diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RevWalkFilterTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RevWalkFilterTest.java
index dd67a9833..643ba26d9 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RevWalkFilterTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RevWalkFilterTest.java
@@ -312,5 +312,10 @@ public class RevWalkFilterTest extends RevWalkTestCase {
 				IncorrectObjectTypeException, IOException {
 			return true;
 		}
+
+		@Override
+		public boolean requiresCommitBody() {
+			return false;
+		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RevWalkResetTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RevWalkResetTest.java
index 27bd1a91a..7cc5a3272 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RevWalkResetTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RevWalkResetTest.java
@@ -81,6 +81,10 @@ public class RevWalkResetTest extends RevWalkTestCase {
 				return this;
 			}
 
+			@Override
+			public boolean requiresCommitBody() {
+				return true;
+			}
 		};
 
 		// Do an initial run through the walk
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/PendingGenerator.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/PendingGenerator.java
index f1624070d..f24c27873 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/PendingGenerator.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/PendingGenerator.java
@@ -136,7 +136,8 @@ class PendingGenerator extends Generator {
 				if ((c.flags & UNINTERESTING) != 0)
 					produce = false;
 				else {
-					c.parseBody(walker);
+					if (filter.requiresCommitBody())
+						c.parseBody(walker);
 					produce = filter.include(walker, c);
 				}
 
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RewriteTreeFilter.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RewriteTreeFilter.java
index 41cfcf869..dc7338aa8 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RewriteTreeFilter.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RewriteTreeFilter.java
@@ -230,6 +230,11 @@ class RewriteTreeFilter extends RevFilter {
 		return false;
 	}
 
+	@Override
+	public boolean requiresCommitBody() {
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	private void updateFollowFilter(ObjectId[] trees)
 			throws MissingObjectException, IncorrectObjectTypeException,
 			CorruptObjectException, IOException {
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/AndRevFilter.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/AndRevFilter.java
index d4790f870..831051263 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/AndRevFilter.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/AndRevFilter.java
@@ -120,9 +120,13 @@ public abstract class AndRevFilter extends RevFilter {
 
 		private final RevFilter b;
 
+		private final boolean requiresCommitBody;
+
 		Binary(final RevFilter one, final RevFilter two) {
 			a = one;
 			b = two;
+			requiresCommitBody = a.requiresCommitBody()
+					|| b.requiresCommitBody();
 		}
 
 		@Override
@@ -132,6 +136,11 @@ public abstract class AndRevFilter extends RevFilter {
 			return a.include(walker, c) && b.include(walker, c);
 		}
 
+		@Override
+		public boolean requiresCommitBody() {
+			return requiresCommitBody;
+		}
+
 		@Override
 		public RevFilter clone() {
 			return new Binary(a.clone(), b.clone());
@@ -146,8 +155,15 @@ public abstract class AndRevFilter extends RevFilter {
 	private static class List extends AndRevFilter {
 		private final RevFilter[] subfilters;
 
+		private final boolean requiresCommitBody;
+
 		List(final RevFilter[] list) {
 			subfilters = list;
+
+			boolean rcb = false;
+			for (RevFilter filter : subfilters)
+				rcb |= filter.requiresCommitBody();
+			requiresCommitBody = rcb;
 		}
 
 		@Override
@@ -161,6 +177,11 @@ public abstract class AndRevFilter extends RevFilter {
 			return true;
 		}
 
+		@Override
+		public boolean requiresCommitBody() {
+			return requiresCommitBody;
+		}
+
 		@Override
 		public RevFilter clone() {
 			final RevFilter[] s = new RevFilter[subfilters.length];
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/CommitTimeRevFilter.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/CommitTimeRevFilter.java
index 858bec4c0..14c03a4bc 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/CommitTimeRevFilter.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/CommitTimeRevFilter.java
@@ -134,6 +134,11 @@ public abstract class CommitTimeRevFilter extends RevFilter {
 		return this;
 	}
 
+	@Override
+	public boolean requiresCommitBody() {
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	private static class Before extends CommitTimeRevFilter {
 		Before(final long ts) {
 			super(ts);
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/NotRevFilter.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/NotRevFilter.java
index 117378c9f..6d1a49cb5 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/NotRevFilter.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/NotRevFilter.java
@@ -81,6 +81,11 @@ public class NotRevFilter extends RevFilter {
 		return !a.include(walker, c);
 	}
 
+	@Override
+	public boolean requiresCommitBody() {
+		return a.requiresCommitBody();
+	}
+
 	@Override
 	public RevFilter clone() {
 		return new NotRevFilter(a.clone());
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/OrRevFilter.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/OrRevFilter.java
index 586c138ff..b35711f5a 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/OrRevFilter.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/OrRevFilter.java
@@ -118,9 +118,13 @@ public abstract class OrRevFilter extends RevFilter {
 
 		private final RevFilter b;
 
+		private final boolean requiresCommitBody;
+
 		Binary(final RevFilter one, final RevFilter two) {
 			a = one;
 			b = two;
+			requiresCommitBody = a.requiresCommitBody()
+					|| b.requiresCommitBody();
 		}
 
 		@Override
@@ -130,6 +134,11 @@ public abstract class OrRevFilter extends RevFilter {
 			return a.include(walker, c) || b.include(walker, c);
 		}
 
