diff --git a/stdlib/SparseArrays/src/sparsematrix.jl b/stdlib/SparseArrays/src/sparsematrix.jl
index 7bd988d881152..888db226ddd14 100644
--- a/stdlib/SparseArrays/src/sparsematrix.jl
+++ b/stdlib/SparseArrays/src/sparsematrix.jl
@@ -469,17 +469,17 @@ function _sparsesimilar(S::AbstractSparseMatrixCSC, ::Type{TvNew}, ::Type{TiNew}
     newrowval = copyto!(similar(rowvals(S), TiNew), rowvals(S))
     return SparseMatrixCSC(size(S, 1), size(S, 2), newcolptr, newrowval, similar(nonzeros(S), TvNew))
 end
-# parent methods for similar that preserves only storage space (for when new and old dims differ)
+# parent methods for similar that preserves only storage space (for when new dims are 2-d)
 _sparsesimilar(S::AbstractSparseMatrixCSC, ::Type{TvNew}, ::Type{TiNew}, dims::Dims{2}) where {TvNew,TiNew} =
-    SparseMatrixCSC(dims..., fill(one(TiNew), last(dims)+1), similar(rowvals(S), TiNew), similar(nonzeros(S), TvNew))
-# parent method for similar that allocates an empty sparse vector (when new dims are single)
+    SparseMatrixCSC(dims..., fill(one(TiNew), last(dims)+1), similar(rowvals(S), TiNew, 0), similar(nonzeros(S), TvNew, 0))
+# parent method for similar that allocates an empty sparse vector (for when new dims are 1-d)
 _sparsesimilar(S::AbstractSparseMatrixCSC, ::Type{TvNew}, ::Type{TiNew}, dims::Dims{1}) where {TvNew,TiNew} =
     SparseVector(dims..., similar(rowvals(S), TiNew, 0), similar(nonzeros(S), TvNew, 0))
-#
+
 # The following methods hook into the AbstractArray similar hierarchy. The first method
 # covers similar(A[, Tv]) calls, which preserve stored-entry structure, and the latter
-# methods cover similar(A[, Tv], shape...) calls, which preserve storage space when the shape
-# calls for a two-dimensional result.
+# methods cover similar(A[, Tv], shape...) calls, which partially preserve
+# storage space when the shape calls for a two-dimensional result.
 similar(S::AbstractSparseMatrixCSC{<:Any,Ti}, ::Type{TvNew}) where {Ti,TvNew} = _sparsesimilar(S, TvNew, Ti)
 similar(S::AbstractSparseMatrixCSC{<:Any,Ti}, ::Type{TvNew}, dims::Union{Dims{1},Dims{2}}) where {Ti,TvNew} =
     _sparsesimilar(S, TvNew, Ti, dims)
diff --git a/stdlib/SparseArrays/src/sparsevector.jl b/stdlib/SparseArrays/src/sparsevector.jl
index 3bb3e2ddec05f..0d988b6a77afa 100644
--- a/stdlib/SparseArrays/src/sparsevector.jl
+++ b/stdlib/SparseArrays/src/sparsevector.jl
@@ -89,25 +89,24 @@ indtype(x::SparseVectorView) = indtype(parent(x))
 # parent method for similar that preserves stored-entry structure (for when new and old dims match)
 _sparsesimilar(S::SparseVector, ::Type{TvNew}, ::Type{TiNew}) where {TvNew,TiNew} =
     SparseVector(length(S), copyto!(similar(nonzeroinds(S), TiNew), nonzeroinds(S)), similar(nonzeros(S), TvNew))
-# parent method for similar that preserves nothing (for when old and new dims differ, and new is 1d)
+# parent method for similar that preserves nothing (for when new dims are 1-d)
 _sparsesimilar(S::SparseVector, ::Type{TvNew}, ::Type{TiNew}, dims::Dims{1}) where {TvNew,TiNew} =
     SparseVector(dims..., similar(nonzeroinds(S), TiNew, 0), similar(nonzeros(S), TvNew, 0))
-# parent method for similar that preserves storage space (for old and new dims differ, and new is 2d)
+# parent method for similar that preserves storage space (for when new dims are 2-d)
 _sparsesimilar(S::SparseVector, ::Type{TvNew}, ::Type{TiNew}, dims::Dims{2}) where {TvNew,TiNew} =
-    SparseMatrixCSC(dims..., fill(one(TiNew), last(dims)+1), similar(nonzeroinds(S), TiNew), similar(nonzeros(S), TvNew))
+    SparseMatrixCSC(dims..., fill(one(TiNew), last(dims)+1), similar(nonzeroinds(S), TiNew, 0), similar(nonzeros(S), TvNew, 0))
+
 # The following methods hook into the AbstractArray similar hierarchy. The first method
 # covers similar(A[, Tv]) calls, which preserve stored-entry structure, and the latter
 # methods cover similar(A[, Tv], shape...) calls, which preserve nothing if the dims
-# specify a SparseVector result and storage space if the dims specify a SparseMatrixCSC result.
