diff --git a/src/sampling.jl b/src/sampling.jl
index c6294c979..309a4427c 100644
--- a/src/sampling.jl
+++ b/src/sampling.jl
@@ -606,6 +606,11 @@ sample(a::AbstractArray, wv::AbstractWeights) = sample(default_rng(), a, wv)
 # Specialization for `UnitWeights`
 sample(rng::AbstractRNG, wv::UnitWeights) = rand(rng, 1:length(wv))
 
+function sample(rng::AbstractRNG, wv::AbstractWeights{<:Real,<:Real,<:SparseVector})
+    i = sample(rng, Weights(nonzeros(wv.values), sum(wv)))
+    return rowvals(wv.values)[i]
+end
+
 """
     direct_sample!([rng], a::AbstractArray, wv::AbstractWeights, x::AbstractArray)
 
diff --git a/test/wsampling.jl b/test/wsampling.jl
index efe9a608f..89019a3e2 100644
--- a/test/wsampling.jl
+++ b/test/wsampling.jl
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 using StatsBase
-using Random, Test, OffsetArrays
+using Random, Test, OffsetArrays, SparseArrays
 
 Random.seed!(1234)
 
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ for wv in (
     weights([0.2, 0.8, 0.4, 0.6]),
     weights([2, 8, 4, 6]),
     weights(Float32[0.2, 0.8, 0.4, 0.6]),
+    weights(sparsevec([0, 8, 0, 6])),
     Weights(Float32[0.2, 0.8, 0.4, 0.6], 2),
     Weights([2, 8, 4, 6], 20.0),
 )
@@ -130,6 +131,10 @@ test_rng_use(efraimidis_aexpj_wsample_norep!, 4:7, wv, zeros(Int, 2))
 a = sample(4:7, wv, 3; replace=false, ordered=false)
 check_wsample_norep(a, (4, 7), wv, -1; ordered=false)
 
+wv_sparse = weights(sparsevec([0, 8, 4, 6]))
+a_sparse = sample(4:7, wv_sparse, 3; replace=false, ordered=false)
+check_wsample_norep(a_sparse, (4, 7), wv_sparse, -1; ordered=false)
+
 for rev in (true, false), T in (Int, Int16, Float64, Float16, BigInt, ComplexF64, Rational{Int})
     r = rev ? reverse(4:7) : (4:7)
     r = T===Int ? r : T.(r)