+		@Override
+		public boolean requiresCommitBody() {
+			return requiresCommitBody;
+		}
+
 		@Override
 		public RevFilter clone() {
 			return new Binary(a.clone(), b.clone());
@@ -144,8 +153,15 @@ public abstract class OrRevFilter extends RevFilter {
 	private static class List extends OrRevFilter {
 		private final RevFilter[] subfilters;
 
+		private final boolean requiresCommitBody;
+
 		List(final RevFilter[] list) {
 			subfilters = list;
+
+			boolean rcb = false;
+			for (RevFilter filter : subfilters)
+				rcb |= filter.requiresCommitBody();
+			requiresCommitBody = rcb;
 		}
 
 		@Override
@@ -159,6 +175,11 @@ public abstract class OrRevFilter extends RevFilter {
 			return false;
 		}
 
+		@Override
+		public boolean requiresCommitBody() {
+			return requiresCommitBody;
+		}
+
 		@Override
 		public RevFilter clone() {
 			final RevFilter[] s = new RevFilter[subfilters.length];
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/PatternMatchRevFilter.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/PatternMatchRevFilter.java
index c2a287958..feb5dd1a1 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/PatternMatchRevFilter.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/PatternMatchRevFilter.java
@@ -131,6 +131,11 @@ public abstract class PatternMatchRevFilter extends RevFilter {
 		return compiledPattern.reset(text(cmit)).matches();
 	}
 
+	@Override
+	public boolean requiresCommitBody() {
+		return true;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Obtain the raw text to match against.
 	 *
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/RevFilter.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/RevFilter.java
index 8b45a312e..c3f71feaf 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/RevFilter.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/RevFilter.java
@@ -107,6 +107,11 @@ public abstract class RevFilter {
 			return this;
 		}
 
+		@Override
+		public boolean requiresCommitBody() {
+			return false;
+		}
+
 		@Override
 		public String toString() {
 			return "ALL";
@@ -127,6 +132,11 @@ public abstract class RevFilter {
 			return this;
 		}
 
+		@Override
+		public boolean requiresCommitBody() {
+			return false;
+		}
+
 		@Override
 		public String toString() {
 			return "NONE";
@@ -147,6 +157,11 @@ public abstract class RevFilter {
 			return this;
 		}
 
+		@Override
+		public boolean requiresCommitBody() {
+			return false;
+		}
+
 		@Override
 		public String toString() {
 			return "NO_MERGES";
@@ -174,6 +189,11 @@ public abstract class RevFilter {
 			return this;
 		}
 
+		@Override
+		public boolean requiresCommitBody() {
+			return false;
+		}
+
 		@Override
 		public String toString() {
 			return "MERGE_BASE";
@@ -189,6 +209,12 @@ public abstract class RevFilter {
 		return NotRevFilter.create(this);
 	}
 
+	/** @return true if the filter needs the commit body to be parsed. */
+	public boolean requiresCommitBody() {
+		// Assume true to be backward compatible with prior behavior.
+		return true;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Determine if the supplied commit should be included in results.
 	 *
@@ -196,7 +222,8 @@ public abstract class RevFilter {
 	 *            the active walker this filter is being invoked from within.
 	 * @param cmit
 	 *            the commit currently being tested. The commit has been parsed
-	 *            and its body is available for inspection.
+	 *            and its body is available for inspection only if the filter
+	 *            returns true from {@link #requiresCommitBody()}.
 	 * @return true to include this commit in the results; false to have this
 	 *         commit be omitted entirely from the results.
 	 * @throws StopWalkException
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/RevFlagFilter.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/RevFlagFilter.java
index 2faf90ca8..1fbf74617 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/RevFlagFilter.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/RevFlagFilter.java
@@ -144,6 +144,11 @@ public abstract class RevFlagFilter extends RevFilter {
 				IOException {
 			return c.hasAll(flags);
 		}
+
+		@Override
+		public boolean requiresCommitBody() {
+			return false;
+		}
 	}
 
 	private static class HasAny extends RevFlagFilter {
@@ -157,5 +162,10 @@ public abstract class RevFlagFilter extends RevFilter {
 				IOException {
 			return c.hasAny(flags);
 		}
+
+		@Override
+		public boolean requiresCommitBody() {
+			return false;
+		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/SubStringRevFilter.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/SubStringRevFilter.java
index f8e34a923..20d867fd5 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/SubStringRevFilter.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/filter/SubStringRevFilter.java
@@ -104,6 +104,11 @@ public abstract class SubStringRevFilter extends RevFilter {
 		return pattern.match(text(cmit)) >= 0;
 	}
 
+	@Override
+	public boolean requiresCommitBody() {
+		return true;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Obtain the raw text to match against.
 	 *
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/BasePackFetchConnection.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/BasePackFetchConnection.java
index 2653bad55..4f3d1bb49 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/BasePackFetchConnection.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/BasePackFetchConnection.java
@@ -599,6 +599,11 @@ public abstract class BasePackFetchConnection extends BasePackConnection
 				}
 				return !remoteKnowsIsCommon;
 			}
+
+			@Override
+			public boolean requiresCommitBody() {
+				return false;
+			}
 		});
 	}