diff --git a/git.c b/git.c
index 0b40e3060d8d95a6da7c8603317c6e2cb6c5ec46..72039c69cbd08dc70bd611765039883182472191 100644
--- a/git.c
+++ b/git.c
@@ -283,7 +283,6 @@ static int cmd_log(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 	char *buf = xmalloc(LOGSIZE);
 	static enum cmit_fmt commit_format = CMIT_FMT_DEFAULT;
 	int abbrev = DEFAULT_ABBREV;
-	int show_parents = 0;
 	const char *commit_prefix = "commit ";
 
 	argc = setup_revisions(argc, argv, &rev, "HEAD");
@@ -294,9 +293,6 @@ static int cmd_log(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 			if (commit_format == CMIT_FMT_ONELINE)
 				commit_prefix = "";
 		}
-		else if (!strcmp(arg, "--parents")) {
-			show_parents = 1;
-		}
 		else if (!strcmp(arg, "--no-abbrev")) {
 			abbrev = 0;
 		}
@@ -317,7 +313,7 @@ static int cmd_log(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 	while ((commit = get_revision(&rev)) != NULL) {
 		printf("%s%s", commit_prefix,
 		       sha1_to_hex(commit->object.sha1));
-		if (show_parents) {
+		if (rev.parents) {
 			struct commit_list *parents = commit->parents;
 			while (parents) {
 				struct object *o = &(parents->item->object);
diff --git a/rev-list.c b/rev-list.c
index ee88f567a7c9413376669c01050a210241701012..22141e2b045bb4e54709ec16c83942fcfdd44ed2 100644
--- a/rev-list.c
+++ b/rev-list.c
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ struct rev_info revs;
 static int bisect_list = 0;
 static int verbose_header = 0;
 static int abbrev = DEFAULT_ABBREV;
-static int show_parents = 0;
 static int show_timestamp = 0;
 static int hdr_termination = 0;
 static const char *commit_prefix = "";
@@ -54,7 +53,7 @@ static void show_commit(struct commit *commit)
 	if (commit->object.flags & BOUNDARY)
 		putchar('-');
 	fputs(sha1_to_hex(commit->object.sha1), stdout);
-	if (show_parents) {
+	if (revs.parents) {
 		struct commit_list *parents = commit->parents;
 		while (parents) {
 			struct object *o = &(parents->item->object);
@@ -338,10 +337,6 @@ int main(int argc, const char **argv)
 				commit_prefix = "commit ";
 			continue;
 		}
-		if (!strcmp(arg, "--parents")) {
-			show_parents = 1;
-			continue;
-		}
 		if (!strcmp(arg, "--timestamp")) {
 			show_timestamp = 1;
 			continue;
diff --git a/revision.c b/revision.c
index c2a95aabef4558989c8b321d64b2c515a9f71309..1224a2de624047eebd24969852af6833dbea2874 100644
--- a/revision.c
+++ b/revision.c
@@ -605,6 +605,10 @@ int setup_revisions(int argc, const char **argv, struct rev_info *revs, const ch
 				revs->limited = 1;
 				continue;
 			}
+			if (!strcmp(arg, "--parents")) {
+				revs->parents = 1;
+				continue;
+			}
 			if (!strcmp(arg, "--dense")) {
 				revs->dense = 1;
 				continue;
diff --git a/revision.h b/revision.h
index 61e6bc9f4b12973b7faa69f63cb6986e9e19a080..0caeecf00f1aedf753f9f1fa88c3b5113cc53a52 100644
--- a/revision.h
+++ b/revision.h
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ struct rev_info {
 			edge_hint:1,
 			limited:1,
 			unpacked:1,
-			boundary:1;
+			boundary:1,
+			parents:1;
 
 	/* special limits */
 	int max_count;