diff --git a/PBGitCommit.h b/PBGitCommit.h
index 87ce915..cc1da92 100644
--- a/PBGitCommit.h
+++ b/PBGitCommit.h
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@
 
 @interface PBGitCommit : NSObject {
 	git_oid sha;
+	git_oid *parentShas;
+	int nParents;
+
 	NSString* subject;
 	NSString* author;
 	NSString* details;
@@ -35,7 +38,11 @@
 @property (readonly) git_oid *sha;
 @property (copy) NSString* subject;
 @property (copy) NSString* author;
-@property (retain) NSArray* parents;
+@property (readonly) NSArray* parents; // TODO: remove this and its uses
+
+@property (assign) git_oid *parentShas;
+@property (assign) int nParents;
+
 @property (retain) NSMutableArray* refs;
 @property (copy) NSDate* date;
 @property (readonly) NSString* dateString;
diff --git a/PBGitCommit.m b/PBGitCommit.m
index 4b418b8..bc4ab61 100644
--- a/PBGitCommit.m
+++ b/PBGitCommit.m
@@ -11,8 +11,23 @@
 
 @implementation PBGitCommit
 
-@synthesize repository, subject, author, date, parents, sign, lineInfo, refs;
+@synthesize repository, subject, author, date, parentShas, nParents, sign, lineInfo, refs;
 
+- (NSArray *) parents
+{
+	if (nParents == 0)
+		return NULL;
+
+	int i;
+	NSMutableArray *p = [NSMutableArray arrayWithCapacity:nParents];
+	for (i = 0; i < nParents; ++i)
+	{
+		char *s = git_oid_mkhex(parentShas + i);
+		[p addObject:[NSString stringWithUTF8String:s]];
+		free(s);
+	}
+	return p;
+}
 
 - (NSString *) dateString
 {
@@ -92,6 +107,12 @@
 		refs = NULL;
 }
 
+- (void)finalize
+{
+	free(parentShas);
+	[super finalize];
+}
+
 + (BOOL)isSelectorExcludedFromWebScript:(SEL)aSelector
 {
 	return NO;
diff --git a/PBGitGrapher.mm b/PBGitGrapher.mm
index 8344e3b..43ec08b 100644
--- a/PBGitGrapher.mm
+++ b/PBGitGrapher.mm
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ void add_line(struct PBGitGraphLine *lines, int *nLines, int upper, int from, in
 	std::vector<PBGitLane *> *currentLanes = new std::vector<PBGitLane *>;
 	std::vector<PBGitLane *> *previousLanes = (std::vector<PBGitLane *> *)pl;
 
-	int maxLines = (previousLanes->size() + [commit.parents count] + 2) * 3;
+	int maxLines = (previousLanes->size() + commit.nParents + 2) * 3;
 	struct PBGitGraphLine *lines = (struct PBGitGraphLine *)malloc(sizeof(struct PBGitGraphLine) * maxLines);
 	int currentLine = 0;
 
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ void add_line(struct PBGitGraphLine *lines, int *nLines, int upper, int from, in
 
 	// If we already did the first parent, don't do so again
 	if (!didFirst && currentLanes->size() < MAX_LANES) {
-		PBGitLane *newLane = new PBGitLane([commit.parents objectAtIndex:0]);
+		PBGitLane *newLane = new PBGitLane(commit.parentShas);
 		currentLanes->push_back(newLane);
 		newPos = currentLanes->size();
 		add_line(lines, &currentLine, 0, newPos, newPos, newLane->index());
@@ -106,7 +106,9 @@ void add_line(struct PBGitGraphLine *lines, int *nLines, int upper, int from, in
 	// This boolean will tell us if that happened
 	BOOL addedParent = NO;
 
-	for (NSString *parent in [commit.parents subarrayWithRange:NSMakeRange(1, [commit.parents count] -1)]) {
+	int parentIndex;
+	for (parentIndex = 1; parentIndex < commit.nParents; ++parentIndex) {
+		git_oid *parent = commit.parentShas + parentIndex;
 		int i = 0;
 		BOOL was_displayed = NO;
 		std::vector<PBGitLane *>::iterator it = currentLanes->begin();
@@ -145,8 +147,8 @@ void add_line(struct PBGitGraphLine *lines, int *nLines, int upper, int from, in
 		previous.numColumns = currentLanes->size();
 
 	// Update the current lane to point to the new parent
-	if (currentLane && [commit.parents count] > 0 && ![[commit.parents objectAtIndex:0] isEqualToString:@""])
-		currentLane->setSha([commit.parents objectAtIndex:0]);
+	if (currentLane && commit.nParents > 0)
+		currentLane->setSha(commit.parentShas[0]);
 	//	else
 	//		[currentLanes removeObject:currentLane];
 
diff --git a/PBGitLane.h b/PBGitLane.h
index 5a1ebef..35dd133 100644
--- a/PBGitLane.h
+++ b/PBGitLane.h
@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@ class PBGitLane {
 
 public:
 
-	PBGitLane(git_oid sha)
+	PBGitLane(git_oid *sha)
 	{
 		d_index = s_colorIndex++;
-		d_sha = sha;
+		d_sha = *sha;
 	}
 
 	PBGitLane(NSString *sha)
diff --git a/PBGitRevList.mm b/PBGitRevList.mm
index b53a183..8921556 100644
--- a/PBGitRevList.mm
+++ b/PBGitRevList.mm
@@ -131,8 +131,23 @@ using namespace std;
 		string subject;
 		getline(stream, subject, '\0');
 
-		string parents;
-		getline(stream, parents, '\0');
+		string parentString;
+		getline(stream, parentString, '\0');
+		if (parentString.size() != 0)
+		{
+			if (((parentString.size() + 1) % 41) != 0) {
+				NSLog(@"invalid parents: %i", parentString.size());
+				continue;
+			}
+			int nParents = (parentString.size() + 1) / 41;
+			git_oid *parents = (git_oid *)malloc(sizeof(git_oid) * nParents);
+			int parentIndex;
+			for (parentIndex = 0; parentIndex < nParents; ++parentIndex)
+				git_oid_mkstr(parents + parentIndex, parentString.substr(parentIndex * 41, 40).c_str());
+			
+			newCommit.parentShas = parents;
+			newCommit.nParents = nParents;
+		}
 
 		int time;
 		stream >> time;
@@ -142,8 +157,6 @@ using namespace std;
 		if (c != '\0')
 			cout << "Error" << endl;
 		
-		
-		[newCommit setParents:[[NSString stringWithUTF8String:parents.c_str()] componentsSeparatedByString:@" "]];
 		[newCommit setSubject:[NSString stringWithUTF8String:subject.c_str()]];
 		[newCommit setAuthor:[NSString stringWithUTF8String:author.c_str()]];
 		NSDate *date = [NSDate dateWithTimeIntervalSince1970:time];