diff --git a/archive.c b/archive.c
index 5919d9e505..9394f170f7 100644
--- a/archive.c
+++ b/archive.c
@@ -316,8 +316,8 @@ int write_archive_entries(struct archiver_args *args,
 		git_attr_set_direction(GIT_ATTR_INDEX);
 	}
 
-	err = read_tree_recursive(args->repo, args->tree, "",
-				  0, 0, &args->pathspec,
+	err = read_tree_recursive(args->repo, args->tree,
+				  0, &args->pathspec,
 				  queue_or_write_archive_entry,
 				  &context);
 	if (err == READ_TREE_RECURSIVE)
@@ -405,8 +405,8 @@ static int path_exists(struct archiver_args *args, const char *path)
 	ctx.args = args;
 	parse_pathspec(&ctx.pathspec, 0, 0, "", paths);
 	ctx.pathspec.recursive = 1;
-	ret = read_tree_recursive(args->repo, args->tree, "",
-				  0, 0, &ctx.pathspec,
+	ret = read_tree_recursive(args->repo, args->tree,
+				  0, &ctx.pathspec,
 				  reject_entry, &ctx);
 	clear_pathspec(&ctx.pathspec);
 	return ret != 0;
diff --git a/builtin/checkout.c b/builtin/checkout.c
index 2d6550bc3c..21b742c0f0 100644
--- a/builtin/checkout.c
+++ b/builtin/checkout.c
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ static int update_some(const struct object_id *oid, struct strbuf *base,
 
 static int read_tree_some(struct tree *tree, const struct pathspec *pathspec)
 {
-	read_tree_recursive(the_repository, tree, "", 0, 0,
+	read_tree_recursive(the_repository, tree, 0,
 			    pathspec, update_some, NULL);
 
 	/* update the index with the given tree's info
diff --git a/builtin/log.c b/builtin/log.c
index f67b67d80e..ffa3fb8c28 100644
--- a/builtin/log.c
+++ b/builtin/log.c
@@ -681,8 +681,8 @@ int cmd_show(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 					diff_get_color_opt(&rev.diffopt, DIFF_COMMIT),
 					name,
 					diff_get_color_opt(&rev.diffopt, DIFF_RESET));
-			read_tree_recursive(the_repository, (struct tree *)o, "",
-					    0, 0, &match_all, show_tree_object,
+			read_tree_recursive(the_repository, (struct tree *)o,
+					    0, &match_all, show_tree_object,
 					    rev.diffopt.file);
 			rev.shown_one = 1;
 			break;
diff --git a/builtin/ls-files.c b/builtin/ls-files.c
index db53e2c8e6..cd432ac03c 100644
--- a/builtin/ls-files.c
+++ b/builtin/ls-files.c
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ void overlay_tree_on_index(struct index_state *istate,
 
 	if (!fn)
 		fn = read_one_entry_quick;
-	err = read_tree_recursive(the_repository, tree, "", 0, 1, &pathspec, fn, istate);
+	err = read_tree_recursive(the_repository, tree, 1, &pathspec, fn, istate);
 	if (err)
 		die("unable to read tree entries %s", tree_name);
 
diff --git a/builtin/ls-tree.c b/builtin/ls-tree.c
index 7cad3f24eb..7d3fb2e6d0 100644
--- a/builtin/ls-tree.c
+++ b/builtin/ls-tree.c
@@ -185,6 +185,6 @@ int cmd_ls_tree(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	tree = parse_tree_indirect(&oid);
 	if (!tree)
 		die("not a tree object");
-	return !!read_tree_recursive(the_repository, tree, "", 0, 0,
+	return !!read_tree_recursive(the_repository, tree, 0,
 				     &pathspec, show_tree, NULL);
 }
diff --git a/merge-recursive.c b/merge-recursive.c
index b052974f19..fa7602ff0f 100644
--- a/merge-recursive.c
+++ b/merge-recursive.c
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ static void get_files_dirs(struct merge_options *opt, struct tree *tree)
 {
 	struct pathspec match_all;
 	memset(&match_all, 0, sizeof(match_all));
-	read_tree_recursive(opt->repo, tree, "", 0, 0,
+	read_tree_recursive(opt->repo, tree, 0,
 			    &match_all, save_files_dirs, opt);
 }
 
diff --git a/tree.c b/tree.c
index a6c12f2745..04eb11aed3 100644
--- a/tree.c
+++ b/tree.c
@@ -83,14 +83,12 @@ static int read_tree_1(struct repository *r,
 
 int read_tree_recursive(struct repository *r,
 			struct tree *tree,
-			const char *base, int baselen,
 			int stage, const struct pathspec *pathspec,
 			read_tree_fn_t fn, void *context)
 {
 	struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
 	int ret;
 
-	strbuf_add(&sb, base, baselen);
 	ret = read_tree_1(r, tree, &sb, stage, pathspec, fn, context);
 	strbuf_release(&sb);
 	return ret;
diff --git a/tree.h b/tree.h
index 6b0b1dc211..5252b5139d 100644
--- a/tree.h
+++ b/tree.h
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ typedef int (*read_tree_fn_t)(const struct object_id *, struct strbuf *, const c
 
 int read_tree_recursive(struct repository *r,
 			struct tree *tree,
-			const char *base, int baselen,
 			int stage, const struct pathspec *pathspec,
 			read_tree_fn_t fn, void *context);
 #endif /* TREE_H */
