diff --git a/src/libcmd/installable-value.cc b/src/libcmd/installable-value.cc
index c8a3e1b21..1aa2e65c1 100644
--- a/src/libcmd/installable-value.cc
+++ b/src/libcmd/installable-value.cc
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ ref<InstallableValue> InstallableValue::require(ref<Installable> installable)
 std::optional<DerivedPathWithInfo> InstallableValue::trySinglePathToDerivedPaths(Value & v, const PosIdx pos, std::string_view errorCtx)
 {
     if (v.type() == nPath) {
-        auto storePath = fetchToStore(*state->store, v.path());
+        auto storePath = fetchToStore(*state->store, v.path(), FetchMode::Copy);
         return {{
             .path = DerivedPath::Opaque {
                 .path = std::move(storePath),
diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval.cc b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
index 6fc9df237..4919ac358 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
@@ -2339,7 +2339,14 @@ StorePath EvalState::copyPathToStore(NixStringContext & context, const SourcePat
     auto dstPath = i != srcToStore.end()
         ? i->second
         : [&]() {
-            auto dstPath = fetchToStore(*store, path.resolveSymlinks(), path.baseName(), FileIngestionMethod::Recursive, nullptr, repair);
+            auto dstPath = fetchToStore(
+                *store,
+                path.resolveSymlinks(),
+                settings.readOnlyMode ? FetchMode::DryRun : FetchMode::Copy,
+                path.baseName(),
+                FileIngestionMethod::Recursive,
+                nullptr,
+                repair);
             allowPath(dstPath);
             srcToStore.insert_or_assign(path, dstPath);
             printMsg(lvlChatty, "copied source '%1%' -> '%2%'", path, store->printStorePath(dstPath));
diff --git a/src/libexpr/primops.cc b/src/libexpr/primops.cc
index 8c6aeffac..89d9704ee 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/primops.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/primops.cc
@@ -2228,7 +2228,14 @@ static void addPath(
             });
 
         if (!expectedHash || !state.store->isValidPath(*expectedStorePath)) {
-            auto dstPath = fetchToStore(*state.store, path.resolveSymlinks(), name, method, filter.get(), state.repair);
+            auto dstPath = fetchToStore(
+                *state.store,
+                path.resolveSymlinks(),
+                settings.readOnlyMode ? FetchMode::DryRun : FetchMode::Copy,
+                name,
+                method,
+                filter.get(),
+                state.repair);
             if (expectedHash && expectedStorePath != dstPath)
                 state.error<EvalError>(
                     "store path mismatch in (possibly filtered) path added from '%s'",
diff --git a/src/libfetchers/fetch-to-store.cc b/src/libfetchers/fetch-to-store.cc
index f5c740266..398286065 100644
--- a/src/libfetchers/fetch-to-store.cc
+++ b/src/libfetchers/fetch-to-store.cc
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ namespace nix {
 StorePath fetchToStore(
     Store & store,
     const SourcePath & path,
+    FetchMode mode,
     std::string_view name,
     ContentAddressMethod method,
     PathFilter * filter,
@@ -33,21 +34,19 @@ StorePath fetchToStore(
     } else
         debug("source path '%s' is uncacheable", path);
 
-    auto readOnly = settings.readOnlyMode;
-
     Activity act(*logger, lvlChatty, actUnknown,
-        fmt(readOnly ? "hashing '%s'" : "copying '%s' to the store", path));
+        fmt(mode == FetchMode::DryRun ? "hashing '%s'" : "copying '%s' to the store", path));
 
     auto filter2 = filter ? *filter : defaultPathFilter;
 
     auto storePath =
-        readOnly
+        mode == FetchMode::DryRun
         ? store.computeStorePath(
             name, *path.accessor, path.path, method, HashAlgorithm::SHA256, {}, filter2).first
         : store.addToStore(
             name, *path.accessor, path.path, method, HashAlgorithm::SHA256, {}, filter2, repair);
 
-    if (cacheKey)
+    if (cacheKey && mode == FetchMode::Copy)
         fetchers::getCache()->add(store, *cacheKey, {}, storePath, true);
 
     return storePath;
diff --git a/src/libfetchers/fetch-to-store.hh b/src/libfetchers/fetch-to-store.hh
index e5e039340..81af1e240 100644
--- a/src/libfetchers/fetch-to-store.hh
+++ b/src/libfetchers/fetch-to-store.hh
@@ -8,12 +8,15 @@
 
 namespace nix {
 
+enum struct FetchMode { DryRun, Copy };
+
 /**
  * Copy the `path` to the Nix store.
  */
 StorePath fetchToStore(
     Store & store,
     const SourcePath & path,
+    FetchMode mode,
     std::string_view name = "source",
     ContentAddressMethod method = FileIngestionMethod::Recursive,
     PathFilter * filter = nullptr,
diff --git a/src/libfetchers/fetchers.cc b/src/libfetchers/fetchers.cc
index 7f282c972..9a534c1e2 100644
--- a/src/libfetchers/fetchers.cc
+++ b/src/libfetchers/fetchers.cc
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ void InputScheme::clone(const Input & input, const Path & destDir) const
 std::pair<StorePath, Input> InputScheme::fetch(ref<Store> store, const Input & input)
 {
     auto [accessor, input2] = getAccessor(store, input);
-    auto storePath = fetchToStore(*store, SourcePath(accessor), input2.getName());
+    auto storePath = fetchToStore(*store, SourcePath(accessor), FetchMode::Copy, input2.getName());
     return {storePath, input2};
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/functional/fetchGit.sh b/tests/functional/fetchGit.sh
index ea90f8ebe..4e71cfe8c 100644
--- a/tests/functional/fetchGit.sh
+++ b/tests/functional/fetchGit.sh
@@ -30,7 +30,10 @@ echo hello >> $TEST_ROOT/worktree/hello
 rev2=$(git -C $repo rev-parse HEAD)
 git -C $repo tag -a tag2 -m tag2
 
-# Fetch a worktree
+# Check whether fetching in read-only mode works.
+nix-instantiate --eval -E "builtins.readFile ((builtins.fetchGit file://$TEST_ROOT/worktree) + \"/hello\") == \"utrecht\\n\""
+
+# Fetch a worktree.
 unset _NIX_FORCE_HTTP
 path0=$(nix eval --impure --raw --expr "(builtins.fetchGit file://$TEST_ROOT/worktree).outPath")
 path0_=$(nix eval --impure --raw --expr "(builtins.fetchTree { type = \"git\"; url = file://$TEST_ROOT/worktree; }).outPath")