diff --git a/builtin-log.c b/builtin-log.c
index 981f38872c..d6845bc7f8 100644
--- a/builtin-log.c
+++ b/builtin-log.c
@@ -88,15 +88,9 @@ static int estimate_commit_count(struct rev_info *rev, struct commit_list *list)
 	while (list) {
 		struct commit *commit = list->item;
 		unsigned int flags = commit->object.flags;
-
 		list = list->next;
-		if (flags & UNINTERESTING)
-			continue;
-		if (rev->prune_fn && rev->dense && !(flags & TREECHANGE)) {
-			if (commit->parents && !commit->parents->next)
-				continue;
-		}
-		n++;
+		if ((flags & TREECHANGE) && !(flags & UNINTERESTING))
+			n++;
 	}
 	return n;
 }
diff --git a/builtin-rev-list.c b/builtin-rev-list.c
index 697046723f..2dec8873f8 100644
--- a/builtin-rev-list.c
+++ b/builtin-rev-list.c
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ static int count_distance(struct commit_list *entry)
 
 		if (commit->object.flags & (UNINTERESTING | COUNTED))
 			break;
-		if (!revs.prune_fn || (commit->object.flags & TREECHANGE))
+		if (commit->object.flags & TREECHANGE)
 			nr++;
 		commit->object.flags |= COUNTED;
 		p = commit->parents;
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ static inline int halfway(struct commit_list *p, int nr)
 	/*
 	 * Don't short-cut something we are not going to return!
 	 */
-	if (revs.prune_fn && !(p->item->object.flags & TREECHANGE))
+	if (!(p->item->object.flags & TREECHANGE))
 		return 0;
 	if (DEBUG_BISECT)
 		return 0;
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ static struct commit_list *best_bisection(struct commit_list *list, int nr)
 		int distance;
 		unsigned flags = p->item->object.flags;
 
-		if (revs.prune_fn && !(flags & TREECHANGE))
+		if (!(flags & TREECHANGE))
 			continue;
 		distance = weight(p);
 		if (nr - distance < distance)
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ static struct commit_list *best_bisection_sorted(struct commit_list *list, int n
 		int distance;
 		unsigned flags = p->item->object.flags;
 
-		if (revs.prune_fn && !(flags & TREECHANGE))
+		if (!(flags & TREECHANGE))
 			continue;
 		distance = weight(p);
 		if (nr - distance < distance)
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ static struct commit_list *do_find_bisection(struct commit_list *list,
 		p->item->util = &weights[n++];
 		switch (count_interesting_parents(commit)) {
 		case 0:
-			if (!revs.prune_fn || (flags & TREECHANGE)) {
+			if (flags & TREECHANGE) {
 				weight_set(p, 1);
 				counted++;
 				show_list("bisection 2 count one",
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ static struct commit_list *do_find_bisection(struct commit_list *list,
 			 * add one for p itself if p is to be counted,
 			 * otherwise inherit it from q directly.
 			 */
-			if (!revs.prune_fn || (flags & TREECHANGE)) {
+			if (flags & TREECHANGE) {
 				weight_set(p, weight(q)+1);
 				counted++;
 				show_list("bisection 2 count one",
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@ static struct commit_list *find_bisection(struct commit_list *list,
 			continue;
 		p->next = last;
 		last = p;
-		if (!revs.prune_fn || (flags & TREECHANGE))
+		if (flags & TREECHANGE)
 			nr++;
 		on_list++;
 	}
diff --git a/commit.h b/commit.h
index 4ed0c1cf7f..aa679867a9 100644
--- a/commit.h
+++ b/commit.h
@@ -117,4 +117,9 @@ extern int interactive_add(void);
 extern void add_files_to_cache(int verbose, const char *prefix, const char **files);
 extern int rerere(void);
 
+static inline int single_parent(struct commit *commit)
+{
+	return commit->parents && !commit->parents->next;
+}
+
 #endif /* COMMIT_H */
diff --git a/revision.c b/revision.c
index 2e6121fa1b..931f978af9 100644
--- a/revision.c
+++ b/revision.c
@@ -308,6 +308,14 @@ static void try_to_simplify_commit(struct rev_info *revs, struct commit *commit)
 	struct commit_list **pp, *parent;
 	int tree_changed = 0, tree_same = 0;
 
+	/*
+	 * If we don't do pruning, everything is interesting
+	 */
+	if (!revs->prune) {
+		commit->object.flags |= TREECHANGE;
+		return;
+	}
+
 	if (!commit->tree)
 		return;
 
@@ -317,6 +325,15 @@ static void try_to_simplify_commit(struct rev_info *revs, struct commit *commit)
 		return;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * Normal non-merge commit? If we don't want to make the
+	 * history dense, we consider it always to be a change..
+	 */
+	if (!revs->dense && !commit->parents->next) {
+		commit->object.flags |= TREECHANGE;
+		return;
+	}
+
 	pp = &commit->parents;
 	while ((parent = *pp) != NULL) {
 		struct commit *p = parent->item;
@@ -415,8 +432,7 @@ static int add_parents_to_list(struct rev_info *revs, struct commit *commit, str
 	 * simplify the commit history and find the parent
 	 * that has no differences in the path set if one exists.
 	 */
-	if (revs->prune_fn)
-		revs->prune_fn(revs, commit);
+	try_to_simplify_commit(revs, commit);
 
 	if (revs->no_walk)
 		return 0;
@@ -684,9 +700,6 @@ void init_revisions(struct rev_info *revs, const char *prefix)
 	revs->skip_count = -1;
 	revs->max_count = -1;
 
-	revs->prune_fn = NULL;
-	revs->prune_data = NULL;
-
 	revs->commit_format = CMIT_FMT_DEFAULT;
 
 	diff_setup(&revs->diffopt);
@@ -1271,7 +1284,7 @@ int setup_revisions(int argc, const char **argv, struct rev_info *revs, const ch
 		diff_tree_setup_paths(revs->prune_data, &revs->pruning);
 		/* Can't prune commits with rename following: the paths change.. */
 		if (!revs->diffopt.follow_renames)
-			revs->prune_fn = try_to_simplify_commit;
+			revs->prune = 1;
 		if (!revs->full_diff)
 			diff_tree_setup_paths(revs->prune_data, &revs->diffopt);
 	}
@@ -1412,7 +1425,7 @@ enum commit_action simplify_commit(struct rev_info *revs, struct commit *commit)
 		return commit_ignore;
 	if (!commit_match(commit, revs))
 		return commit_ignore;
-	if (revs->prune_fn && revs->dense) {
+	if (revs->prune && revs->dense) {
 		/* Commit without changes? */
 		if (!(commit->object.flags & TREECHANGE)) {
 			/* drop merges unless we want parenthood */
diff --git a/revision.h b/revision.h
index 2232247be4..a79851449c 100644
--- a/revision.h
+++ b/revision.h
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@
 struct rev_info;
 struct log_info;
 
-typedef void (prune_fn_t)(struct rev_info *revs, struct commit *commit);
-
 struct rev_info {
 	/* Starting list */
 	struct commit_list *commits;
@@ -28,12 +26,11 @@ struct rev_info {
 	/* Basic information */
 	const char *prefix;
 	void *prune_data;
-	prune_fn_t *prune_fn;
-
 	unsigned int early_output;
 
 	/* Traversal flags */
 	unsigned int	dense:1,
+			prune:1,
 			no_merges:1,
 			no_walk:1,
 			remove_empty_trees:1,