diff --git a/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/sync/BlazeSyncManager.java b/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/sync/BlazeSyncManager.java
index defe1b0ae64..6a342718a71 100644
--- a/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/sync/BlazeSyncManager.java
+++ b/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/sync/BlazeSyncManager.java
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ public void requestProjectSync(BlazeSyncParams syncParams) {
                                     try {
                                       projectState =
                                           ProjectStateSyncTask.collectProjectState(
-                                              project, context);
+                                              project, context, syncParams);
                                     } catch (SyncCanceledException | SyncFailedException e) {
                                       ApplicationManager.getApplication()
                                           .invokeLater(
diff --git a/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/sync/ProjectStateSyncTask.java b/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/sync/ProjectStateSyncTask.java
index cb276dfc243..011e8cdebe6 100644
--- a/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/sync/ProjectStateSyncTask.java
+++ b/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/sync/ProjectStateSyncTask.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 import com.google.common.collect.Iterables;
 import com.google.common.collect.Lists;
+import com.google.common.util.concurrent.Futures;
 import com.google.common.util.concurrent.ListenableFuture;
 import com.google.common.util.concurrent.ListeningExecutorService;
 import com.google.idea.blaze.base.async.FutureUtil;
@@ -61,10 +62,10 @@
 /** Collects information about the project state (VCS, blaze info, .blazeproject contents, etc.). */
 final class ProjectStateSyncTask {
 
-  static SyncProjectState collectProjectState(Project project, BlazeContext context)
+  static SyncProjectState collectProjectState(Project project, BlazeContext context, BlazeSyncParams syncParams)
       throws SyncCanceledException, SyncFailedException {
     ProjectStateSyncTask task = new ProjectStateSyncTask(project);
-    return task.getProjectState(context);
+    return task.getProjectState(context, syncParams);
   }
 
   private final Project project;
@@ -77,7 +78,7 @@ private ProjectStateSyncTask(Project project) {
     this.workspaceRoot = WorkspaceRoot.fromImportSettings(importSettings);
   }
 
-  private SyncProjectState getProjectState(BlazeContext context)
+  private SyncProjectState getProjectState(BlazeContext context, BlazeSyncParams params)
       throws SyncFailedException, SyncCanceledException {
     if (!FileOperationProvider.getInstance().exists(workspaceRoot.directory())) {
       String message = String.format("Workspace '%s' doesn't exist.", workspaceRoot.directory());
@@ -124,7 +125,12 @@ private SyncProjectState getProjectState(BlazeContext context)
                 importSettings.getBuildSystem(),
                 syncFlags);
 
-    ListenableFuture<WorkingSet> workingSetFuture = vcsHandler.getWorkingSet(context, executor);
+    ListenableFuture<WorkingSet> workingSetFuture;
+    if(params.addWorkingSet() || params.syncMode() == SyncMode.FULL) {
+      workingSetFuture = vcsHandler.getWorkingSet(context, executor);
+    } else {
+      workingSetFuture = Futures.immediateFuture(null);
+    }
 
     BlazeInfo blazeInfo =
         FutureUtil.waitForFuture(context, blazeInfoFuture)
diff --git a/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/sync/SyncPhaseCoordinator.java b/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/sync/SyncPhaseCoordinator.java
index d96202016f2..632d6d70a3b 100644
--- a/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/sync/SyncPhaseCoordinator.java
+++ b/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/sync/SyncPhaseCoordinator.java
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ private void doFilterProjectTargets(
               context,
               childContext -> {
                 SyncProjectState projectState =
-                    ProjectStateSyncTask.collectProjectState(project, context);
+                    ProjectStateSyncTask.collectProjectState(project, context, params);
                 if (projectState == null) {
                   return;
                 }
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ void runSync(BlazeSyncParams params, boolean singleThreaded, BlazeContext contex
             SyncStats.builder());
         return;
       }
-      SyncProjectState projectState = ProjectStateSyncTask.collectProjectState(project, context);
+      SyncProjectState projectState = ProjectStateSyncTask.collectProjectState(project, context, params);
       BlazeSyncBuildResult buildResult =
           BuildPhaseSyncTask.runBuildPhase(
               project, params, projectState, buildId, context, buildSystem);