diff --git a/include/maxscale/session_command.hh b/include/maxscale/session_command.hh
index d1782113a..75a846ded 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/session_command.hh
+++ b/include/maxscale/session_command.hh
@@ -89,6 +89,17 @@ public:
      */
     bool eq(const SessionCommand& rhs) const;
 
+    /**
+     * Mark the session command as a re-execution of another command
+     *
+     * This function makes the current command's buffer a reference to the other
+     * command's buffer. The commands will still have separate positions and
+     * reply statuses.
+     *
+     * @param rhs Session command whose data is used
+     */
+    void mark_as_duplicate(const SessionCommand& rhs);
+
 private:
     mxs::Buffer m_buffer;    /**< The buffer containing the command */
     uint8_t     m_command;   /**< The command being executed */
diff --git a/server/core/session_command.cc b/server/core/session_command.cc
index 241a75bc4..24d3b907a 100644
--- a/server/core/session_command.cc
+++ b/server/core/session_command.cc
@@ -92,4 +92,11 @@ std::string SessionCommand::to_string()
     return str;
 }
 
+void SessionCommand::mark_as_duplicate(const SessionCommand& rhs)
+{
+    ss_dassert(eq(rhs));
+    // The commands now share the mxs::Buffer that contains the actual command
+    m_buffer = rhs.m_buffer;
+}
+
 }
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplit_route_stmt.cc b/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplit_route_stmt.cc
index 347046ab0..d91768ab7 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplit_route_stmt.cc
+++ b/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplit_route_stmt.cc
@@ -368,52 +368,27 @@ bool RWSplitSession::route_single_stmt(GWBUF *querybuf)
 }
 
 /**
- * Purge session command history
+ * Compress session command history
+ *
+ * This function removes data duplication by sharing buffers between session
+ * commands that have identical data. Only one copy of the actual data is stored
+ * for each unique session command.
  *
  * @param sescmd Executed session command
  */
-void RWSplitSession::purge_history(mxs::SSessionCommand& sescmd)
+void RWSplitSession::compress_history(mxs::SSessionCommand& sescmd)
 {
-    /**
-     * We can try to purge duplicate text protocol session commands. This
-     * makes the history size smaller but at the cost of being able to handle
-     * the more complex user variable modifications. To keep the best of both
-     * worlds, keeping the first and last copy of each command should be
-     * an adequate compromise. This way executing the following SQL will still
-     * produce the correct result.
-     *
-     * USE test;
-     * SET @myvar = (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM t1);
-     * USE test;
-     *
-     * Another option would be to keep the first session command but that would
-     * require more work to be done in the session command response processing.
-     * This would be a better alternative but the gain might not be optimal.
-     */
-
-    // As the PS handles map to explicit IDs, we must retain all COM_STMT_PREPARE commands
-    if (sescmd->get_command() != MXS_COM_STMT_PREPARE)
+    auto eq = [&](mxs::SSessionCommand& scmd)
     {
-        auto eq = [&](mxs::SSessionCommand& scmd)
-        {
-            return scmd->eq(*sescmd);
-        };
+        return scmd->eq(*sescmd);
+    };
 
-        auto first = std::find_if(m_sescmd_list.begin(), m_sescmd_list.end(), eq);
+    auto first = std::find_if(m_sescmd_list.begin(), m_sescmd_list.end(), eq);
 
-        if (first != m_sescmd_list.end())
-        {
-            // We have at least one of these commands. See if we have a second one
-            auto second = std::find_if(std::next(first), m_sescmd_list.end(), eq);
-
-            if (second != m_sescmd_list.end())
-            {
-                // We have a total of three commands, remove the middle one
-                auto old_cmd = *second;
-                m_sescmd_responses.erase(old_cmd->get_position());
-                m_sescmd_list.erase(second);
-            }
-        }
+    if (first != m_sescmd_list.end())
+    {
+        // Duplicate command, use a reference of the old command instead of duplicating it
+        sescmd->mark_as_duplicate(**first);
     }
 }
 
@@ -541,7 +516,7 @@ bool RWSplitSession::route_session_write(GWBUF *querybuf, uint8_t command, uint3
     }
     else
     {
-        purge_history(sescmd);
+        compress_history(sescmd);
         m_sescmd_list.push_back(sescmd);
     }
 
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplitsession.hh b/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplitsession.hh
index ac2e1bdb3..2826e8d79 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplitsession.hh
+++ b/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/rwsplitsession.hh
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ private:
                    const mxs::SRWBackendList& backends, const mxs::SRWBackend& master);
 
     void process_sescmd_response(mxs::SRWBackend& backend, GWBUF** ppPacket);
-    void purge_history(mxs::SSessionCommand& sescmd);
+    void compress_history(mxs::SSessionCommand& sescmd);
 
     bool route_session_write(GWBUF *querybuf, uint8_t command, uint32_t type);
     void continue_large_session_write(GWBUF *querybuf, uint32_t type);