diff --git a/merge-recursive.c b/merge-recursive.c
index f9021dd650..13b4762971 100644
--- a/merge-recursive.c
+++ b/merge-recursive.c
@@ -779,6 +779,25 @@ static int dir_in_way(const char *path, int check_working_copy, int empty_ok)
 		!(empty_ok && is_empty_dir(path));
 }
 
+/*
+ * Returns whether path was tracked in the index before the merge started,
+ * and its oid and mode match the specified values
+ */
+static int was_tracked_and_matches(struct merge_options *o, const char *path,
+				   const struct object_id *oid, unsigned mode)
+{
+	int pos = index_name_pos(&o->orig_index, path, strlen(path));
+	struct cache_entry *ce;
+
+	if (0 > pos)
+		/* we were not tracking this path before the merge */
+		return 0;
+
+	/* See if the file we were tracking before matches */
+	ce = o->orig_index.cache[pos];
+	return (oid_eq(&ce->oid, oid) && ce->ce_mode == mode);
+}
+
 /*
  * Returns whether path was tracked in the index before the merge started
  */
@@ -2821,23 +2840,20 @@ static int merge_content(struct merge_options *o,
 				       o->branch2, path2, &mfi))
 		return -1;
 
-	if (mfi.clean && !df_conflict_remains &&
-	    oid_eq(&mfi.oid, a_oid) && mfi.mode == a_mode) {
-		int path_renamed_outside_HEAD;
+	/*
+	 * We can skip updating the working tree file iff:
+	 *   a) The merge is clean
+	 *   b) The merge matches what was in HEAD (content, mode, pathname)
+	 *   c) The target path is usable (i.e. not involved in D/F conflict)
+	 */
+	if (mfi.clean &&
+	    was_tracked_and_matches(o, path, &mfi.oid, mfi.mode) &&
+	    !df_conflict_remains) {
 		output(o, 3, _("Skipped %s (merged same as existing)"), path);
-		/*
-		 * The content merge resulted in the same file contents we
-		 * already had.  We can return early if those file contents
-		 * are recorded at the correct path (which may not be true
-		 * if the merge involves a rename).
-		 */
-		path_renamed_outside_HEAD = !path2 || !strcmp(path, path2);
-		if (!path_renamed_outside_HEAD) {
-			if (add_cacheinfo(o, mfi.mode, &mfi.oid, path,
-					  0, (!o->call_depth && !is_dirty), 0))
-				return -1;
-			return mfi.clean;
-		}
+		if (add_cacheinfo(o, mfi.mode, &mfi.oid, path,
+				  0, (!o->call_depth && !is_dirty), 0))
+			return -1;
+		return mfi.clean;
 	}
 
 	if (!mfi.clean) {
diff --git a/t/t6022-merge-rename.sh b/t/t6022-merge-rename.sh
index a1fad6980b..6df2650c03 100755
--- a/t/t6022-merge-rename.sh
+++ b/t/t6022-merge-rename.sh
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ test_expect_success 'merge of identical changes in a renamed file' '
 	git reset --hard HEAD^ &&
 	git checkout change &&
 	GIT_MERGE_VERBOSITY=3 git merge change+rename >out &&
-	test_i18ngrep "^Skipped B" out
+	test_i18ngrep ! "^Skipped B" out
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'setup for rename + d/f conflicts' '
diff --git a/t/t6043-merge-rename-directories.sh b/t/t6043-merge-rename-directories.sh
index 45f620633f..2e28f2908d 100755
--- a/t/t6043-merge-rename-directories.sh
+++ b/t/t6043-merge-rename-directories.sh
@@ -3884,7 +3884,7 @@ test_expect_success '12b-setup: Moving one directory hierarchy into another' '
 	)
 '
 
-test_expect_failure '12b-check: Moving one directory hierarchy into another' '
+test_expect_success '12b-check: Moving one directory hierarchy into another' '
 	(
 		cd 12b &&
 
diff --git a/t/t6046-merge-skip-unneeded-updates.sh b/t/t6046-merge-skip-unneeded-updates.sh
index a0f482e232..fcefffcaec 100755
--- a/t/t6046-merge-skip-unneeded-updates.sh
+++ b/t/t6046-merge-skip-unneeded-updates.sh
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ test_expect_success '1a-setup: Modify(A)/Modify(B), change on B subset of A' '
 	)
 '
 
-test_expect_failure '1a-check-L: Modify(A)/Modify(B), change on B subset of A' '
+test_expect_success '1a-check-L: Modify(A)/Modify(B), change on B subset of A' '
 	test_when_finished "git -C 1a reset --hard" &&
 	test_when_finished "git -C 1a clean -fd" &&
 	(
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ test_expect_success '2a-setup: Modify(A)/rename(B)' '
 	)
 '
 
-test_expect_failure '2a-check-L: Modify/rename, merge into modify side' '
+test_expect_success '2a-check-L: Modify/rename, merge into modify side' '
 	test_when_finished "git -C 2a reset --hard" &&
 	test_when_finished "git -C 2a clean -fd" &&
 	(
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ test_expect_success '2c-setup: Modify b & add c VS rename b->c' '
 	)
 '
 
-test_expect_failure '2c-check: Modify b & add c VS rename b->c' '
+test_expect_success '2c-check: Modify b & add c VS rename b->c' '
 	(
 		cd 2c &&
 
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ test_expect_success '3a-setup: bq_1->foo/bq_2 on A, foo/->bar/ on B' '
 	)
 '
 
-test_expect_failure '3a-check-L: bq_1->foo/bq_2 on A, foo/->bar/ on B' '
+test_expect_success '3a-check-L: bq_1->foo/bq_2 on A, foo/->bar/ on B' '
 	test_when_finished "git -C 3a reset --hard" &&
 	test_when_finished "git -C 3a clean -fd" &&
 	(
@@ -579,7 +579,7 @@ test_expect_success '3b-check-L: bq_1->foo/bq_2 on A, foo/->bar/ on B' '
 	)
 '
 
-test_expect_failure '3b-check-R: bq_1->foo/bq_2 on A, foo/->bar/ on B' '
+test_expect_success '3b-check-R: bq_1->foo/bq_2 on A, foo/->bar/ on B' '
 	test_when_finished "git -C 3b reset --hard" &&
 	test_when_finished "git -C 3b clean -fd" &&
 	(