diff --git a/modules/actions/split.js b/modules/actions/split.js
index 943b79579..6d6795b1e 100644
--- a/modules/actions/split.js
+++ b/modules/actions/split.js
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ import { utilArrayIntersection, utilWrap } from '../util';
 //
 export function actionSplit(nodeId, newWayIds) {
     var _wayIDs;
+    // the strategy for picking which way will have a new version and which way is newly created
+    var _keepHistoryOn = 'longest'; // 'longest', 'first'
 
     // The IDs of the ways actually created by running this action
     var createdWayIDs = [];
@@ -115,7 +117,8 @@ export function actionSplit(nodeId, newWayIds) {
             nodesB = wayA.nodes.slice(idx);
         }
 
-        if (totalLengthBetweenNodes(graph, nodesB) > totalLengthBetweenNodes(graph, nodesA)) {
+        if (_keepHistoryOn === 'longest' &&
+            totalLengthBetweenNodes(graph, nodesB) > totalLengthBetweenNodes(graph, nodesA)) {
             // keep the history on the longer way, regardless of the node count
             wayA = wayA.update({ nodes: nodesB });
             wayB = wayB.update({ nodes: nodesA });
@@ -279,5 +282,12 @@ export function actionSplit(nodeId, newWayIds) {
     };
 
 
+    action.keepHistoryOn = function(val) {
+        if (!arguments.length) return _keepHistoryOn;
+        _keepHistoryOn = val;
+        return action;
+    };
+
+
     return action;
 }
diff --git a/modules/osm/intersection.js b/modules/osm/intersection.js
index 72bbc93dc..39b1f98db 100644
--- a/modules/osm/intersection.js
+++ b/modules/osm/intersection.js
@@ -164,10 +164,10 @@ export function osmIntersection(graph, startVertexId, maxDistance) {
         // actions can be replayed on the main graph exactly in the same order.
         // (It is unintuitive, but the order of ways returned from graph.parentWays()
         // is arbitrary, depending on how the main graph and vgraph were built)
-        var splitAll = actionSplit(v.id);
+        var splitAll = actionSplit(v.id).keepHistoryOn('first');
         if (!splitAll.disabled(vgraph)) {
             splitAll.ways(vgraph).forEach(function(way) {
-                var splitOne = actionSplit(v.id).limitWays([way.id]);
+                var splitOne = actionSplit(v.id).limitWays([way.id]).keepHistoryOn('first');
                 actions.push(splitOne);
                 vgraph = splitOne(vgraph);
             });
diff --git a/test/spec/actions/split.js b/test/spec/actions/split.js
index 164792223..1e5c4aca0 100644
--- a/test/spec/actions/split.js
+++ b/test/spec/actions/split.js
@@ -307,8 +307,8 @@ describe('iD.actionSplit', function () {
             ]);
 
             var g1 = iD.actionSplit('a', ['='])(graph);
-            expect(g1.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['a', 'b', 'c']);
-            expect(g1.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['c', 'd', 'a']);
+            expect(g1.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['c', 'd', 'a']);
+            expect(g1.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['a', 'b', 'c']);
 
             var g2 = iD.actionSplit('b', ['='])(graph);
             expect(g2.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['b', 'c', 'd']);
@@ -319,8 +319,8 @@ describe('iD.actionSplit', function () {
             expect(g3.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['a', 'b', 'c']);
 
             var g4 = iD.actionSplit('d', ['='])(graph);
-            expect(g4.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['d', 'a', 'b']);
-            expect(g4.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['b', 'c', 'd']);
+            expect(g4.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['b', 'c', 'd']);
+            expect(g4.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['d', 'a', 'b']);
         });
     });
 
@@ -957,17 +957,17 @@ describe('iD.actionSplit', function () {
             it('splits spoon2 route at d', function () {
                 //
                 // Expected result:
-                //    b <-- c
-                //    ‖     |
-                //    a ==> d ~~~> e ~~~> f
+                //    b <== c
+                //    |     ‖
+                //    a --> d ~~~> e ~~~> f
                 //
                 //    Relation: ['~', '-', '=', '~']
                 //
                 var graph = spoon2;
                 graph = iD.actionSplit('d', ['='])(graph);
 
-                expect(graph.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['d', 'c', 'b']);
-                expect(graph.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['b', 'a', 'd']);
+                expect(graph.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['b', 'a', 'd']);
+                expect(graph.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['d', 'c', 'b']);
                 expect(graph.entity('~').nodes).to.eql(['d', 'e', 'f']);
                 expect(members(graph)).to.eql(['~', '-', '=', '~']);
             });
@@ -993,17 +993,17 @@ describe('iD.actionSplit', function () {
             it('splits spoon4 route at d', function () {
                 //
                 // Expected result:
-                //    b <-- c
-                //    ‖     |
-                //    a ==> d <~~~ e <~~~ f
+                //    b <== c
+                //    |     ‖
+                //    a --> d <~~~ e <~~~ f
                 //
                 //    Relation: ['~', '-', '=', '~']
                 //
                 var graph = spoon4;
                 graph = iD.actionSplit('d', ['='])(graph);
 
-                expect(graph.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['d', 'c', 'b']);
-                expect(graph.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['b', 'a', 'd']);
+                expect(graph.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['b', 'a', 'd']);
+                expect(graph.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['d', 'c', 'b']);
                 expect(graph.entity('~').nodes).to.eql(['f', 'e', 'd']);
                 expect(members(graph)).to.eql(['~', '-', '=', '~']);
             });
@@ -1130,8 +1130,8 @@ describe('iD.actionSplit', function () {
 
                 graph = iD.actionSplit('b', ['~'])(graph);
 
-                expect(graph.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['a', 'b']);
-                expect(graph.entity('~').nodes).to.eql(['b', 'c']);
+                expect(graph.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['b', 'c']);
+                expect(graph.entity('~').nodes).to.eql(['a', 'b']);
                 expect(graph.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['a', 'b', 'c', 'a']);
                 expect(graph.parentRelations(graph.entity('='))).to.have.length(0);
             });