diff --git a/blame.c b/blame.c
index d12bd9f97b..141756975b 100644
--- a/blame.c
+++ b/blame.c
@@ -2806,7 +2806,9 @@ void setup_scoreboard(struct blame_scoreboard *sb,
 			parent_oid = &head_oid;
 		}
 
-		setup_work_tree();
+		if (!sb->contents_from)
+			setup_work_tree();
+
 		sb->final = fake_working_tree_commit(sb->repo,
 						     &sb->revs->diffopt,
 						     sb->path, sb->contents_from,
diff --git a/t/annotate-tests.sh b/t/annotate-tests.sh
index 2ef70235b1..5e21e84f38 100644
--- a/t/annotate-tests.sh
+++ b/t/annotate-tests.sh
@@ -83,6 +83,15 @@ test_expect_success 'blame with --contents' '
 	check_count --contents=file A 2
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'blame with --contents in a bare repo' '
+	git clone --bare . bare-contents.git &&
+	(
+		cd bare-contents.git &&
+		echo "1A quick brown fox jumps over the" >contents &&
+		check_count --contents=contents A 1
+	)
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'blame with --contents changed' '
 	echo "1A quick brown fox jumps over the" >contents &&
 	echo "another lazy dog" >>contents &&