diff --git a/osmium-builder.cpp b/osmium-builder.cpp
index cc7d7f189..d671394d1 100644
--- a/osmium-builder.cpp
+++ b/osmium-builder.cpp
@@ -54,11 +54,11 @@ osmium_builder_t::get_wkb_node(osmium::Location const &loc) const
 }
 
 osmium_builder_t::wkbs_t
-osmium_builder_t::get_wkb_line(osmium::WayNodeList const &nodes, bool do_split)
+osmium_builder_t::get_wkb_line(osmium::WayNodeList const &nodes, double split_at)
 {
     wkbs_t ret;
 
-    double const split_at = m_proj->target_latlon() ? 1 : 100 * 1000;
+    bool do_split = split_at > 0.0;
 
     double dist = 0;
     osmium::geom::Coordinates prev_pt;
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ osmium_builder_t::get_wkb_multipolygon(osmium::Relation const &rel,
 
 osmium_builder_t::wkbs_t
 osmium_builder_t::get_wkb_multiline(osmium::memory::Buffer const &ways,
-                                    bool do_split)
+                                    double split_at)
 {
     // make a list of all endpoints
     using endpoint_t = std::tuple<osmium::object_id_type, size_t, bool>;
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ osmium_builder_t::get_wkb_multiline(osmium::memory::Buffer const &ways,
         // found a line end, create the wkbs
         m_buffer.commit();
         auto linewkbs =
-            get_wkb_line(m_buffer.get<osmium::WayNodeList>(0), do_split);
+            get_wkb_line(m_buffer.get<osmium::WayNodeList>(0), split_at);
         std::move(linewkbs.begin(), linewkbs.end(),
                   std::inserter(ret, ret.end()));
     }
@@ -305,13 +305,13 @@ osmium_builder_t::get_wkb_multiline(osmium::memory::Buffer const &ways,
             // found a line end, create the wkbs
             m_buffer.commit();
             auto linewkbs =
-                get_wkb_line(m_buffer.get<osmium::WayNodeList>(0), do_split);
+                get_wkb_line(m_buffer.get<osmium::WayNodeList>(0), split_at);
             std::move(linewkbs.begin(), linewkbs.end(),
                       std::inserter(ret, ret.end()));
         }
     }
 
-    if (!do_split && !ret.empty()) {
+    if (split_at <= 0.0 && !ret.empty()) {
         auto num_lines = ret.size();
         m_writer.multilinestring_start();
         for (auto const &line : ret) {
diff --git a/osmium-builder.hpp b/osmium-builder.hpp
index ce6ba349a..10ccaa5ce 100644
--- a/osmium-builder.hpp
+++ b/osmium-builder.hpp
@@ -27,12 +27,12 @@ class osmium_builder_t
     }
 
     wkb_t get_wkb_node(osmium::Location const &loc) const;
-    wkbs_t get_wkb_line(osmium::WayNodeList const &way, bool do_split);
+    wkbs_t get_wkb_line(osmium::WayNodeList const &way, double split_at);
     wkb_t get_wkb_polygon(osmium::Way const &way);
 
     wkbs_t get_wkb_multipolygon(osmium::Relation const &rel,
                                 osmium::memory::Buffer const &ways);
-    wkbs_t get_wkb_multiline(osmium::memory::Buffer const &ways, bool split);
+    wkbs_t get_wkb_multiline(osmium::memory::Buffer const &ways, double split_at);
 
 private:
     wkb_t create_multipolygon(osmium::Area const &area);
diff --git a/output-gazetteer.cpp b/output-gazetteer.cpp
index de58f2278..ec21b1806 100644
--- a/output-gazetteer.cpp
+++ b/output-gazetteer.cpp
@@ -640,7 +640,7 @@ int output_gazetteer_t::process_way(osmium::Way *way)
             geom = m_builder.get_wkb_polygon(*way);
         }
         if (geom.empty()) {
-            auto wkbs = m_builder.get_wkb_line(way->nodes(), false);
+            auto wkbs = m_builder.get_wkb_line(way->nodes(), 0.0);
             if (wkbs.empty()) {
                 return 0;
             }
@@ -698,7 +698,7 @@ int output_gazetteer_t::process_relation(osmium::Relation const &rel)
     }
 
     auto geoms = is_waterway
-                     ? m_builder.get_wkb_multiline(osmium_buffer, false)
+                     ? m_builder.get_wkb_multiline(osmium_buffer, 0.0)
                      : m_builder.get_wkb_multipolygon(rel, osmium_buffer);
 
     if (!geoms.empty()) {
diff --git a/output-pgsql.cpp b/output-pgsql.cpp
index 17ae40b4a..b52cbea59 100644
--- a/output-pgsql.cpp
+++ b/output-pgsql.cpp
@@ -92,7 +92,8 @@ void output_pgsql_t::pgsql_out_way(osmium::Way const &way, taglist_t *tags,
             m_tables[t_poly]->write_row(way.id(), *tags, wkb);
         }
     } else {
-        for (auto const &wkb : m_builder.get_wkb_line(way.nodes(), true)) {
+        double const split_at = m_options.projection->target_latlon() ? 1 : 100 * 1000;
+        for (auto const &wkb : m_builder.get_wkb_line(way.nodes(), split_at)) {
             expire.from_wkb(wkb.c_str(), way.id());
             m_tables[t_line]->write_row(way.id(), *tags, wkb);
             if (roads) {
@@ -374,7 +375,8 @@ int output_pgsql_t::pgsql_process_relation(osmium::Relation const &rel,
   // Needs to be done before the polygon treatment below because
   // for boundaries the way_area tag may be added.
   if (!make_polygon) {
-      auto wkbs = m_builder.get_wkb_multiline(buffer, true);
+      double const split_at = m_options.projection->target_latlon() ? 1 : 100 * 1000;
+      auto wkbs = m_builder.get_wkb_multiline(buffer, split_at);
       for (auto const &wkb : wkbs) {
           expire.from_wkb(wkb.c_str(), -rel.id());
           m_tables[t_line]->write_row(-rel.id(), outtags, wkb);
diff --git a/processor-line.cpp b/processor-line.cpp
index 3c971039c..7a6fbed1b 100644
--- a/processor-line.cpp
+++ b/processor-line.cpp
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ processor_line::processor_line(std::shared_ptr<reprojection> const &proj)
 
 geometry_processor::wkb_t processor_line::process_way(osmium::Way const &way)
 {
-    auto wkbs = m_builder.get_wkb_line(way.nodes(), false);
+    auto wkbs = m_builder.get_wkb_line(way.nodes(), 1000000);
 
     return wkbs.empty() ? wkb_t() : wkbs[0];
 }
@@ -18,6 +18,5 @@ geometry_processor::wkbs_t
 processor_line::process_relation(osmium::Relation const &,
                                  osmium::memory::Buffer const &ways)
 {
-    // XXX are multilines really acceptable?
-    return m_builder.get_wkb_multiline(ways, false);
+    return m_builder.get_wkb_multiline(ways, 1000000);
 }