diff --git a/Documentation/git-pack-objects.txt b/Documentation/git-pack-objects.txt
index eaa2f2a404..54d715ead1 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-pack-objects.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-pack-objects.txt
@@ -270,15 +270,18 @@ So does `git bundle` (see linkgit:git-bundle[1]) when it creates a bundle.
 	This option specifies how missing objects are handled.
 +
 The form '--missing=error' requests that pack-objects stop with an error if
-a missing object is encountered.  This is the default action.
+a missing object is encountered.  If the repository is a partial clone, an
+attempt to fetch missing objects will be made before declaring them missing.
+This is the default action.
 +
 The form '--missing=allow-any' will allow object traversal to continue
-if a missing object is encountered.  Missing objects will silently be
-omitted from the results.
+if a missing object is encountered.  No fetch of a missing object will occur.
+Missing objects will silently be omitted from the results.
 +
 The form '--missing=allow-promisor' is like 'allow-any', but will only
 allow object traversal to continue for EXPECTED promisor missing objects.
-Unexpected missing object will raise an error.
+No fetch of a missing object will occur.  An unexpected missing object will
+raise an error.
 
 --exclude-promisor-objects::
 	Omit objects that are known to be in the promisor remote.  (This
diff --git a/builtin/pack-objects.c b/builtin/pack-objects.c
index ecef5cda44..7d07014e7c 100644
--- a/builtin/pack-objects.c
+++ b/builtin/pack-objects.c
@@ -3048,7 +3048,7 @@ static void show_object__ma_allow_any(struct object *obj, const char *name, void
 	 * Quietly ignore ALL missing objects.  This avoids problems with
 	 * staging them now and getting an odd error later.
 	 */
-	if (!has_object_file(&obj->oid))
+	if (!has_object(the_repository, &obj->oid, 0))
 		return;
 
 	show_object(obj, name, data);
@@ -3062,7 +3062,7 @@ static void show_object__ma_allow_promisor(struct object *obj, const char *name,
 	 * Quietly ignore EXPECTED missing objects.  This avoids problems with
 	 * staging them now and getting an odd error later.
 	 */
-	if (!has_object_file(&obj->oid) && is_promisor_object(&obj->oid))
+	if (!has_object(the_repository, &obj->oid, 0) && is_promisor_object(&obj->oid))
 		return;
 
 	show_object(obj, name, data);