diff --git a/hgext/sparse.py b/hgext/sparse.py
--- a/hgext/sparse.py
+++ b/hgext/sparse.py
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@
     include_pat = opts.get(r'include')
     exclude_pat = opts.get(r'exclude')
     enableprofile_pat = opts.get(r'enable_profile')
+    narrow_pat = opts.get(r'narrow')
     include = exclude = enableprofile = False
     if include_pat:
         pat = include_pat
@@ -153,7 +154,9 @@
         enableprofile = True
     if sum([include, exclude, enableprofile]) > 1:
         raise error.Abort(_("too many flags specified."))
-    if include or exclude or enableprofile:
+    # if --narrow is passed, it means they are includes and excludes for narrow
+    # clone
+    if not narrow_pat and (include or exclude or enableprofile):
         def clonesparse(orig, self, node, overwrite, *args, **kwargs):
             sparse.updateconfig(self.unfiltered(), pat, {}, include=include,
                                 exclude=exclude, enableprofile=enableprofile,
diff --git a/tests/test-narrow-sparse.t b/tests/test-narrow-sparse.t
--- a/tests/test-narrow-sparse.t
+++ b/tests/test-narrow-sparse.t
@@ -52,14 +52,12 @@
   $ hg files
   inside/f
 
-XXX: we should not have sparse enabled
-  $ cat .hg/sparse
-  [include]
-  inside/f
+XXX: we should have a flag in `hg debugsparse` to list the sparse profile
+  $ test -f .hg/sparse
+  [1]
 
   $ cat .hg/requires
   dotencode
-  exp-sparse
   fncache
   generaldelta
   narrowhg-experimental