diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RevWalkCommitGraphTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RevWalkCommitGraphTest.java
index 6c8014513..97d3f81b9 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RevWalkCommitGraphTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RevWalkCommitGraphTest.java
@@ -83,6 +83,42 @@ public void testParseHeaders() throws Exception {
 		assertArrayEquals(notParseInGraph.getParents(), noBody.getParents());
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testParseCanonical() throws Exception {
+		RevCommit c1 = commitFile("file1", "1", "master");
+		enableAndWriteCommitGraph();
+
+		RevCommit notParseInGraph = rw.lookupCommit(c1);
+		rw.parseHeaders(notParseInGraph);
+
+		reinitializeRevWalk();
+		RevCommit parseInGraph = rw.lookupCommit(c1);
+		parseInGraph.parseCanonical(rw, rw.getCachedBytes(c1));
+
+		assertTrue(parseInGraph instanceof RevCommitCG);
+		assertNotNull(parseInGraph.getRawBuffer());
+		assertEquals(1, parseInGraph.getGeneration());
+		assertEquals(notParseInGraph.getId(), parseInGraph.getId());
+		assertEquals(notParseInGraph.getTree(), parseInGraph.getTree());
+		assertEquals(notParseInGraph.getCommitTime(),
+				parseInGraph.getCommitTime());
+		assertArrayEquals(notParseInGraph.getParents(),
+				parseInGraph.getParents());
+
+		reinitializeRevWalk();
+		rw.setRetainBody(false);
+		RevCommit noBody = rw.lookupCommit(c1);
+		noBody.parseCanonical(rw, rw.getCachedBytes(c1));
+
+		assertTrue(noBody instanceof RevCommitCG);
+		assertNull(noBody.getRawBuffer());
+		assertEquals(1, noBody.getGeneration());
+		assertEquals(notParseInGraph.getId(), noBody.getId());
+		assertEquals(notParseInGraph.getTree(), noBody.getTree());
+		assertEquals(notParseInGraph.getCommitTime(), noBody.getCommitTime());
+		assertArrayEquals(notParseInGraph.getParents(), noBody.getParents());
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testInitializeShallowCommits() throws Exception {
 		RevCommit c1 = commit(commit());
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RevCommit.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RevCommit.java
index e155a2563..b64c9ce90 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RevCommit.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RevCommit.java
@@ -125,7 +125,15 @@ public static RevCommit parse(RevWalk rw, byte[] raw) throws IOException {
 
 	int inDegree;
 
-	private byte[] buffer;
+	/**
+	 * Raw unparsed commit body of the commit. Populated only
+	 * after {@link #parseCanonical(RevWalk, byte[])} with
+	 * {@link RevWalk#isRetainBody()} enable or after
+	 * {@link #parseBody(RevWalk)} and {@link #parse(RevWalk, byte[])}.
+	 *
+	 * @since 6.5.1
+	 */
+	protected byte[] buffer;
 
 	/**
 	 * Create a new commit reference.
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RevCommitCG.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RevCommitCG.java
index b68f65b68..4d3664da1 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RevCommitCG.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/revwalk/RevCommitCG.java
@@ -44,10 +44,27 @@ protected RevCommitCG(AnyObjectId id, int graphPosition) {
 		this.graphPosition = graphPosition;
 	}
 
+	/** {@inheritDoc} */
+	@Override
+	void parseCanonical(RevWalk walk, byte[] raw) throws IOException {
+		if (walk.isRetainBody()) {
+			buffer = raw;
+		}
+		parseInGraph(walk);
+	}
+
 	/** {@inheritDoc} */
 	@Override
 	void parseHeaders(RevWalk walk) throws MissingObjectException,
 			IncorrectObjectTypeException, IOException {
+		if (walk.isRetainBody()) {
+			super.parseBody(walk); // This parses header and body
+			return;
+		}
+		parseInGraph(walk);
+	}
+
+	private void parseInGraph(RevWalk walk) throws IOException {
 		CommitGraph graph = walk.commitGraph();
 		CommitGraph.CommitData data = graph.getCommitData(graphPosition);
 		if (data == null) {
@@ -78,11 +95,7 @@ void parseHeaders(RevWalk walk) throws MissingObjectException,
 				this.parents = pList;
 			}
 		}
-
 		flags |= PARSED;
-		if (walk.isRetainBody()) {
-			super.parseBody(walk);
-		}
 	}
 
 	/** {@inheritDoc} */