diff --git a/doc/pages/changelog.asciidoc b/doc/pages/changelog.asciidoc
index fc9dd94c..25a45aa4 100644
--- a/doc/pages/changelog.asciidoc
+++ b/doc/pages/changelog.asciidoc
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
 This changelog contains major and/or breaking changes to Kakoune between
 released versions.
 
+== Development version
+
+* Expose history tree through `$kak_history` and
+  `$kak_uncommitted_modifications`
+
 == Kakoune 2019.12.10
 
 * Arrow keys and `<home>`, `<end>` are not normal mode commands
diff --git a/src/buffer_utils.cc b/src/buffer_utils.cc
index fe1a4fa7..67bd97fe 100644
--- a/src/buffer_utils.cc
+++ b/src/buffer_utils.cc
@@ -221,23 +221,9 @@ void write_to_debug_buffer(StringView str)
 
 InplaceString<23> to_string(Buffer::HistoryId id)
 {
-    if (id == Buffer::HistoryId::Invalid) {
-        InplaceString<23> res;
-        res.m_data[0] = '-';
-        res.m_length = 1;
-        return res;
-    } else {
-        return to_string(static_cast<size_t>(id));
-    }
-}
-
-String format_modification(const Buffer::Modification& modification, Quoting quoting)
-{
-    auto quote = quoter(quoting);
-    return quote(format("{}{}.{}|{}",
-                        modification.type == Buffer::Modification::Type::Insert ? '+' : '-',
-                        modification.coord.line, modification.coord.column,
-                        modification.content->strview()));
+    if (id == Buffer::HistoryId::Invalid)
+        return InplaceString<23>{1, "-"};
+    return to_string(static_cast<size_t>(id));
 }
 
 String history_as_string(const Vector<Buffer::HistoryNode>& history, Quoting quoting)
@@ -251,15 +237,19 @@ String history_as_string(const Vector<Buffer::HistoryNode>& history, Quoting quo
                       node.undo_group.empty() ? "" : " ",
                       undo_group_as_string(node.undo_group, quoting));
     };
-    return join(history |transform(format_history_node), ' ', false);
+    return join(history | transform(format_history_node), ' ', false);
 }
 
 String undo_group_as_string(const Buffer::UndoGroup& undo_group, Quoting quoting)
 {
     auto modification_as_string = [&](const Buffer::Modification& modification) {
-        return format_modification(modification, quoting);
+        auto quote = quoter(quoting);
+        return quote(format("{}{}.{}|{}",
+                            modification.type == Buffer::Modification::Type::Insert ? '+' : '-',
+                            modification.coord.line, modification.coord.column,
+                            modification.content->strview()));
     };
-    return join(undo_group |transform(modification_as_string), ' ', false);
+    return join(undo_group | transform(modification_as_string), ' ', false);
 }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/buffer_utils.hh b/src/buffer_utils.hh
index a7589864..e4081568 100644
--- a/src/buffer_utils.hh
+++ b/src/buffer_utils.hh
@@ -85,7 +85,6 @@ void reload_file_buffer(Buffer& buffer);
 void write_to_debug_buffer(StringView str);
 
 InplaceString<23> to_string(Buffer::HistoryId id);
-String format_modification(const Buffer::Modification& modification, Quoting quoting);
 String history_as_string(const Vector<Buffer::HistoryNode>& history, Quoting quoting);
 String undo_group_as_string(const Buffer::UndoGroup& undo_group, Quoting quoting);
 
diff --git a/test/compose/history/rc b/test/compose/history/rc
index 931d0d1c..7f83692e 100644
--- a/test/compose/history/rc
+++ b/test/compose/history/rc
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 # Make our expansion have a predictable timestamp
 hook global ClientClose .* %{
-    evaluate-commands %sh{
-        kak -f 'ghf<space>ec$timestamp<esc>2f<space>ec$timestamp<esc>' <kak_quoted_history >tmp
-        mv tmp kak_quoted_history
+    nop %sh{
+        kak -f 'ghf<space>ec$timestamp<esc>2f<space>ec$timestamp<esc>' kak_quoted_history
     }
 }