diff --git a/reset.c b/reset.c
index 955ea4ed5a..5a9ed807d7 100644
--- a/reset.c
+++ b/reset.c
@@ -167,10 +167,11 @@ int reset_working_tree(struct repository *r,
 	unpack_tree_opts.dry_run = dry_run;
 	unpack_tree_opts.merge = 1;
 	unpack_tree_opts.preserve_ignored = 0; /* FIXME: !overwrite_ignore */
-	unpack_tree_opts.skip_cache_tree_update = 1;
 	init_checkout_metadata(&unpack_tree_opts.meta, switch_to_branch, oid, NULL);
-	if (reset_hard)
+	if (reset_hard) {
+		unpack_tree_opts.skip_cache_tree_update = 1;
 		unpack_tree_opts.reset = UNPACK_RESET_PROTECT_UNTRACKED;
+	}
 
 	if (!reset_hard && !fill_tree_descriptor(r, &desc[nr++], &head_oid)) {
 		ret = error(_("failed to find tree of %s"),
@@ -197,7 +198,8 @@ int reset_working_tree(struct repository *r,
 		goto leave_reset_head;
 	}
 
-	prime_cache_tree(r, r->index, tree);
+	if (reset_hard)
+		prime_cache_tree(r, r->index, tree);
 
 	if (write_locked_index(r->index, &lock, COMMIT_LOCK) < 0) {
 		ret = error(_("could not write index"));