diff --git a/builtin/merge-tree.c b/builtin/merge-tree.c
index 61cbde4094..f9ab48597e 100644
--- a/builtin/merge-tree.c
+++ b/builtin/merge-tree.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ static void add_merge_entry(struct merge_list *entry)
 	merge_result_end = &entry->next;
 }
 
-static void merge_trees_recursive(struct tree_desc t[3], const char *base, int df_conflict);
+static void merge_trees(struct tree_desc t[3], const char *base);
 
 static const char *explanation(struct merge_list *entry)
 {
@@ -195,8 +195,8 @@ static void resolve(const struct traverse_info *info, struct name_entry *ours, s
 	add_merge_entry(final);
 }
 
-static void unresolved_directory(const struct traverse_info *info, struct name_entry n[3],
-				 int df_conflict)
+static void unresolved_directory(const struct traverse_info *info,
+				 struct name_entry n[3])
 {
 	char *newbase;
 	struct name_entry *p;
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ static void unresolved_directory(const struct traverse_info *info, struct name_e
 	buf2 = fill_tree_descriptor(t+2, ENTRY_SHA1(n + 2));
 #undef ENTRY_SHA1
 
-	merge_trees_recursive(t, newbase, df_conflict);
+	merge_trees(t, newbase);
 
 	free(buf0);
 	free(buf1);
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ static void unresolved(const struct traverse_info *info, struct name_entry n[3])
 			dirmask |= (1 << i);
 	}
 
-	unresolved_directory(info, n, dirmask && (dirmask != mask));
+	unresolved_directory(info, n);
 
 	if (dirmask == mask)
 		return;
@@ -335,21 +335,15 @@ static int threeway_callback(int n, unsigned long mask, unsigned long dirmask, s
 	return mask;
 }
 
-static void merge_trees_recursive(struct tree_desc t[3], const char *base, int df_conflict)
+static void merge_trees(struct tree_desc t[3], const char *base)
 {
 	struct traverse_info info;
 
 	setup_traverse_info(&info, base);
-	info.data = &df_conflict;
 	info.fn = threeway_callback;
 	traverse_trees(3, t, &info);
 }
 
-static void merge_trees(struct tree_desc t[3], const char *base)
-{
-	merge_trees_recursive(t, base, 0);
-}
-
 static void *get_tree_descriptor(struct tree_desc *desc, const char *rev)
 {
 	unsigned char sha1[20];