paths
+  $ mkdir subdir && echo foo > subdir/foo
+  $ hg sparse
+  [include]
+  $TESTTMP/myrepo/hide
+  hide
+  reporoot/path
+  subdir/cwd/path
+  [exclude]
+  
+  
+  $ cd subdir
+  $ hg sparse --delete cwd/path
+  $ hg sparse
+  [include]
+  $TESTTMP/myrepo/hide
+  hide
+  reporoot/path
+  [exclude]
+  
+  
+  $ cd ..
+  $ rm -rf subdir
+
 Verify commiting while sparse includes other files
 
   $ echo z > hide