diff --git a/cinder/tests/unit/test_volume_utils.py b/cinder/tests/unit/test_volume_utils.py
index cd49bf6b939..62500acf3fb 100644
--- a/cinder/tests/unit/test_volume_utils.py
+++ b/cinder/tests/unit/test_volume_utils.py
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ class ClearVolumeTestCase(test.TestCase):
         mock_copy.assert_called_once_with('/dev/zero', 'volume_path', 1024,
                                           '1M', sync=True,
                                           execute=utils.execute, ionice='-c3',
-                                          throttle=None)
+                                          throttle=None, sparse=False)
 
     @mock.patch('cinder.volume.utils.copy_volume', return_value=None)
     @mock.patch('cinder.volume.utils.CONF')
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ class ClearVolumeTestCase(test.TestCase):
         mock_copy.assert_called_once_with('/dev/zero', 'volume_path', 1,
                                           '1M', sync=True,
                                           execute=utils.execute, ionice='-c0',
-                                          throttle=None)
+                                          throttle=None, sparse=False)
 
     @mock.patch('cinder.utils.execute')
     @mock.patch('cinder.volume.utils.CONF')
@@ -523,6 +523,39 @@ class CopyVolumeTestCase(test.TestCase):
                                           'count=5678', 'bs=1234',
                                           'conv=fdatasync', run_as_root=True)
 
+    @mock.patch('cinder.volume.utils._calculate_count',
+                return_value=(1234, 5678))
+    @mock.patch('cinder.volume.utils.check_for_odirect_support',
+                return_value=False)
+    @mock.patch('cinder.utils.execute')
+    def test_copy_volume_dd_with_sparse(self, mock_exec,
+                                        mock_support, mock_count):
+        output = volume_utils.copy_volume('/dev/zero', '/dev/null', 1024, 1,
+                                          sync=True, execute=utils.execute,
+                                          sparse=True)
+        self.assertIsNone(output)
+        mock_exec.assert_called_once_with('dd', 'if=/dev/zero', 'of=/dev/null',
+                                          'count=5678', 'bs=1234',
+                                          'conv=fdatasync,sparse',
+                                          run_as_root=True)
+
+    @mock.patch('cinder.volume.utils._calculate_count',
+                return_value=(1234, 5678))
+    @mock.patch('cinder.volume.utils.check_for_odirect_support',
+                return_value=True)
+    @mock.patch('cinder.utils.execute')
+    def test_copy_volume_dd_with_sparse_iflag_and_oflag(self, mock_exec,
+                                                        mock_support,
+                                                        mock_count):
+        output = volume_utils.copy_volume('/dev/zero', '/dev/null', 1024, 1,
+                                          sync=True, execute=utils.execute,
+                                          sparse=True)
+        self.assertIsNone(output)
+        mock_exec.assert_called_once_with('dd', 'if=/dev/zero', 'of=/dev/null',
+                                          'count=5678', 'bs=1234',
+                                          'iflag=direct', 'oflag=direct',
+                                          'conv=sparse', run_as_root=True)
+
 
 class VolumeUtilsTestCase(test.TestCase):
     def test_null_safe_str(self):
diff --git a/cinder/volume/drivers/lvm.py b/cinder/volume/drivers/lvm.py
index 04fd9698b71..317d983df30 100644
--- a/cinder/volume/drivers/lvm.py
+++ b/cinder/volume/drivers/lvm.py
@@ -413,12 +413,14 @@ class LVMVolumeDriver(driver.VolumeDriver):
                                 mirror_count)
 
             self.vg.activate_lv(temp_snapshot['name'], is_snapshot=True)
+            sparse = True if self.configuration.lvm_type == 'thin' else False
             volutils.copy_volume(
                 self.local_path(temp_snapshot),
                 self.local_path(volume),
                 src_vref['size'] * units.Ki,
                 self.configuration.volume_dd_blocksize,
-                execute=self._execute)
+                execute=self._execute,
+                sparse=sparse)
         finally:
             self.delete_snapshot(temp_snapshot)
 
diff --git a/cinder/volume/utils.py b/cinder/volume/utils.py
index bccb7714ed8..63b857d9f04 100644
--- a/cinder/volume/utils.py
+++ b/cinder/volume/utils.py
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ def check_for_odirect_support(src, dest, flag='oflag=direct'):
 
 
 def _copy_volume(prefix, srcstr, deststr, size_in_m, blocksize, sync=False,
-                 execute=utils.execute, ionice=None):
+                 execute=utils.execute, ionice=None, sparse=False):
     # Use O_DIRECT to avoid thrashing the system buffer cache
     extra_flags = []
     if check_for_odirect_support(srcstr, deststr, 'iflag=direct'):
@@ -290,8 +290,14 @@ def _copy_volume(prefix, srcstr, deststr, size_in_m, blocksize, sync=False,
     # If the volume is being unprovisioned then
     # request the data is persisted before returning,
     # so that it's not discarded from the cache.
+    conv = []
     if sync and not extra_flags:
-        extra_flags.append('conv=fdatasync')
+        conv.append('fdatasync')
+    if sparse:
+        conv.append('sparse')
+    if conv:
+        conv_options = 'conv=' + ",".join(conv)
+        extra_flags.append(conv_options)
 
     blocksize, count = _calculate_count(size_in_m, blocksize)
 
@@ -325,13 +331,14 @@ def _copy_volume(prefix, srcstr, deststr, size_in_m, blocksize, sync=False,
 
 
 def copy_volume(srcstr, deststr, size_in_m, blocksize, sync=False,
-                execute=utils.execute, ionice=None, throttle=None):
+                execute=utils.execute, ionice=None, throttle=None,
+                sparse=False):
     if not throttle:
         throttle = throttling.Throttle.get_default()
     with throttle.subcommand(srcstr, deststr) as throttle_cmd:
         _copy_volume(throttle_cmd['prefix'], srcstr, deststr,
                      size_in_m, blocksize, sync=sync,
-                     execute=execute, ionice=ionice)
+                     execute=execute, ionice=ionice, sparse=sparse)
 
 
 def clear_volume(volume_size, volume_path, volume_clear=None,
@@ -352,12 +359,14 @@ def clear_volume(volume_size, volume_path, volume_clear=None,
 
     LOG.info(_LI("Performing secure delete on volume: %s"), volume_path)
 
+    # We pass sparse=False explicitly here so that zero blocks are not
+    # skipped in order to clear the volume.
     if volume_clear == 'zero':
         return copy_volume('/dev/zero', volume_path, volume_clear_size,
                            CONF.volume_dd_blocksize,
                            sync=True, execute=utils.execute,
                            ionice=volume_clear_ionice,
-                           throttle=throttle)
+                           throttle=throttle, sparse=False)
     elif volume_clear == 'shred':
         clear_cmd = ['shred', '-n3']
         if volume_clear_size: