diff --git a/builtin-update-index.c b/builtin-update-index.c
index a19e78603c..750db163b9 100644
--- a/builtin-update-index.c
+++ b/builtin-update-index.c
@@ -433,7 +433,18 @@ static int unresolve_one(const char *path)
 
 	/* See if there is such entry in the index. */
 	pos = cache_name_pos(path, namelen);
-	if (pos < 0) {
+	if (0 <= pos) {
+		/* already merged */
+		pos = unmerge_cache_entry_at(pos);
+		if (pos < active_nr) {
+			struct cache_entry *ce = active_cache[pos];
+			if (ce_stage(ce) &&
+			    ce_namelen(ce) == namelen &&
+			    !memcmp(ce->name, path, namelen))
+				return 0;
+		}
+		/* no resolve-undo information; fall back */
+	} else {
 		/* If there isn't, either it is unmerged, or
 		 * resolved as "removed" by mistake.  We do not
 		 * want to do anything in the former case.
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index f479f09190..97b4a74d93 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -338,6 +338,7 @@ static inline void remove_name_hash(struct cache_entry *ce)
 #define cache_name_exists(name, namelen, igncase) index_name_exists(&the_index, (name), (namelen), (igncase))
 #define cache_name_is_other(name, namelen) index_name_is_other(&the_index, (name), (namelen))
 #define resolve_undo_clear() resolve_undo_clear_index(&the_index)
+#define unmerge_cache_entry_at(at) unmerge_index_entry_at(&the_index, at)
 #define unmerge_cache(pathspec) unmerge_index(&the_index, pathspec)
 #endif
 
diff --git a/t/t2030-unresolve-info.sh b/t/t2030-unresolve-info.sh
index ea65f391c1..28e2eb1cec 100755
--- a/t/t2030-unresolve-info.sh
+++ b/t/t2030-unresolve-info.sh
@@ -108,4 +108,11 @@ test_expect_success 'add records checkout -m undoes' '
 	grep "^++<<<<<<<" actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'unmerge with plumbing' '
+	prime_resolve_undo &&
+	git update-index --unresolve file &&
+	git ls-files -u >actual &&
+	test $(wc -l <actual) = 3
+'
+
 test_done