diff --git a/peep.c b/peep.c
index 5980ea1c2fca..6bbe66f905cc 100644
--- a/peep.c
+++ b/peep.c
@@ -3124,6 +3124,43 @@ Perl_rpeep(pTHX_ OP *o)
 
         case OP_PUSHMARK:
 
+            /* Given
+                   pushmark
+                   null
+                   something_else
+               Take out the null wherever possible.
+            */
+            while (OP_TYPE_IS(o->op_next, OP_NULL)) {
+                OP* next = o->op_next;
+                o->op_next = next->op_next;
+                if (OpSIBLING(o) == next &&
+                    next->op_moresib &&
+                    !(next->op_flags & OPf_KIDS)) {
+                    op_sibling_splice(NULL, o, 1, NULL);
+                    op_free(next);
+                }
+            }
+
+            /* Given
+                   list (in scalar context)
+                     pushmark
+                     something
+               The pushmark & list OPs are unnecessary.
+            */
+
+            {
+                OP *nn = o->op_next->op_next;
+                if (OP_TYPE_IS(nn, OP_LIST) &&
+                    ((nn->op_flags & OPf_WANT) == OPf_WANT_SCALAR) ) {
+                    if (oldop)
+                        oldop->op_next = o->op_next;
+                    o->op_next->op_next = nn->op_next;
+                    op_null(nn);
+                    op_null(o);
+                    oldop = NULL; oldoldop = NULL;
+                }
+            }
+
             /* Given
                  5 repeat/DOLIST
                  3   ex-list