diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/sh-fix-source-project-nplus-one.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/sh-fix-source-project-nplus-one.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9d78ad6408c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/sh-fix-source-project-nplus-one.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Fix N+1 with source_projects in merge requests API
+merge_request:
+author:
+type: performance
diff --git a/lib/api/merge_requests.rb b/lib/api/merge_requests.rb
index b1e510d72de..278d53427f0 100644
--- a/lib/api/merge_requests.rb
+++ b/lib/api/merge_requests.rb
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ module API
         merge_requests = MergeRequestsFinder.new(current_user, args).execute
                            .reorder(args[:order_by] => args[:sort])
         merge_requests = paginate(merge_requests)
-                           .preload(:target_project)
+                           .preload(:source_project, :target_project)
 
         return merge_requests if args[:view] == 'simple'