diff --git a/other-test-repos/filter-repo.py b/other-test-repos/filter-repo.py
index 0ff2a0e..aa8b5b9 100755
--- a/other-test-repos/filter-repo.py
+++ b/other-test-repos/filter-repo.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ def blob_callback(blob, callback_metadata):
 args = git_filter_repo.FilteringOptions.default_options()
 args.force = True
 args.partial = True
-args.refs = ['HEAD']
+args.refs = ['HEAD~..HEAD']
 args.repack=False
 args.replace_refs='update-no-add'
 
diff --git a/other-test-repos/many-commits-octopus-fast-import.py b/other-test-repos/many-commits-octopus-fast-import.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..56ff43a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/other-test-repos/many-commits-octopus-fast-import.py
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+'''
+This is a superior and simpler alternative to many-commits.py.
+
+Usage:
+
+rm -rf many-commits.tmp
+mkdir -p many-commits.tmp
+cd many-commits.tmp
+git init
+../many-commits-fast-import.py [ncommits=10] | git fast-import
+
+Lenovo ThinkPad P51 SSD generation time for 2M commits: 33s. Disk usage: 270.2 MiB. Push size is smaller for some reason.
+'''
+
+import sys
+
+print('''blob
+mark :1
+data 1
+a
+reset refs/heads/master
+commit refs/heads/master
+mark :2
+author  <> 0 +0000
+committer  <> 0 +0000
+data 1
+
+M 100644 :1 a
+''')
+
+if len(sys.argv) > 1:
+    n = int(sys.argv[1])
+else:
+    n = 10
+for i in range(2, n + 2):
+    print('''commit refs/heads/master
+mark :{}
+author  <> {} +0000
+committer  <> 0 +0000
+data 1
+
+from :2
+'''.format(i + 1, i - 2))
+print('''commit refs/heads/master
+mark :{}
+author  <> 0 +0000
+committer  <> 0 +0000
+data 1
+
+from :3'''.format(n + 3)
+)
+for i in range(4, n + 3):
+    print('merge :{}'.format(i))