diff --git a/Documentation/config.txt b/Documentation/config.txt
index efcf3019b0..b8d48d1013 100644
--- a/Documentation/config.txt
+++ b/Documentation/config.txt
@@ -209,19 +209,6 @@ core.compression::
 	compression, and 1..9 are various speed/size tradeoffs, 9 being
 	slowest.
 
-core.legacyheaders::
-	A boolean which
-	changes the format of loose objects so that they are more
-	efficient to pack and to send out of the repository over git
-	native protocol, since v1.4.2.  However, loose objects
-	written in the new format cannot be read by git older than
-	that version; people fetching from your repository using
-	older versions of git over dumb transports (e.g. http)
-	will also be affected.
-+
-To let git use the new loose object format, you have to
-set core.legacyheaders to false.
-
 core.packedGitWindowSize::
 	Number of bytes of a pack file to map into memory in a
 	single mapping operation.  Larger window sizes may allow
diff --git a/Documentation/git-pack-objects.txt b/Documentation/git-pack-objects.txt
index bd3ee456e3..ce892147dd 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-pack-objects.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-pack-objects.txt
@@ -127,6 +127,13 @@ base-name::
 	This flag tells the command not to reuse existing deltas
 	but compute them from scratch.
 
+--no-reuse-object::
+	This flag tells the command not to reuse existing object data at all,
+	including non deltified object, forcing recompression of everything.
+	This implies --no-reuse-delta. Useful only in the obscur case where
+	wholesale enforcement of a different compression level on the
+	packed data is desired.
+
 --delta-base-offset::
 	A packed archive can express base object of a delta as
 	either 20-byte object name or as an offset in the
diff --git a/builtin-pack-objects.c b/builtin-pack-objects.c
index 966f843e43..5fa98132fe 100644
--- a/builtin-pack-objects.c
+++ b/builtin-pack-objects.c
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@
 static const char pack_usage[] = "\
 git-pack-objects [{ -q | --progress | --all-progress }] \n\
 	[--local] [--incremental] [--window=N] [--depth=N] \n\
-	[--no-reuse-delta] [--delta-base-offset] [--non-empty] \n\
-	[--revs [--unpacked | --all]*] [--reflog] [--stdout | base-name] \n\
-	[<ref-list | <object-list]";
+	[--no-reuse-delta] [--no-reuse-object] [--delta-base-offset] \n\
+	[--non-empty] [--revs [--unpacked | --all]*] [--reflog] \n\
+	[--stdout | base-name] [<ref-list | <object-list]";
 
 struct object_entry {
 	unsigned char sha1[20];
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ static struct object_entry *objects;
 static uint32_t nr_objects, nr_alloc, nr_result;
 
 static int non_empty;
-static int no_reuse_delta;
+static int no_reuse_delta, no_reuse_object;
 static int local;
 static int incremental;
 static int allow_ofs_delta;
@@ -346,56 +346,6 @@ static void copy_pack_data(struct sha1file *f,
 	}
 }
 
-static int check_loose_inflate(unsigned char *data, unsigned long len, unsigned long expect)
-{
-	z_stream stream;
-	unsigned char fakebuf[4096];
-	int st;
-
-	memset(&stream, 0, sizeof(stream));
-	stream.next_in = data;
-	stream.avail_in = len;
-	stream.next_out = fakebuf;
-	stream.avail_out = sizeof(fakebuf);
-	inflateInit(&stream);
-
-	while (1) {
-		st = inflate(&stream, Z_FINISH);
-		if (st == Z_STREAM_END || st == Z_OK) {
-			st = (stream.total_out == expect &&
-			      stream.total_in == len) ? 0 : -1;
-			break;
-		}
-		if (st != Z_BUF_ERROR) {
-			st = -1;
-			break;
-		}
-		stream.next_out = fakebuf;
-		stream.avail_out = sizeof(fakebuf);
-	}
-	inflateEnd(&stream);
-	return st;
-}
-
-static int revalidate_loose_object(struct object_entry *entry,
-				   unsigned char *map,
-				   unsigned long mapsize)
-{
-	/* we already know this is a loose object with new type header. */
-	enum object_type type;
-	unsigned long size, used;
-
-	if (pack_to_stdout)
-		return 0;
-
-	used = unpack_object_header_gently(map, mapsize, &type, &size);
-	if (!used)
-		return -1;
-	map += used;
-	mapsize -= used;
-	return check_loose_inflate(map, mapsize, size);
-}
-
 static unsigned long write_object(struct sha1file *f,
 				  struct object_entry *entry)
 {
@@ -412,7 +362,9 @@ static unsigned long write_object(struct sha1file *f,
 		crc32_begin(f);
 
