diff --git a/rust/hg-core/src/sparse.rs b/rust/hg-core/src/sparse.rs
--- a/rust/hg-core/src/sparse.rs
+++ b/rust/hg-core/src/sparse.rs
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ pub fn matcher(
                 let (patterns, subwarnings) = parse_pattern_file_contents(
                     &config.includes,
                     Path::new(""),
-                    Some(b"relglob:".as_ref()),
+                    Some(b"glob:".as_ref()),
                     false,
                 )?;
                 warnings.extend(subwarnings.into_iter().map(From::from));
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ pub fn matcher(
                 let (patterns, subwarnings) = parse_pattern_file_contents(
                     &config.excludes,
                     Path::new(""),
-                    Some(b"relglob:".as_ref()),
+                    Some(b"glob:".as_ref()),
                     false,
                 )?;
                 warnings.extend(subwarnings.into_iter().map(From::from));
diff --git a/tests/test-sparse.t b/tests/test-sparse.t
--- a/tests/test-sparse.t
+++ b/tests/test-sparse.t
@@ -21,6 +21,29 @@ test sparse
 Verify basic --include
 
   $ hg up -q 0
+
+Test that sparse pattern by default is interpreted as "glob:", and is interpreted relative to the root.
+
+  $ hg debugsparse --reset
+  $ hg debugsparse -X 'foo*bar'
+  $ cat .hg/sparse
+  [exclude]
+  foo*bar
+
+  $ mk() { mkdir -p "$1"; touch "$1"/"$2"; }
+  $ mk 'foo' bar
+  $ mk 'foo-bar' x
+  $ mk 'unanchoredfoo-bar' x
+  $ mk 'foo*bar' x
+  $ mk 'dir/foo-bar' x
+  $ hg status --config rhg.on-unsupported=abort
+  ? dir/foo-bar/x
+  ? foo/bar
+  ? unanchoredfoo-bar/x
+  $ hg clean -a --no-confirm
+  $ rm -r foo*bar
+  $ hg debugsparse --reset
+
   $ hg debugsparse --include 'hide'
   $ ls -A
   .hg