diff --git a/builtin-log.c b/builtin-log.c
index 71ae6c98a5..3b7574f6d6 100644
--- a/builtin-log.c
+++ b/builtin-log.c
@@ -14,22 +14,22 @@
 /* this is in builtin-diff.c */
 void add_head(struct rev_info *revs);
 
-static int cmd_log_wc(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp,
+static void cmd_log_init(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp,
 		      struct rev_info *rev)
 {
-	struct commit *commit;
-
 	rev->abbrev = DEFAULT_ABBREV;
 	rev->commit_format = CMIT_FMT_DEFAULT;
 	rev->verbose_header = 1;
 	argc = setup_revisions(argc, argv, rev, "HEAD");
-	if (rev->always_show_header) {
-		if (rev->diffopt.pickaxe || rev->diffopt.filter)
-			rev->always_show_header = 0;
-	}
-
+	if (rev->diffopt.pickaxe || rev->diffopt.filter)
+		rev->always_show_header = 0;
 	if (argc > 1)
 		die("unrecognized argument: %s", argv[1]);
+}
+
+static int cmd_log_walk(struct rev_info *rev)
+{
+	struct commit *commit;
 
 	prepare_revision_walk(rev);
 	setup_pager();
@@ -51,7 +51,10 @@ int cmd_whatchanged(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 	rev.diff = 1;
 	rev.diffopt.recursive = 1;
 	rev.simplify_history = 0;
-	return cmd_log_wc(argc, argv, envp, &rev);
+	cmd_log_init(argc, argv, envp, &rev);
+	if (!rev.diffopt.output_format)
+		rev.diffopt.output_format = DIFF_FORMAT_RAW;
+	return cmd_log_walk(&rev);
 }
 
 int cmd_show(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
@@ -66,7 +69,8 @@ int cmd_show(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 	rev.always_show_header = 1;
 	rev.ignore_merges = 0;
 	rev.no_walk = 1;
-	return cmd_log_wc(argc, argv, envp, &rev);
+	cmd_log_init(argc, argv, envp, &rev);
+	return cmd_log_walk(&rev);
 }
 
 int cmd_log(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
@@ -76,7 +80,8 @@ int cmd_log(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 	init_revisions(&rev);
 	rev.always_show_header = 1;
 	rev.diffopt.recursive = 1;
-	return cmd_log_wc(argc, argv, envp, &rev);
+	cmd_log_init(argc, argv, envp, &rev);
+	return cmd_log_walk(&rev);
 }
 
 static int istitlechar(char c)