diff --git a/builtin/rebase.c b/builtin/rebase.c
index f7008b10af..c1000c159d 100644
--- a/builtin/rebase.c
+++ b/builtin/rebase.c
@@ -878,8 +878,8 @@ static int is_linear_history(struct commit *from, struct commit *to)
 	return 1;
 }
 
-static int can_fast_forward(struct commit *onto, struct object_id *head_oid,
-			    struct object_id *merge_base)
+static int can_fast_forward(struct commit *onto, struct commit *upstream,
+			    struct object_id *head_oid, struct object_id *merge_base)
 {
 	struct commit *head = lookup_commit(the_repository, head_oid);
 	struct commit_list *merge_bases = NULL;
@@ -898,6 +898,17 @@ static int can_fast_forward(struct commit *onto, struct object_id *head_oid,
 	if (!oideq(merge_base, &onto->object.oid))
 		goto done;
 
+	if (!upstream)
+		goto done;
+
+	free_commit_list(merge_bases);
+	merge_bases = get_merge_bases(upstream, head);
+	if (!merge_bases || merge_bases->next)
+		goto done;
+
+	if (!oideq(&onto->object.oid, &merge_bases->item->object.oid))
+		goto done;
+
 	res = 1;
 
 done:
@@ -1664,13 +1675,13 @@ int cmd_rebase(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	/*
 	 * Check if we are already based on onto with linear history,
-	 * but this should be done only when upstream and onto are the same
-	 * and if this is not an interactive rebase.
+	 * in which case we could fast-forward without replacing the commits
+	 * with new commits recreated by replaying their changes. This
+	 * optimization must not be done if this is an interactive rebase.
 	 */
-	if (can_fast_forward(options.onto, &options.orig_head, &merge_base) &&
-	    !is_interactive(&options) && !options.restrict_revision &&
-	    options.upstream &&
-	    !oidcmp(&options.upstream->object.oid, &options.onto->object.oid)) {
+	if (can_fast_forward(options.onto, options.upstream, &options.orig_head,
+		    &merge_base) &&
+	    !is_interactive(&options) && !options.restrict_revision) {
 		int flag;
 
 		if (!(options.flags & REBASE_FORCE)) {
@@ -1764,7 +1775,7 @@ int cmd_rebase(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	strbuf_addf(&msg, "%s: checkout %s",
 		    getenv(GIT_REFLOG_ACTION_ENVIRONMENT), options.onto_name);
 	if (reset_head(&options.onto->object.oid, "checkout", NULL,
-		       RESET_HEAD_DETACH | RESET_ORIG_HEAD | 
+		       RESET_HEAD_DETACH | RESET_ORIG_HEAD |
 		       RESET_HEAD_RUN_POST_CHECKOUT_HOOK,
 		       NULL, msg.buf))
 		die(_("Could not detach HEAD"));
diff --git a/t/t3400-rebase.sh b/t/t3400-rebase.sh
index 42f147858d..45f1f65c7b 100755
--- a/t/t3400-rebase.sh
+++ b/t/t3400-rebase.sh
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ test_expect_success 'rebase--am.sh and --show-current-patch' '
 		echo two >>init.t &&
 		git commit -a -m two &&
 		git tag two &&
-		test_must_fail git rebase --onto init HEAD^ &&
+		test_must_fail git rebase -f --onto init HEAD^ &&
 		GIT_TRACE=1 git rebase --show-current-patch >/dev/null 2>stderr &&
 		grep "show.*$(git rev-parse two)" stderr
 	)
diff --git a/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh b/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
index 1723e1a858..c7dbbd16db 100755
--- a/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
+++ b/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
@@ -1063,7 +1063,7 @@ test_expect_success C_LOCALE_OUTPUT 'rebase --edit-todo does not work on non-int
 	git reset --hard &&
 	git checkout conflict-branch &&
 	set_fake_editor &&
-	test_must_fail git rebase --onto HEAD~2 HEAD~ &&
+	test_must_fail git rebase -f --onto HEAD~2 HEAD~ &&
 	test_must_fail git rebase --edit-todo &&
 	git rebase --abort
 '
diff --git a/t/t3432-rebase-fast-forward.sh b/t/t3432-rebase-fast-forward.sh
index e20a8ab9c4..59cd437301 100755
--- a/t/t3432-rebase-fast-forward.sh
+++ b/t/t3432-rebase-fast-forward.sh
@@ -106,9 +106,9 @@ test_expect_success 'add work same  to upstream' '
 changes='our and their changes'
 test_rebase_same_head success noop same success noop-force diff --onto B B
 test_rebase_same_head success noop same success noop-force diff --onto B... B
-test_rebase_same_head failure work same success work diff --onto master... master
+test_rebase_same_head success noop same success work diff --onto master... master
 test_rebase_same_head failure work same success work diff --fork-point --onto B B
 test_rebase_same_head failure work same success work diff --fork-point --onto B... B
-test_rebase_same_head failure work same success work diff --fork-point --onto master... master
+test_rebase_same_head success noop same success work diff --fork-point --onto master... master
 
 test_done
