+ discard_cache();
+ read_cache_from(index_file ? index_file : get_index_file());
+
+ return 0;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Builds an index that contains just the blobs needed for a 3way merge.
+ */
+static int build_fake_ancestor(const struct am_state *state, const char *index_file)
+{
+ struct child_process cp = CHILD_PROCESS_INIT;
+
+ cp.git_cmd = 1;
+ argv_array_push(&cp.args, "apply");
+ argv_array_pushf(&cp.args, "--build-fake-ancestor=%s", index_file);
+ argv_array_push(&cp.args, am_path(state, "patch"));
+
+ if (run_command(&cp))
+ return -1;
+
+ return 0;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Attempt a threeway merge, using index_path as the temporary index.
+ */
+static int fall_back_threeway(const struct am_state *state, const char *index_path)
+{
+ unsigned char orig_tree[GIT_SHA1_RAWSZ], his_tree[GIT_SHA1_RAWSZ],
+ our_tree[GIT_SHA1_RAWSZ];
+ const unsigned char *bases[1] = {orig_tree};
+ struct merge_options o;
+ struct commit *result;
+ char *his_tree_name;
+
+ if (get_sha1("HEAD", our_tree) < 0)
+ hashcpy(our_tree, EMPTY_TREE_SHA1_BIN);
+
+ if (build_fake_ancestor(state, index_path))
+ return error("could not build fake ancestor");
+
+ discard_cache();
+ read_cache_from(index_path);
+
+ if (write_index_as_tree(orig_tree, &the_index, index_path, 0, NULL))
+ return error(_("Repository lacks necessary blobs to fall back on 3-way merge."));
+
+ say(state, stdout, _("Using index info to reconstruct a base tree..."));
+
+ if (!state->quiet) {
+ /*
+ * List paths that needed 3-way fallback, so that the user can
+ * review them with extra care to spot mismerges.
+ */
+ struct rev_info rev_info;
+ const char *diff_filter_str = "--diff-filter=AM";
+
+ init_revisions(&rev_info, NULL);
+ rev_info.diffopt.output_format = DIFF_FORMAT_NAME_STATUS;
+ diff_opt_parse(&rev_info.diffopt, &diff_filter_str, 1);
+ add_pending_sha1(&rev_info, "HEAD", our_tree, 0);
+ diff_setup_done(&rev_info.diffopt);
+ run_diff_index(&rev_info, 1);
+ }
+
+ if (run_apply(state, index_path))
+ return error(_("Did you hand edit your patch?\n"
+ "It does not apply to blobs recorded in its index."));
+
+ if (write_index_as_tree(his_tree, &the_index, index_path, 0, NULL))
+ return error("could not write tree");
+
+ say(state, stdout, _("Falling back to patching base and 3-way merge..."));
+