diff --git a/attr.c b/attr.c
index 60d284796d..293755226c 100644
--- a/attr.c
+++ b/attr.c
@@ -1104,7 +1104,7 @@ static void collect_some_attrs(const struct index_state *istate,
 			       const char *path,
 			       struct attr_check *check)
 {
-	int i, pathlen, rem, dirlen;
+	int pathlen, rem, dirlen;
 	const char *cp, *last_slash = NULL;
 	int basename_offset;
 
@@ -1125,20 +1125,6 @@ static void collect_some_attrs(const struct index_state *istate,
 	all_attrs_init(&g_attr_hashmap, check);
 	determine_macros(check->all_attrs, check->stack);
 
-	if (check->nr) {
-		rem = 0;
-		for (i = 0; i < check->nr; i++) {
-			int n = check->items[i].attr->attr_nr;
-			struct all_attrs_item *item = &check->all_attrs[n];
-			if (item->macro) {
-				item->value = ATTR__UNSET;
-				rem++;
-			}
-		}
-		if (rem == check->nr)
-			return;
-	}
-
 	rem = check->all_attrs_nr;
 	fill(path, pathlen, basename_offset, check->stack, check->all_attrs, rem);
 }
diff --git a/t/t0003-attributes.sh b/t/t0003-attributes.sh
index 22499bce5f..71e63d8b50 100755
--- a/t/t0003-attributes.sh
+++ b/t/t0003-attributes.sh
@@ -322,4 +322,24 @@ test_expect_success 'bare repository: test info/attributes' '
 	)
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'binary macro expanded by -a' '
+	echo "file binary" >.gitattributes &&
+	cat >expect <<-\EOF &&
+	file: binary: set
+	file: diff: unset
+	file: merge: unset
+	file: text: unset
+	EOF
+	git check-attr -a file >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+
+test_expect_success 'query binary macro directly' '
+	echo "file binary" >.gitattributes &&
+	echo file: binary: set >expect &&
+	git check-attr binary file >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_done