diff --git a/builtin/merge-tree.c b/builtin/merge-tree.c
index ed25d81b88..ec49917a36 100644
--- a/builtin/merge-tree.c
+++ b/builtin/merge-tree.c
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ static void unresolved(const struct traverse_info *info, struct name_entry n[3])
 static int threeway_callback(int n, unsigned long mask, unsigned long dirmask, struct name_entry *entry, struct traverse_info *info)
 {
 	/* Same in both? */
-	if (same_entry(entry+1, entry+2) || both_empty(entry+0, entry+2)) {
+	if (same_entry(entry+1, entry+2) || both_empty(entry+1, entry+2)) {
 		/* Modified, added or removed identically */
 		resolve(info, NULL, entry+1);
 		return mask;
diff --git a/t/t4300-merge-tree.sh b/t/t4300-merge-tree.sh
index bd43b3d8ef..2defb422e8 100755
--- a/t/t4300-merge-tree.sh
+++ b/t/t4300-merge-tree.sh
@@ -205,6 +205,19 @@ EXPECTED
 	test_cmp expected actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'file remove A, B (same)' '
+	cat >expected <<\EXPECTED &&
+EXPECTED
+
+	git reset --hard initial &&
+	test_commit "rm-a-b-base" "ONE" "AAA" &&
+	git rm ONE &&
+	git commit -m "rm-a-b" &&
+	git tag "rm-a-b" &&
+	git merge-tree rm-a-b-base rm-a-b rm-a-b >actual &&
+	test_cmp expected actual
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'file change A, remove B' '
 	cat >expected <<\EXPECTED &&
 removed in remote