diff --git a/lib/importer.py b/lib/importer.py
index 3dc6da2..5618206 100644
--- a/lib/importer.py
+++ b/lib/importer.py
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ import functools
 import logging
 import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
 
-import psycopg2
-
 from lib.binary import is_binary_or_large
 from lib.db import DB
 from lib.db_revision import DBRevision
@@ -12,7 +10,7 @@ from lib.history import History
 from lib.obs import OBS
 from lib.obs_revision import OBSRevision
 from lib.proxy_sha256 import ProxySHA256, md5, sha256
-from lib.tree_builder import TreeBuilder
+from lib.tree_builder import AbstractWalker, TreeBuilder
 from lib.user import User
 
 
@@ -261,7 +259,13 @@ class Importer:
 
     def export_as_git(self):
         db = DB()
-        TreeBuilder(db).build(self.package).print()
+        tree = TreeBuilder(db).build(self.package)
+
+        class ExportWalker(AbstractWalker):
+            def call(self, node, is_source):
+                pass
+
+        tree.walk(ExportWalker())
 
     def import_into_db(self):
         db = DB()
diff --git a/lib/request.py b/lib/request.py
index fcdba9f..23429c7 100644
--- a/lib/request.py
+++ b/lib/request.py
@@ -61,21 +61,22 @@ class Request:
         with db.cursor() as cur:
             cur.execute("""SELECT * from requests WHERE id=%s""", (request_id,))
             row = cur.fetchone()
-        ret = Request()
-        ret._from_db(row)
-        return ret
+        return Request.from_db(row)
 
-    def _from_db(self, row):
+    @staticmethod
+    def from_db(row):
+        ret = Request()
         (
-            self.dbid,
-            self.number,
-            self.creator,
-            self.type_,
-            self.state,
-            self.source_package,
-            self.source_project,
-            self.source_rev,
+            ret.dbid,
+            ret.number,
+            ret.creator,
+            ret.type_,
+            ret.state,
+            ret.source_package,
+            ret.source_project,
+            ret.source_rev,
         ) = row
+        return ret
 
     def as_dict(self):
         return {
diff --git a/lib/tree_builder.py b/lib/tree_builder.py
index 41baa32..15ff847 100644
--- a/lib/tree_builder.py
+++ b/lib/tree_builder.py
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+from typing import Dict
+from xmlrpc.client import Boolean
+
 from lib.db_revision import DBRevision
 from lib.request import Request
 
@@ -103,24 +106,57 @@ class TreeBuilder:
     def add_merge_points(self, factory_revisions):
         """For all target revisions that accepted a request, look up the merge
         points in the source chains (ignoring the actual revision submitted for now)"""
-        source_revisions = dict()
-        factory_node = factory_revisions
-        while factory_node:
-            if factory_node.revision.request_id:
-                req = Request.find(self.db, factory_node.revision.request_id)
+
+        class FindRequestsWalker(AbstractWalker):
+            def __init__(self) -> None:
+                super().__init__()
+                self.requests = set()
+
+            def call(self, node: TreeNode, _: Boolean) -> None:
+                if not node.revision.request_id:
+                    return
+                self.requests.add(node.revision.request_id)
+
+        class FindMergeWalker(AbstractWalker):
+            def __init__(self, builder: TreeBuilder, requests: Dict) -> None:
+                super().__init__()
+                self.source_revisions = dict()
+                self.builder = builder
+                self.requests = requests
+
+            def call(self, node, is_source) -> None:
+                # not going to happen, but better safe
+                if is_source:
+                    return
+                if not node.revision.request_id:
+                    return
+                req = self.requests.get(node.revision.request_id)
                 key = f"{req.source_project}/{req.source_package}"
-                if key not in source_revisions:
-                    source_revisions[key] = self.revisions_chain(
+                if key not in self.source_revisions:
+                    self.source_revisions[key] = self.builder.revisions_chain(
                         req.source_project, req.source_package
                     )
-                factory_node.merged = self.find_merge(
-                    factory_node.revision, source_revisions[key]
+                node.merged = self.builder.find_merge(
+                    node.revision, self.source_revisions[key]
                 )
                 # add a reverse lookup
-                if factory_node.merged:
-                    factory_node.merged.merged_into = factory_node
+                if node.merged:
+                    node.merged.merged_into = node
 
-            factory_node = factory_node.parent
+        # walk the tree twice. First we collect all requests to be looked up
+        # to avoid going into the DB a thousand times
+        frqs = FindRequestsWalker()
+        factory_revisions.walk(frqs)
+        requests = dict()
+        with self.db.cursor() as cur:
+            cur.execute(
+                "SELECT * from requests WHERE id = ANY(%s)", (list(frqs.requests),)
+            )
+            for row in cur.fetchall():
+                req = Request.from_db(row)
+                requests[req.dbid] = req
+        sw = FindMergeWalker(self, requests)
+        factory_revisions.walk(sw)
 
     def prune_loose_end(self, factory_node):
         """Look for source revisions that end in a new root and prune them"""