diff -r ba5d89774db6 -r f41a99c45956 mercurial/sparse.py
--- a/mercurial/sparse.py	Thu Jul 06 12:14:03 2017 -0700
+++ b/mercurial/sparse.py	Thu Jul 06 12:14:12 2017 -0700
@@ -46,3 +46,10 @@
             current.add(line)
 
     return includes, excludes, profiles
+
+# Exists as separate function to facilitate monkeypatching.
+def readprofile(repo, profile, changeid):
+    """Resolve the raw content of a sparse profile file."""
+    # TODO add some kind of cache here because this incurs a manifest
+    # resolve and can be slow.
+    return repo.filectx(profile, changeid=changeid).data()