diff --git a/merge-recursive.c b/merge-recursive.c
index 318d32e22..0fb174359 100644
--- a/merge-recursive.c
+++ b/merge-recursive.c
@@ -485,6 +485,7 @@ static struct string_list *get_renames(struct merge_options *o,
 	renames = xcalloc(1, sizeof(struct string_list));
 	diff_setup(&opts);
 	DIFF_OPT_SET(&opts, RECURSIVE);
+	DIFF_OPT_CLR(&opts, RENAME_EMPTY);
 	opts.detect_rename = DIFF_DETECT_RENAME;
 	opts.rename_limit = o->merge_rename_limit >= 0 ? o->merge_rename_limit :
 			    o->diff_rename_limit >= 0 ? o->diff_rename_limit :
diff --git a/t/t6022-merge-rename.sh b/t/t6022-merge-rename.sh
index 9d8584e95..110424918 100755
--- a/t/t6022-merge-rename.sh
+++ b/t/t6022-merge-rename.sh
@@ -884,4 +884,20 @@ test_expect_success 'no spurious "refusing to lose untracked" message' '
 	! grep "refusing to lose untracked file" errors.txt
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'do not follow renames for empty files' '
+	git checkout -f -b empty-base &&
+	>empty1 &&
+	git add empty1 &&
+	git commit -m base &&
+	echo content >empty1 &&
+	git add empty1 &&
+	git commit -m fill &&
+	git checkout -b empty-topic HEAD^ &&
+	git mv empty1 empty2 &&
+	git commit -m rename &&
+	test_must_fail git merge empty-base &&
+	>expect &&
+	test_cmp expect empty2
+'
+
 test_done