diff --git a/commit.c b/commit.c
index 2f73cf3d90..f735f981bb 100644
--- a/commit.c
+++ b/commit.c
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 #include "commit.h"
 #include "cache.h"
 
+int save_commit_buffer = 1;
+
 struct sort_node
 {
 	/*
@@ -264,7 +266,7 @@ int parse_commit(struct commit *item)
 			     sha1_to_hex(item->object.sha1));
 	}
 	ret = parse_commit_buffer(item, buffer, size);
-	if (!ret) {
+	if (save_commit_buffer && !ret) {
 		item->buffer = buffer;
 		return 0;
 	}
diff --git a/commit.h b/commit.h
index 9dda2f045f..30702ca937 100644
--- a/commit.h
+++ b/commit.h
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ struct commit {
 	char *buffer;
 };
 
+extern int save_commit_buffer;
 extern const char *commit_type;
 
 struct commit *lookup_commit(const unsigned char *sha1);
diff --git a/rev-list.c b/rev-list.c
index 2d97cdb64b..96aa34249e 100644
--- a/rev-list.c
+++ b/rev-list.c
@@ -582,6 +582,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		handle_one_commit(commit, &list);
 	}
 
+	save_commit_buffer = verbose_header;
+
 	if (!merge_order) {		
 		sort_by_date(&list);
 	        if (limited)