diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/pack/ObjectToPack.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/pack/ObjectToPack.java
index 73d80d846..33cb6af1e 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/pack/ObjectToPack.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/pack/ObjectToPack.java
@@ -194,6 +194,18 @@ public class ObjectToPack extends PackedObjectInfo {
 		flags = (d << DELTA_SHIFT) | (flags & NON_DELTA_MASK);
 	}
 
+	final int getChainLength() {
+		return getDeltaDepth();
+	}
+
+	final void setChainLength(int len) {
+		setDeltaDepth(len);
+	}
+
+	final void clearChainLength() {
+		flags &= NON_DELTA_MASK;
+	}
+
 	final boolean wantWrite() {
 		return getOffset() == 1;
 	}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/pack/PackWriter.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/pack/PackWriter.java
index 34bf0eb16..38210f362 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/pack/PackWriter.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/pack/PackWriter.java
@@ -1100,6 +1100,11 @@ public class PackWriter {
 		}
 		endPhase(monitor);
 		stats.timeSearchingForReuse = System.currentTimeMillis() - start;
+
+		if (config.isReuseDeltas() && config.getCutDeltaChains()) {
+			cutDeltaChains(objectsLists[OBJ_TREE]);
+			cutDeltaChains(objectsLists[OBJ_BLOB]);
+		}
 	}
 
 	private void searchForReuse(ProgressMonitor monitor, List<ObjectToPack> list)
@@ -1110,6 +1115,29 @@ public class PackWriter {
 			pruneEdgesFromObjectList(list);
 	}
 
+	private void cutDeltaChains(BlockList<ObjectToPack> list)
+			throws IOException {
+		int max = config.getMaxDeltaDepth();
+		for (int idx = list.size() - 1; idx >= 0; idx--) {
+			int d = 0;
+			ObjectToPack b = list.get(idx).getDeltaBase();
+			while (b != null) {
+				if (d < b.getChainLength())
+					break;
+				b.setChainLength(++d);
+				if (d >= max && b.isDeltaRepresentation()) {
+					reselectNonDelta(b);
+					break;
+				}
+				b = b.getDeltaBase();
+			}
+		}
+		if (config.isDeltaCompress()) {
+			for (ObjectToPack otp : list)
+				otp.clearChainLength();
+		}
+	}
+
 	private void searchForDeltas(ProgressMonitor monitor)
 			throws MissingObjectException, IncorrectObjectTypeException,
 			IOException {
@@ -1257,6 +1285,17 @@ public class PackWriter {
 		return cnt;
 	}
 
+	private void reselectNonDelta(ObjectToPack otp) throws IOException {
+		otp.clearDeltaBase();
+		otp.clearReuseAsIs();
+		boolean old = reuseDeltas;
+		reuseDeltas = false;
+		reuseSupport.selectObjectRepresentation(this,
+				NullProgressMonitor.INSTANCE,
+				Collections.singleton(otp));
+		reuseDeltas = old;
+	}
+
 	private void searchForDeltas(final ProgressMonitor monitor,
 			final ObjectToPack[] list, final int cnt)
 			throws MissingObjectException, IncorrectObjectTypeException,
@@ -1448,13 +1487,7 @@ public class PackWriter {
 			// (for example due to a concurrent repack) and a different base
 			// was chosen, forcing a cycle. Select something other than a
 			// delta, and write this object.
-			//
-			reuseDeltas = false;
-			otp.clearDeltaBase();
-			otp.clearReuseAsIs();
-			reuseSupport.selectObjectRepresentation(this,
-					NullProgressMonitor.INSTANCE,
-					Collections.singleton(otp));
+			reselectNonDelta(otp);
 		}
 		otp.markWantWrite();
 
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/storage/pack/PackConfig.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/storage/pack/PackConfig.java
index 562b2c0a2..c1cda39de 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/storage/pack/PackConfig.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/storage/pack/PackConfig.java
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ public class PackConfig {
 
 	private boolean buildBitmaps = DEFAULT_BUILD_BITMAPS;
 
+	private boolean cutDeltaChains;
 
 	/** Create a default configuration. */
 	public PackConfig() {
@@ -221,6 +222,7 @@ public class PackConfig {
 		this.executor = cfg.executor;
 		this.indexVersion = cfg.indexVersion;
 		this.buildBitmaps = cfg.buildBitmaps;
+		this.cutDeltaChains = cfg.cutDeltaChains;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -373,6 +375,31 @@ public class PackConfig {
 		this.maxDeltaDepth = maxDeltaDepth;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @return true if existing delta chains should be cut at
+	 *         {@link #getMaxDeltaDepth()}. Default is false, allowing existing
+	 *         chains to be of any length.
+	 */
+	public boolean getCutDeltaChains() {
+		return cutDeltaChains;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Enable cutting existing delta chains at {@link #getMaxDeltaDepth()}.
+	 *
+	 * By default this is disabled and existing chains are kept at whatever
+	 * length a prior packer was configured to create. This allows objects to be
+	 * packed one with a large depth (for example 250), and later to quickly
+	 * repack the repository with a shorter depth (such as 50), but reusing the
+	 * complete delta chains created by the earlier 250 depth.
+	 *
+	 * @param cut
+	 *            true to cut existing chains.
+	 */
+	public void setCutDeltaChains(boolean cut) {
+		cutDeltaChains = cut;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Get the number of objects to try when looking for a delta base.
 	 *
@@ -686,6 +713,8 @@ public class PackConfig {
 		setReuseObjects(rc.getBoolean("pack", "reuseobjects", isReuseObjects())); //$NON-NLS-1$ //$NON-NLS-2$
 		setDeltaCompress(rc.getBoolean(
 				"pack", "deltacompression", isDeltaCompress())); //$NON-NLS-1$ //$NON-NLS-2$
+		setCutDeltaChains(rc.getBoolean(
+				"pack", "cutdeltachains", getCutDeltaChains())); //$NON-NLS-1$ //$NON-NLS-2$
 		setBuildBitmaps(rc.getBoolean("pack", "buildbitmaps", isBuildBitmaps())); //$NON-NLS-1$ //$NON-NLS-2$
 	}