diff --git a/builtin/pack-redundant.c b/builtin/pack-redundant.c
index cf9a9aabd4eb2e..3655cc7dc63bb7 100644
--- a/builtin/pack-redundant.c
+++ b/builtin/pack-redundant.c
@@ -421,14 +421,52 @@ static inline off_t pack_set_bytecount(struct pack_list *pl)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+static int cmp_pack_list_reverse(const void *a, const void *b)
+{
+	struct pack_list *pl_a = *((struct pack_list **)a);
+	struct pack_list *pl_b = *((struct pack_list **)b);
+	size_t sz_a = pl_a->all_objects->size;
+	size_t sz_b = pl_b->all_objects->size;
+
+	if (sz_a == sz_b)
+		return 0;
+	else if (sz_a < sz_b)
+		return 1;
+	else
+		return -1;
+}
+
+/* Sort pack_list, greater size of all_objects first */
+static void sort_pack_list(struct pack_list **pl)
+{
+	struct pack_list **ary, *p;
+	int i;
+	size_t n = pack_list_size(*pl);
+
+	if (n < 2)
+		return;
+
+	/* prepare an array of packed_list for easier sorting */
+	ary = xcalloc(n, sizeof(struct pack_list *));
+	for (n = 0, p = *pl; p; p = p->next)
+		ary[n++] = p;
+
+	QSORT(ary, n, cmp_pack_list_reverse);
+
+	/* link them back again */
+	for (i = 0; i < n - 1; i++)
+		ary[i]->next = ary[i + 1];
+	ary[n - 1]->next = NULL;
+	*pl = ary[0];
+
+	free(ary);
+}
+
+
 static void minimize(struct pack_list **min)
 {
-	struct pack_list *pl, *unique = NULL,
-		*non_unique = NULL, *min_perm = NULL;
-	struct pll *perm, *perm_all, *perm_ok = NULL, *new_perm;
-	struct llist *missing;
-	off_t min_perm_size = 0, perm_size;
-	int n;
+	struct pack_list *pl, *unique = NULL, *non_unique = NULL;
+	struct llist *missing, *unique_pack_objects;
 
 	pl = local_packs;
 	while (pl) {
@@ -446,49 +484,37 @@ static void minimize(struct pack_list **min)
 		pl = pl->next;
 	}
 
+	*min = unique;
+
 	/* return if there are no objects missing from the unique set */
 	if (missing->size == 0) {
-		*min = unique;
 		free(missing);
 		return;
 	}
 
-	/* find the permutations which contain all missing objects */
-	for (n = 1; n <= pack_list_size(non_unique) && !perm_ok; n++) {
-		perm_all = perm = get_permutations(non_unique, n);
-		while (perm) {
-			if (is_superset(perm->pl, missing)) {
-				new_perm = xmalloc(sizeof(struct pll));
-				memcpy(new_perm, perm, sizeof(struct pll));
-				new_perm->next = perm_ok;
-				perm_ok = new_perm;
-			}
-			perm = perm->next;
-		}
-		if (perm_ok)
-			break;
-		pll_free(perm_all);
-	}
-	if (perm_ok == NULL)
-		die("Internal error: No complete sets found!");
-
-	/* find the permutation with the smallest size */
-	perm = perm_ok;
-	while (perm) {
-		perm_size = pack_set_bytecount(perm->pl);
-		if (!min_perm_size || min_perm_size > perm_size) {
-			min_perm_size = perm_size;
-			min_perm = perm->pl;
-		}
-		perm = perm->next;
-	}
-	*min = min_perm;
-	/* add the unique packs to the list */
-	pl = unique;
+	unique_pack_objects = llist_copy(all_objects);
+	llist_sorted_difference_inplace(unique_pack_objects, missing);
+
+	/* remove unique pack objects from the non_unique packs */
+	pl = non_unique;
 	while (pl) {
-		pack_list_insert(min, pl);
+		llist_sorted_difference_inplace(pl->all_objects, unique_pack_objects);
 		pl = pl->next;
 	}
+
+	while (non_unique) {
+		/* sort the non_unique packs, greater size of all_objects first */
+		sort_pack_list(&non_unique);
+		if (non_unique->all_objects->size == 0)
+			break;
+
+		pack_list_insert(min, non_unique);
+
+		for (pl = non_unique->next; pl && pl->all_objects->size > 0;  pl = pl->next)
+			llist_sorted_difference_inplace(pl->all_objects, non_unique->all_objects);
+
+		non_unique = non_unique->next;
+	}
 }
 
 static void load_all_objects(void)
@@ -603,7 +629,7 @@ static void load_all(void)
 int cmd_pack_redundant(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
 	int i;
-	struct pack_list *min, *red, *pl;
+	struct pack_list *min = NULL, *red, *pl;
 	struct llist *ignore;
 	struct object_id *oid;
 	char buf[GIT_MAX_HEXSZ + 2]; /* hex hash + \n + \0 */
@@ -664,6 +690,7 @@ int cmd_pack_redundant(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	pl = local_packs;
 	while (pl) {
 		llist_sorted_difference_inplace(pl->unique_objects, ignore);
+		llist_sorted_difference_inplace(pl->all_objects, ignore);
 		pl = pl->next;
 	}