diff --git a/sequencer.c b/sequencer.c
index ad0ab75c8d..b5d91fd351 100644
--- a/sequencer.c
+++ b/sequencer.c
@@ -781,28 +781,19 @@ static int do_recursive_merge(struct repository *r,
 	for (i = 0; i < opts->xopts.nr; i++)
 		parse_merge_opt(&o, opts->xopts.v[i]);
 
-	if (!opts->strategy || !strcmp(opts->strategy, "ort")) {
-		memset(&result, 0, sizeof(result));
-		merge_incore_nonrecursive(&o, base_tree, head_tree, next_tree,
-					    &result);
-		show_output = !is_rebase_i(opts) || !result.clean;
-		/*
-		 * TODO: merge_switch_to_result will update index/working tree;
-		 * we only really want to do that if !result.clean || this is
-		 * the final patch to be picked.  But determining this is the
-		 * final patch would take some work, and "head_tree" would need
-		 * to be replace with the tree the index matched before we
-		 * started doing any picks.
-		 */
-		merge_switch_to_result(&o, head_tree, &result, 1, show_output);
-		clean = result.clean;
-	} else {
-		ensure_full_index(r->index);
-		clean = merge_trees(&o, head_tree, next_tree, base_tree);
-		if (is_rebase_i(opts) && clean <= 0)
-			fputs(o.obuf.buf, stdout);
-		strbuf_release(&o.obuf);
-	}
+	memset(&result, 0, sizeof(result));
+	merge_incore_nonrecursive(&o, base_tree, head_tree, next_tree, &result);
+	show_output = !is_rebase_i(opts) || !result.clean;
+	/*
+	 * TODO: merge_switch_to_result will update index/working tree;
+	 * we only really want to do that if !result.clean || this is
+	 * the final patch to be picked.  But determining this is the
+	 * final patch would take some work, and "head_tree" would need
+	 * to be replace with the tree the index matched before we
+	 * started doing any picks.
+	 */
+	merge_switch_to_result(&o, head_tree, &result, 1, show_output);
+	clean = result.clean;
 	if (clean < 0) {
 		rollback_lock_file(&index_lock);
 		return clean;