diff --git a/mercurial/merge.py b/mercurial/merge.py
index 3550df8ca0..527b24ec5a 100644
--- a/mercurial/merge.py
+++ b/mercurial/merge.py
@@ -374,8 +374,6 @@ def applyupdates(repo, actions, wctx, mctx, actx, overwrite):
         f, m = a[:2]
         repo.ui.progress(_('updating'), i + 1, item=f, total=numupdates,
                          unit=_('files'))
-        if f and f[0] == "/":
-            continue
         if m == "r": # remove
             repo.ui.note(_("removing %s\n") % f)
             audit(f)
diff --git a/tests/test-audit-path.t b/tests/test-audit-path.t
index b702bc6ce4..f2d5b78358 100644
--- a/tests/test-audit-path.t
+++ b/tests/test-audit-path.t
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ attack /tmp/test
   $ hg manifest -r4
   /tmp/test
   $ hg update -Cr4
-  abort: *: '$TESTTMP/target//tmp/test' (glob)
+  abort: path contains illegal component: /tmp/test
   [255]
 
   $ cd ..