diff --git a/js/id/actions/orthogonalize.js b/js/id/actions/orthogonalize.js
index d87b03798..6789768c8 100644
--- a/js/id/actions/orthogonalize.js
+++ b/js/id/actions/orthogonalize.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ iD.actions.Orthogonalize = function(wayId, projection) {
         var way = graph.entity(wayId),
             nodes = graph.childNodes(way),
             corner = {i: 0, dotp: 1},
+            epsilon = 1e-8,
             points, i, j, score, motions;
 
         if (nodes.length === 4) {
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ iD.actions.Orthogonalize = function(wayId, projection) {
         } else {
             var best;
             points = _.uniq(nodes).map(function(n) { return projection(n.loc); });
-            score = squareness();
+            score = Infinity;
 
             for (i = 0; i < 1000; i++) {
                 motions = points.map(calcMotion);
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ iD.actions.Orthogonalize = function(wayId, projection) {
                     best = _.clone(points);
                     score = newScore;
                 }
-                if (score < 1.0e-8) {
+                if (score < epsilon) {
                     break;
                 }
             }
@@ -49,6 +50,30 @@ iD.actions.Orthogonalize = function(wayId, projection) {
                 graph = graph.replace(graph.entity(nodes[i].id)
                     .move(projection.invert(points[i])));
             }
+
+            // remove empty nodes on straight sections
+            for (i = 0; i < points.length; i++) {
+                var node = nodes[i],
+                    a, b, c, p, q, dotp;
+
+                if (graph.parentWays(node).length > 1 || 
+                    graph.parentRelations(node).length || 
+                    node.hasInterestingTags()) {
+
+                    continue;
+                }
+
+                a = points[(i - 1 + points.length) % points.length];
+                b = points[i];
+                c = points[(i + 1) % points.length];
+                p = normalizePoint(subtractPoints(a, b), 1.0);
+                q = normalizePoint(subtractPoints(c, b), 1.0);
+                dotp = p[0] * q[0] + p[1] * q[1];
+
+                if (dotp < -1 + epsilon) {
+                    graph = iD.actions.DeleteNode(nodes[i].id)(graph);
+                }
+            }
         }
 
         return graph;
diff --git a/js/id/actions/straighten.js b/js/id/actions/straighten.js
index 3dc703d8d..535f90a7a 100644
--- a/js/id/actions/straighten.js
+++ b/js/id/actions/straighten.js
@@ -21,7 +21,10 @@ iD.actions.Straighten = function(wayId, projection) {
             var node = nodes[i], 
                 point = points[i];
 
-            if (graph.parentWays(node).length > 1 || (node.tags && Object.keys(node.tags).length)) {
+            if (graph.parentWays(node).length > 1 || 
+                graph.parentRelations(node).length || 
+                node.hasInterestingTags()) {
+
                 var u = positionAlongWay(point, startPoint, endPoint),
                     p0 = startPoint[0] + u * (endPoint[0] - startPoint[0]),
                     p1 = startPoint[1] + u * (endPoint[1] - startPoint[1]),
diff --git a/test/spec/actions/orthogonalize.js b/test/spec/actions/orthogonalize.js
index 7a5e2f193..396403749 100644
--- a/test/spec/actions/orthogonalize.js
+++ b/test/spec/actions/orthogonalize.js
@@ -1,6 +1,20 @@
 describe("iD.actions.Orthogonalize", function () {
     var projection = d3.geo.mercator();
 
+    it("orthogonalizes a perfect quad", function () {
+        var graph = iD.Graph({
+                'a': iD.Node({id: 'a', loc: [0, 0]}),
+                'b': iD.Node({id: 'b', loc: [2, 0]}),
+                'c': iD.Node({id: 'c', loc: [2, 2]}),
+                'd': iD.Node({id: 'd', loc: [0, 2]}),
+                '-': iD.Way({id: '-', nodes: ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'a']})
+            });
+
+        graph = iD.actions.Orthogonalize('-', projection)(graph);
+
+        expect(graph.entity('-').nodes).to.have.length(5);
+    });
+
     it("orthogonalizes a quad", function () {
         var graph = iD.Graph({
                 'a': iD.Node({id: 'a', loc: [0, 0]}),
@@ -28,6 +42,37 @@ describe("iD.actions.Orthogonalize", function () {
         expect(graph.entity('-').nodes).to.have.length(4);
     });
 
+    it("deletes empty redundant nodes", function() {
+        var graph = iD.Graph({
+                'a': iD.Node({id: 'a', loc: [0, 0]}),
+                'b': iD.Node({id: 'b', loc: [2, 0]}),
+                'c': iD.Node({id: 'c', loc: [2, 2]}),
+                'd': iD.Node({id: 'd', loc: [1, 2]}),
+                'e': iD.Node({id: 'e', loc: [0, 2]}),
+                '-': iD.Way({id: '-', nodes: ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'a']})
+            });
+
+        graph = iD.actions.Orthogonalize('-', projection)(graph);
+
+        expect(graph.hasEntity('d')).to.eq(undefined);
+    });
+
+    it("preserves non empty redundant nodes", function() {
+        var graph = iD.Graph({
+                'a': iD.Node({id: 'a', loc: [0, 0]}),
+                'b': iD.Node({id: 'b', loc: [2, 0]}),
+                'c': iD.Node({id: 'c', loc: [2, 2]}),
+                'd': iD.Node({id: 'd', loc: [1, 2], tags: {foo: 'bar'}}),
+                'e': iD.Node({id: 'e', loc: [0, 2]}),
+                '-': iD.Way({id: '-', nodes: ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'a']})
+            });
+
+        graph = iD.actions.Orthogonalize('-', projection)(graph);
+        
+        expect(graph.entity('-').nodes).to.have.length(6);
+        expect(graph.hasEntity('d')).to.not.eq(undefined);
+    });
+
     it("preserves the shape of skinny quads", function () {
         var tests = [
             [
diff --git a/test/spec/actions/straighten.js b/test/spec/actions/straighten.js
index d1f6ca43c..9278d3bc8 100644
--- a/test/spec/actions/straighten.js
+++ b/test/spec/actions/straighten.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ describe("iD.actions.Straighten", function () {
 
         graph = iD.actions.Straighten('-', projection)(graph);
         
-        expect(graph.hasEntity('b')).to.be.undefined;
+        expect(graph.hasEntity('b')).to.eq(undefined);
     });
 
     it("does not delete tagged nodes", function() {