diff --git a/hgext/narrow/narrowdirstate.py b/hgext/narrow/narrowdirstate.py
--- a/hgext/narrow/narrowdirstate.py
+++ b/hgext/narrow/narrowdirstate.py
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 from mercurial import (
     error,
     match as matchmod,
-    narrowspec,
 )
 
 def wrapdirstate(repo, dirstate):
@@ -28,10 +27,6 @@
             return fn(self, *args)
         return _wrapper
 
-    def _narrowbackupname(backupname):
-        assert 'dirstate' in backupname
-        return backupname.replace('dirstate', narrowspec.FILENAME)
-
     class narrowdirstate(dirstate.__class__):
         def walk(self, match, subrepos, unknown, ignored, full=True,
                  narrowonly=True):
@@ -77,18 +72,5 @@
                 allfiles = [f for f in allfiles if repo.narrowmatch()(f)]
             super(narrowdirstate, self).rebuild(parent, allfiles, changedfiles)
 
-        def restorebackup(self, tr, backupname):
-            narrowspec.restorebackup(self._opener,
-                                     _narrowbackupname(backupname))
-            super(narrowdirstate, self).restorebackup(tr, backupname)
-
-        def savebackup(self, tr, backupname):
-            super(narrowdirstate, self).savebackup(tr, backupname)
-            narrowspec.savebackup(self._opener, _narrowbackupname(backupname))
-
-        def clearbackup(self, tr, backupname):
-            super(narrowdirstate, self).clearbackup(tr, backupname)
-            narrowspec.clearbackup(self._opener, _narrowbackupname(backupname))
-
     dirstate.__class__ = narrowdirstate
     return dirstate
diff --git a/hgext/shelve.py b/hgext/shelve.py
--- a/hgext/shelve.py
+++ b/hgext/shelve.py
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
     lock as lockmod,
     mdiff,
     merge,
+    narrowspec,
     node as nodemod,
     patch,
     phases,
@@ -314,10 +315,13 @@
     '''Abort current transaction for shelve/unshelve, but keep dirstate
     '''
     tr = repo.currenttransaction()
-    backupname = 'dirstate.shelve'
-    repo.dirstate.savebackup(tr, backupname)
+    dirstatebackupname = 'dirstate.shelve'
+    narrowspecbackupname = 'narrowspec.shelve'
+    repo.dirstate.savebackup(tr, dirstatebackupname)
+    narrowspec.savebackup(repo, narrowspecbackupname)
     tr.abort()
-    repo.dirstate.restorebackup(None, backupname)
+    narrowspec.restorebackup(repo, narrowspecbackupname)
+    repo.dirstate.restorebackup(None, dirstatebackupname)
 
 def createcmd(ui, repo, pats, opts):
     """subcommand that creates a new shelve"""
diff --git a/mercurial/dirstateguard.py b/mercurial/dirstateguard.py
--- a/mercurial/dirstateguard.py
+++ b/mercurial/dirstateguard.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 from . import (
     error,
+    narrowspec,
     util,
 )
 
@@ -33,7 +34,10 @@
         self._active = False
         self._closed = False
         self._backupname = 'dirstate.backup.%s.%d' % (name, id(self))
+        self._narrowspecbackupname = ('narrowspec.backup.%s.%d' %
+                                      (name, id(self)))
         repo.dirstate.savebackup(repo.currenttransaction(), self._backupname)
+        narrowspec.savebackup(repo, self._narrowspecbackupname)
         self._active = True
 
     def __del__(self):
@@ -52,10 +56,12 @@
 
         self._repo.dirstate.clearbackup(self._repo.currenttransaction(),
                                          self._backupname)
+        narrowspec.clearbackup(self._repo, self._narrowspecbackupname)
         self._active = False
         self._closed = True
 
     def _abort(self):
+        narrowspec.restorebackup(self._repo, self._narrowspecbackupname)
         self._repo.dirstate.restorebackup(self._repo.currenttransaction(),
                                            self._backupname)
         self._active = False
diff --git a/mercurial/localrepo.py b/mercurial/localrepo.py
--- a/mercurial/localrepo.py
+++ b/mercurial/localrepo.py
@@ -1373,6 +1373,7 @@
             else:
                 # discard all changes (including ones already written
                 # out) in this transaction
+                narrowspec.restorebackup(self, 'journal.narrowspec')
                 repo.dirstate.restorebackup(None, 'journal.dirstate')
 
                 repo.invalidate(clearfilecache=True)
@@ -1461,6 +1462,7 @@
     @unfilteredmethod
     def _writejournal(self, desc):
         self.dirstate.savebackup(None, 'journal.dirstate')
+        narrowspec.savebackup(self, 'journal.narrowspec')
         self.vfs.write("journal.branch",
                           encoding.fromlocal(self.dirstate.branch()))
         self.vfs.write("journal.desc",
@@ -1548,6 +1550,7 @@
             # prevent dirstateguard from overwriting already restored one
             dsguard.close()
 
+            narrowspec.restorebackup(self, 'undo.narrowspec')
             self.dirstate.restorebackup(None, 'undo.dirstate')
             try:
                 branch = self.vfs.read('undo.branch')
diff --git a/mercurial/narrowspec.py b/mercurial/narrowspec.py
--- a/mercurial/narrowspec.py
+++ b/mercurial/narrowspec.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 from . import (
     error,
     match as matchmod,
+    repository,
     sparse,
     util,
 )
@@ -129,15 +130,22 @@
     spec = format(includepats, excludepats)
     repo.vfs.write(FILENAME, spec)
 
-def savebackup(vfs, backupname):
+def savebackup(repo, backupname):
+    if repository.NARROW_REQUIREMENT not in repo.requirements:
+        return
+    vfs = repo.vfs
     vfs.tryunlink(backupname)
     util.copyfile(vfs.join(FILENAME), vfs.join(backupname), hardlink=True)
 
-def restorebackup(vfs, backupname):
-    vfs.rename(backupname, FILENAME, checkambig=True)
+def restorebackup(repo, backupname):
+    if repository.NARROW_REQUIREMENT not in repo.requirements:
+        return
+    repo.vfs.rename(backupname, FILENAME, checkambig=True)
 
-def clearbackup(vfs, backupname):
-    vfs.unlink(backupname)
+def clearbackup(repo, backupname):
+    if repository.NARROW_REQUIREMENT not in repo.requirements:
+        return
+    repo.vfs.unlink(backupname)
 
 def restrictpatterns(req_includes, req_excludes, repo_includes, repo_excludes):
     r""" Restricts the patterns according to repo settings,