diff --git a/Documentation/rev-list-options.adoc b/Documentation/rev-list-options.adoc
index 453ec590571ffc..f0d2ab32a9d6b4 100644
--- a/Documentation/rev-list-options.adoc
+++ b/Documentation/rev-list-options.adoc
@@ -444,6 +444,10 @@ The following options affect the way the simplification is performed:
 	times; if so, a commit is included if it is any of the commits
 	given or if it is an ancestor or descendant of one of them.
 
+`--maximal`::
+	Restrict the output commits to be those that are not reachable
+	from any other commits in the revision range.
+
 A more detailed explanation follows.
 
 Suppose you specified `foo` as the _<paths>_.  We shall call commits
diff --git a/object.h b/object.h
index 4bca957b8dcbd6..dfe7a1f0ea29da 100644
--- a/object.h
+++ b/object.h
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ void object_array_init(struct object_array *array);
 
 /*
  * object flag allocation:
- * revision.h:               0---------10         15               23------27
+ * revision.h:               0---------10         15               23--------28
  * fetch-pack.c:             01    67
  * negotiator/default.c:       2--5
  * walker.c:                 0-2
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ void object_array_init(struct object_array *array);
  * builtin/unpack-objects.c:                                 2021
  * pack-bitmap.h:                                              2122
  */
-#define FLAG_BITS  28
+#define FLAG_BITS  29
 
 #define TYPE_BITS 3
 
diff --git a/revision.c b/revision.c
index 1858e093eeeb89..29864426d6b320 100644
--- a/revision.c
+++ b/revision.c
@@ -1150,7 +1150,8 @@ static int process_parents(struct rev_info *revs, struct commit *commit,
 			struct commit *p = parent->item;
 			parent = parent->next;
 			if (p)
-				p->object.flags |= UNINTERESTING;
+				p->object.flags |= UNINTERESTING |
+						   CHILD_VISITED;
 			if (repo_parse_commit_gently(revs->repo, p, 1) < 0)
 				continue;
 			if (p->parents)
@@ -1204,7 +1205,7 @@ static int process_parents(struct rev_info *revs, struct commit *commit,
 			if (!*slot)
 				*slot = *revision_sources_at(revs->sources, commit);
 		}
-		p->object.flags |= pass_flags;
+		p->object.flags |= pass_flags | CHILD_VISITED;
 		if (!(p->object.flags & SEEN)) {
 			p->object.flags |= (SEEN | NOT_USER_GIVEN);
 			if (list)
@@ -2381,6 +2382,8 @@ static int handle_revision_opt(struct rev_info *revs, int argc, const char **arg
 		revs->first_parent_only = 1;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--exclude-first-parent-only")) {
 		revs->exclude_first_parent_only = 1;
+	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--maximal")) {
+		revs->maximal = 1;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--ancestry-path")) {
 		revs->ancestry_path = 1;
 		revs->simplify_history = 0;
@@ -4125,6 +4128,8 @@ enum commit_action get_commit_action(struct rev_info *revs, struct commit *commi
 {
 	if (commit->object.flags & SHOWN)
 		return commit_ignore;
+	if (revs->maximal && (commit->object.flags & CHILD_VISITED))
+		return commit_ignore;
 	if (revs->unpacked && has_object_pack(revs->repo, &commit->object.oid))
 		return commit_ignore;
 	if (revs->no_kept_objects) {
diff --git a/revision.h b/revision.h
index b36acfc2d9f61d..e5c2c82145fef6 100644
--- a/revision.h
+++ b/revision.h
@@ -52,7 +52,9 @@
 #define NOT_USER_GIVEN	(1u<<25)
 #define TRACK_LINEAR	(1u<<26)
 #define ANCESTRY_PATH	(1u<<27)
-#define ALL_REV_FLAGS	(((1u<<11)-1) | NOT_USER_GIVEN | TRACK_LINEAR | PULL_MERGE)
+#define CHILD_VISITED	(1u<<28)
+#define ALL_REV_FLAGS	(((1u<<11)-1) | NOT_USER_GIVEN | TRACK_LINEAR \
+				      | PULL_MERGE | CHILD_VISITED)
 
 #define DECORATE_SHORT_REFS	1
 #define DECORATE_FULL_REFS	2
@@ -198,6 +200,7 @@ struct rev_info {
 			cherry_mark:1,
 			bisect:1,
 			ancestry_path:1,
+			maximal:1,
 
 			/* True if --ancestry-path was specified without an
 			 * argument. The bottom revisions are implicitly
diff --git a/t/t6600-test-reach.sh b/t/t6600-test-reach.sh
index 6638d1aa1dcebe..a7594097560f78 100755
--- a/t/t6600-test-reach.sh
+++ b/t/t6600-test-reach.sh
@@ -762,4 +762,79 @@ test_expect_success 'for-each-ref is-base: --sort' '
 		--sort=refname --sort=-is-base:commit-2-3
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'rev-list --maximal (all positive)' '
+	# Only one maximal.
+	cat >input <<-\EOF &&
+	refs/heads/commit-1-1
+	refs/heads/commit-4-2
+	refs/heads/commit-4-4
+	refs/heads/commit-8-4
+	EOF
+
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	$(git rev-parse refs/heads/commit-8-4)
+	EOF
+	run_all_modes git rev-list --maximal --stdin &&
+
+	# All maximal.
+	cat >input <<-\EOF &&
+	refs/heads/commit-5-2
+	refs/heads/commit-4-3
+	refs/heads/commit-3-4
+	refs/heads/commit-2-5
+	EOF
+
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	$(git rev-parse refs/heads/commit-5-2)
+	$(git rev-parse refs/heads/commit-4-3)
+	$(git rev-parse refs/heads/commit-3-4)
+	$(git rev-parse refs/heads/commit-2-5)
+	EOF
+	run_all_modes git rev-list --maximal --stdin &&
+
+	# Mix of both.
+	cat >input <<-\EOF &&
+	refs/heads/commit-5-2
+	refs/heads/commit-3-2
+	refs/heads/commit-2-5
+	EOF
+
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	$(git rev-parse refs/heads/commit-5-2)
+	$(git rev-parse refs/heads/commit-2-5)
+	EOF
+	run_all_modes git rev-list --maximal --stdin
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'rev-list --maximal (range)' '
+	cat >input <<-\EOF &&
+	refs/heads/commit-1-1
+	refs/heads/commit-2-5
+	refs/heads/commit-6-4
+	^refs/heads/commit-4-5
+	EOF
+
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	$(git rev-parse refs/heads/commit-6-4)
+	EOF
+	run_all_modes git rev-list --maximal --stdin &&
+
+	# first-parent changes reachability: the first parent
+	# reduces the second coordinate to 1 before reducing the
+	# first coordinate.
+	cat >input <<-\EOF &&
+	refs/heads/commit-1-1
+	refs/heads/commit-2-5
+	refs/heads/commit-6-4
+	^refs/heads/commit-4-5
+	EOF
+
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	$(git rev-parse refs/heads/commit-6-4)
+	$(git rev-parse refs/heads/commit-2-5)
+	EOF
+	run_all_modes git rev-list --maximal --stdin \
+		--first-parent --exclude-first-parent-only
+'
+
 test_done