+# specify a SparseVector or a SparseMatrixCSC result.
 similar(S::SparseVector{<:Any,Ti}, ::Type{TvNew}) where {Ti,TvNew} =
     _sparsesimilar(S, TvNew, Ti)
 similar(S::SparseVector{<:Any,Ti}, ::Type{TvNew}, dims::Union{Dims{1},Dims{2}}) where {Ti,TvNew} =
     _sparsesimilar(S, TvNew, Ti, dims)
 # The following methods cover similar(A, Tv, Ti[, shape...]) calls, which specify the
 # result's index type in addition to its entry type, and aren't covered by the hooks above.
-# The calls without shape again preserve stored-entry structure, whereas those with
-# one-dimensional shape preserve nothing, and those with two-dimensional shape
-# preserve storage space.
+# The calls without shape again preserve stored-entry structure but no storage space.
 similar(S::SparseVector, ::Type{TvNew}, ::Type{TiNew}) where{TvNew,TiNew} =
     _sparsesimilar(S, TvNew, TiNew)
 similar(S::SparseVector, ::Type{TvNew}, ::Type{TiNew}, dims::Union{Dims{1},Dims{2}}) where {TvNew,TiNew} =
diff --git a/stdlib/SparseArrays/test/sparse.jl b/stdlib/SparseArrays/test/sparse.jl
index ef5159d41031d..a622d2bc8bcc0 100644
--- a/stdlib/SparseArrays/test/sparse.jl
+++ b/stdlib/SparseArrays/test/sparse.jl
@@ -2487,22 +2487,22 @@ end
     @test typeof(simA) == typeof(A)
     @test size(simA) == (6,6)
     @test getcolptr(simA) == fill(1, 6+1)
-    @test length(rowvals(simA)) == length(rowvals(A))
-    @test length(nonzeros(simA)) == length(nonzeros(A))
-    # test similar with entry type and Dims{2} specification (preserves storage space only)
+    @test length(rowvals(simA)) == 0
+    @test length(nonzeros(simA)) == 0
+    # test similar with entry type and Dims{2} specification (empty storage space)
     simA = similar(A, Float32, (6,6))
     @test typeof(simA) == SparseMatrixCSC{Float32,eltype(getcolptr(A))}
     @test size(simA) == (6,6)
     @test getcolptr(simA) == fill(1, 6+1)
-    @test length(rowvals(simA)) == length(rowvals(A))
-    @test length(nonzeros(simA)) == length(nonzeros(A))
+    @test length(rowvals(simA)) == 0
+    @test length(nonzeros(simA)) == 0
     # test similar with entry type, index type, and Dims{2} specification (preserves storage space only)
     simA = similar(A, Float32, Int8, (6,6))
     @test typeof(simA) == SparseMatrixCSC{Float32, Int8}
     @test size(simA) == (6,6)
     @test getcolptr(simA) == fill(1, 6+1)
-    @test length(rowvals(simA)) == length(rowvals(A))
-    @test length(nonzeros(simA)) == length(nonzeros(A))
+    @test length(rowvals(simA)) == 0
+    @test length(nonzeros(simA)) == 0
     # test similar with Dims{1} specification (preserves nothing)
     simA = similar(A, (6,))
     @test typeof(simA) == SparseVector{eltype(nonzeros(A)),eltype(getcolptr(A))}
diff --git a/stdlib/SparseArrays/test/sparsevector.jl b/stdlib/SparseArrays/test/sparsevector.jl
index 55df1fb65393c..d8c6465cc6979 100644
--- a/stdlib/SparseArrays/test/sparsevector.jl
+++ b/stdlib/SparseArrays/test/sparsevector.jl
@@ -1420,22 +1420,22 @@ end
     @test typeof(simA) == SparseMatrixCSC{eltype(nonzeros(A)),eltype(nonzeroinds(A))}
     @test size(simA) == (6,6)
     @test getcolptr(simA) == fill(1, 6+1)
-    @test length(rowvals(simA)) == length(nonzeroinds(A))
-    @test length(nonzeros(simA)) == length(nonzeros(A))
+    @test length(rowvals(simA)) == 0
+    @test length(nonzeros(simA)) == 0
     # test similar with entry type and Dims{2} specification (preserves storage space only)
     simA = similar(A, Float32, (6,6))
     @test typeof(simA) == SparseMatrixCSC{Float32,eltype(nonzeroinds(A))}
     @test size(simA) == (6,6)
     @test getcolptr(simA) == fill(1, 6+1)
-    @test length(rowvals(simA)) == length(nonzeroinds(A))
-    @test length(nonzeros(simA)) == length(nonzeros(A))
+    @test length(rowvals(simA)) == 0
+    @test length(nonzeros(simA)) == 0
     # test similar with entry type, index type, and Dims{2} specification (preserves storage space only)
     simA = similar(A, Float32, Int8, (6,6))
     @test typeof(simA) == SparseMatrixCSC{Float32, Int8}
     @test size(simA) == (6,6)
     @test getcolptr(simA) == fill(1, 6+1)
-    @test length(rowvals(simA)) == length(nonzeroinds(A))
-    @test length(nonzeros(simA)) == length(nonzeros(A))
+    @test length(rowvals(simA)) == 0
+    @test length(nonzeros(simA)) == 0
 end
 
 @testset "Fast operations on full column views" begin