 	obj_type = entry->type;
-	if (! entry->in_pack)
+	if (no_reuse_object)
+		to_reuse = 0;	/* explicit */
+	else if (!entry->in_pack)
 		to_reuse = 0;	/* can't reuse what we don't have */
 	else if (obj_type == OBJ_REF_DELTA || obj_type == OBJ_OFS_DELTA)
 		to_reuse = 1;	/* check_object() decided it for us */
@@ -425,25 +377,6 @@ static unsigned long write_object(struct sha1file *f,
 				 * and we do not need to deltify it.
 				 */
 
-	if (!entry->in_pack && !entry->delta) {
-		unsigned char *map;
-		unsigned long mapsize;
-		map = map_sha1_file(entry->sha1, &mapsize);
-		if (map && !legacy_loose_object(map)) {
-			/* We can copy straight into the pack file */
-			if (revalidate_loose_object(entry, map, mapsize))
-				die("corrupt loose object %s",
-				    sha1_to_hex(entry->sha1));
-			sha1write(f, map, mapsize);
-			munmap(map, mapsize);
-			written++;
-			reused++;
-			return mapsize;
-		}
-		if (map)
-			munmap(map, mapsize);
-	}
-
 	if (!to_reuse) {
 		buf = read_sha1_file(entry->sha1, &type, &size);
 		if (!buf)
@@ -1125,8 +1058,8 @@ static void check_object(struct object_entry *entry)
 		buf = use_pack(p, &w_curs, entry->in_pack_offset, &avail);
 
 		/*
-		 * We want in_pack_type even if we do not reuse delta.
-		 * There is no point not reusing non-delta representations.
+		 * We want in_pack_type even if we do not reuse delta
+		 * since non-delta representations could still be reused.
 		 */
 		used = unpack_object_header_gently(buf, avail,
 						   &entry->in_pack_type,
@@ -1655,6 +1588,10 @@ int cmd_pack_objects(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			no_reuse_delta = 1;
 			continue;
 		}
+		if (!strcmp("--no-reuse-object", arg)) {
+			no_reuse_object = no_reuse_delta = 1;
+			continue;
+		}
 		if (!strcmp("--delta-base-offset", arg)) {
 			allow_ofs_delta = 1;
 			continue;
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 4204bc168c..3661a3fdf0 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -273,7 +273,6 @@ extern void rollback_lock_file(struct lock_file *);
 extern int delete_ref(const char *, const unsigned char *sha1);
 
 /* Environment bits from configuration mechanism */
-extern int use_legacy_headers;
 extern int trust_executable_bit;
 extern int has_symlinks;
 extern int assume_unchanged;
@@ -354,7 +353,6 @@ extern int move_temp_to_file(const char *tmpfile, const char *filename);
 extern int has_sha1_pack(const unsigned char *sha1, const char **ignore);
 extern int has_sha1_file(const unsigned char *sha1);
 extern void *map_sha1_file(const unsigned char *sha1, unsigned long *);
-extern int legacy_loose_object(unsigned char *);
 
 extern int has_pack_file(const unsigned char *sha1);
 extern int has_pack_index(const unsigned char *sha1);
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 7b655fdb78..521ebef381 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -299,11 +299,6 @@ int git_default_config(const char *var, const char *value)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	if (!strcmp(var, "core.legacyheaders")) {
-		use_legacy_headers = git_config_bool(var, value);
-		return 0;
-	}
-
 	if (!strcmp(var, "core.compression")) {
 		int level = git_config_int(var, value);
 		if (level == -1)
diff --git a/environment.c b/environment.c
index 22316597df..54e3abae98 100644
--- a/environment.c
+++ b/environment.c
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 
 char git_default_email[MAX_GITNAME];
 char git_default_name[MAX_GITNAME];
-int use_legacy_headers = 1;
 int trust_executable_bit = 1;
 int has_symlinks = 1;
 int assume_unchanged;
diff --git a/git-repack.sh b/git-repack.sh
index ddfa8b44a1..8bf66a4fe8 100755
--- a/git-repack.sh
+++ b/git-repack.sh
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ SUBDIRECTORY_OK='Yes'
 . git-sh-setup
 
