diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
index 6ab86e3ac..baef8d69c 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
@@ -774,7 +774,7 @@ sub use_forward_chain($$) {
     my ( $interface, $chainref ) = @_;
     my $interfaceref = find_interface($interface);
 
-    return 1 if $globals{UNOPTIMIZED} && @{$chainref->{rules}};
+    return 1 if @{$chainref->{rules}} && ( $config{OPTIMIZE} & 4096 );
     #
     # We must use the interfaces's chain if the interface is associated with multiple zone nets
     #
@@ -813,7 +813,7 @@ sub use_input_chain($$) {
     my $interfaceref = find_interface($interface);
     my $nets = $interfaceref->{nets};
 
-    return 1 if $globals{UNOPTIMIZED} && @{$chainref->{rules}};
+    return 1 if @{$chainref->{rules}} && ( $config{OPTIMIZE} & 4096 );
     #
     # We must use the interfaces's chain if:
     #
@@ -870,10 +870,12 @@ sub use_output_chain($$) {
     my ( $interface, $chainref)  = @_;
     my $interfaceref = find_interface($interface);
     my $nets = $interfaceref->{nets};
+
+    return 1 if @{$chainref->{rules}} && ( $config{OPTIMIZE} & 4096 );
     #
     # We must use the interfaces's chain if the interface is associated with multiple zone nets
     #
-    return 1 if $nets > 1 || ( $globals{UNOPTIMIZED} && @{$chainref->{rules}} );
+    return 1 if $nets > 1;
     #
     # Don't need it if it isn't associated with any zone
     #
diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
index e403cc8a8..242c27572 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
@@ -338,7 +338,6 @@ sub initialize( $ ) {
 		    TC_SCRIPT => '',
 		    EXPORT => 0,
 		    UNTRACKED => 0,
-		    UNOPTIMIZED => 0,
 		    VERSION => "4.4.8-RC1",
 		    CAPVERSION => 40408 ,
 		  );
@@ -3003,12 +3002,7 @@ sub get_configuration( $ ) {
 
     $val = numeric_value $config{OPTIMIZE};
 
-    fatal_error "Invalid OPTIMIZE value ($config{OPTIMIZE})" unless defined( $val ) && $val >= -1 && $val <= 7;
-
-    if ( $val == -1 ) {
-	$config{OPTIMIZE} = 0;
-	$globals{UNOPTIMIZED} = 1;
-    }
+    fatal_error "Invalid OPTIMIZE value ($config{OPTIMIZE})" unless defined( $val ) && $val >= 0 && ( $val & ( 4096 ^ -1 ) ) <= 7;
 
     $globals{MARKING_CHAIN} = $config{MARK_IN_FORWARD_CHAIN} ? 'tcfor' : 'tcpre';