diff --git a/src/partition/repart.c b/src/partition/repart.c
index 3a4f181370a..e18a82960fc 100644
--- a/src/partition/repart.c
+++ b/src/partition/repart.c
@@ -3274,14 +3274,14 @@ static int do_copy_files(Partition *p, const char *root, const Set *denylist) {
                                                 sfd, ".",
                                                 pfd, fn,
                                                 UID_INVALID, GID_INVALID,
-                                                COPY_REFLINK|COPY_MERGE|COPY_REPLACE|COPY_SIGINT|COPY_HARDLINKS|COPY_ALL_XATTRS,
+                                                COPY_REFLINK|COPY_HOLES|COPY_MERGE|COPY_REPLACE|COPY_SIGINT|COPY_HARDLINKS|COPY_ALL_XATTRS,
                                                 denylist);
                         } else
                                 r = copy_tree_at(
                                                 sfd, ".",
                                                 tfd, ".",
                                                 UID_INVALID, GID_INVALID,
-                                                COPY_REFLINK|COPY_MERGE|COPY_REPLACE|COPY_SIGINT|COPY_HARDLINKS|COPY_ALL_XATTRS,
+                                                COPY_REFLINK|COPY_HOLES|COPY_MERGE|COPY_REPLACE|COPY_SIGINT|COPY_HARDLINKS|COPY_ALL_XATTRS,
                                                 denylist);
                         if (r < 0)
                                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to copy '%s' to '%s%s': %m", *source, strempty(arg_root), *target);
@@ -3313,7 +3313,7 @@ static int do_copy_files(Partition *p, const char *root, const Set *denylist) {
                         if (tfd < 0)
                                 return log_error_errno(errno, "Failed to create target file '%s': %m", *target);
 
-                        r = copy_bytes(sfd, tfd, UINT64_MAX, COPY_REFLINK|COPY_SIGINT);
+                        r = copy_bytes(sfd, tfd, UINT64_MAX, COPY_REFLINK|COPY_HOLES|COPY_SIGINT);
                         if (r < 0)
                                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to copy '%s' to '%s%s': %m", *source, strempty(arg_root), *target);