 no_update_info= all_into_one= remove_redundant=
-local= quiet= no_reuse_delta= extra=
+local= quiet= no_reuse= extra=
 while case "$#" in 0) break ;; esac
 do
 	case "$1" in
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ do
 	-a)	all_into_one=t ;;
 	-d)	remove_redundant=t ;;
 	-q)	quiet=-q ;;
-	-f)	no_reuse_delta=--no-reuse-delta ;;
+	-f)	no_reuse=--no-reuse-object ;;
 	-l)	local=--local ;;
 	--window=*) extra="$extra $1" ;;
 	--depth=*) extra="$extra $1" ;;
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ case ",$all_into_one," in
 	;;
 esac
 
-args="$args $local $quiet $no_reuse_delta$extra"
+args="$args $local $quiet $no_reuse$extra"
 name=$(git-pack-objects --non-empty --all --reflog $args </dev/null "$PACKTMP") ||
 	exit 1
 if [ -z "$name" ]; then
diff --git a/sha1_file.c b/sha1_file.c
index be991ed22a..12d2ef2011 100644
--- a/sha1_file.c
+++ b/sha1_file.c
@@ -972,7 +972,7 @@ void *map_sha1_file(const unsigned char *sha1, unsigned long *size)
 	return map;
 }
 
-int legacy_loose_object(unsigned char *map)
+static int legacy_loose_object(unsigned char *map)
 {
 	unsigned int word;
 
@@ -1034,6 +1034,14 @@ static int unpack_sha1_header(z_stream *stream, unsigned char *map, unsigned lon
 		return inflate(stream, 0);
 	}
 
+
+	/*
+	 * There used to be a second loose object header format which
+	 * was meant to mimic the in-pack format, allowing for direct
+	 * copy of the object data.  This format turned up not to be
+	 * really worth it and we don't write it any longer.  But we
+	 * can still read it.
+	 */
 	used = unpack_object_header_gently(map, mapsize, &type, &size);
 	if (!used || !valid_loose_object_type[type])
 		return -1;
@@ -1962,40 +1970,6 @@ static int write_buffer(int fd, const void *buf, size_t len)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int write_binary_header(unsigned char *hdr, enum object_type type, unsigned long len)
-{
-	int hdr_len;
-	unsigned char c;
-
-	c = (type << 4) | (len & 15);
-	len >>= 4;
-	hdr_len = 1;
-	while (len) {
-		*hdr++ = c | 0x80;
-		hdr_len++;
-		c = (len & 0x7f);
-		len >>= 7;
-	}
-	*hdr = c;
-	return hdr_len;
-}
-
-static void setup_object_header(z_stream *stream, const char *type, unsigned long len)
-{
-	int obj_type, hdrlen;
-
-	if (use_legacy_headers) {
-		while (deflate(stream, 0) == Z_OK)
-			/* nothing */;
-		return;
-	}
-	obj_type = type_from_string(type);
-	hdrlen = write_binary_header(stream->next_out, obj_type, len);
-	stream->total_out = hdrlen;
-	stream->next_out += hdrlen;
-	stream->avail_out -= hdrlen;
-}
-
 int hash_sha1_file(const void *buf, unsigned long len, const char *type,
                    unsigned char *sha1)
 {
@@ -2062,7 +2036,8 @@ int write_sha1_file(void *buf, unsigned long len, const char *type, unsigned cha
 	/* First header.. */
 	stream.next_in = (unsigned char *)hdr;
 	stream.avail_in = hdrlen;
-	setup_object_header(&stream, type, len);
+	while (deflate(&stream, 0) == Z_OK)
+		/* nothing */;
 
 	/* Then the data itself.. */
 	stream.next_in = buf;