diff --git a/builtin/log.c b/builtin/log.c
index d8c6c28d2f..669796d7b2 100644
--- a/builtin/log.c
+++ b/builtin/log.c
@@ -1055,7 +1055,7 @@ int cmd_format_patch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	rev.commit_format = CMIT_FMT_EMAIL;
 	rev.verbose_header = 1;
 	rev.diff = 1;
-	rev.no_merges = 1;
+	rev.max_parents = 1;
 	DIFF_OPT_SET(&rev.diffopt, RECURSIVE);
 	rev.subject_prefix = fmt_patch_subject_prefix;
 	memset(&s_r_opt, 0, sizeof(s_r_opt));
diff --git a/builtin/rev-list.c b/builtin/rev-list.c
index f458cb7587..9bfb94201f 100644
--- a/builtin/rev-list.c
+++ b/builtin/rev-list.c
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ static const char rev_list_usage[] =
 "    --min-age=<epoch>\n"
 "    --sparse\n"
 "    --no-merges\n"
+"    --min-parents=<n>\n"
+"    --no-min-parents\n"
+"    --max-parents=<n>\n"
+"    --no-max-parents\n"
 "    --remove-empty\n"
 "    --all\n"
 "    --branches\n"
diff --git a/builtin/rev-parse.c b/builtin/rev-parse.c
index a5a1c86e92..adb1cae4f2 100644
--- a/builtin/rev-parse.c
+++ b/builtin/rev-parse.c
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ static int is_rev_argument(const char *arg)
 		"--max-count=",
 		"--min-age=",
 		"--no-merges",
+		"--min-parents=",
+		"--no-min-parents",
+		"--max-parents=",
+		"--no-max-parents",
 		"--objects",
 		"--objects-edge",
 		"--parents",
diff --git a/revision.c b/revision.c
index 626f6a23d1..8540a5d2f1 100644
--- a/revision.c
+++ b/revision.c
@@ -945,6 +945,7 @@ void init_revisions(struct rev_info *revs, const char *prefix)
 	revs->min_age = -1;
 	revs->skip_count = -1;
 	revs->max_count = -1;
+	revs->max_parents = -1;
 
 	revs->commit_format = CMIT_FMT_DEFAULT;
 
@@ -1280,9 +1281,17 @@ static int handle_revision_opt(struct rev_info *revs, int argc, const char **arg
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--remove-empty")) {
 		revs->remove_empty_trees = 1;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--merges")) {
-		revs->merges_only = 1;
+		revs->min_parents = 2;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--no-merges")) {
-		revs->no_merges = 1;
+		revs->max_parents = 1;
+	} else if (!prefixcmp(arg, "--min-parents=")) {
+		revs->min_parents = atoi(arg+14);
+	} else if (!prefixcmp(arg, "--no-min-parents")) {
+		revs->min_parents = 0;
+	} else if (!prefixcmp(arg, "--max-parents=")) {
+		revs->max_parents = atoi(arg+14);
+	} else if (!prefixcmp(arg, "--no-max-parents")) {
+		revs->max_parents = -1;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--boundary")) {
 		revs->boundary = 1;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--left-right")) {
@@ -1301,7 +1310,7 @@ static int handle_revision_opt(struct rev_info *revs, int argc, const char **arg
 			die("--cherry is incompatible with --left-only");
 		revs->cherry_mark = 1;
 		revs->right_only = 1;
-		revs->no_merges = 1;
+		revs->max_parents = 1;
 		revs->limited = 1;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--count")) {
 		revs->count = 1;
@@ -2032,10 +2041,15 @@ enum commit_action get_commit_action(struct rev_info *revs, struct commit *commi
 		return commit_ignore;
 	if (revs->min_age != -1 && (commit->date > revs->min_age))
 		return commit_ignore;
-	if (revs->no_merges && commit->parents && commit->parents->next)
-		return commit_ignore;
-	if (revs->merges_only && !(commit->parents && commit->parents->next))
-		return commit_ignore;
+	if (revs->min_parents || (revs->max_parents >= 0)) {
+		int n = 0;
+		struct commit_list *p;
+		for (p = commit->parents; p; p = p->next)
+			n++;
+		if ((n < revs->min_parents) ||
+		    ((revs->max_parents >= 0) && (n > revs->max_parents)))
+			return commit_ignore;
+	}
 	if (!commit_match(commit, revs))
 		return commit_ignore;
 	if (revs->prune && revs->dense) {
diff --git a/revision.h b/revision.h
index 1c0abf0f58..8214a55348 100644
--- a/revision.h
+++ b/revision.h
@@ -41,8 +41,6 @@ struct rev_info {
 	/* Traversal flags */
 	unsigned int	dense:1,
 			prune:1,
-			no_merges:1,
-			merges_only:1,
 			no_walk:1,
 			show_all:1,
 			remove_empty_trees:1,
@@ -126,6 +124,8 @@ struct rev_info {
 	int max_count;
 	unsigned long max_age;
 	unsigned long min_age;
+	int min_parents;
+	int max_parents;
 
 	/* diff info for patches and for paths limiting */
 	struct diff_options diffopt;