diff --git a/mercurial/commands.py b/mercurial/commands.py
--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -248,11 +248,11 @@ def revrange(ui, repo, revs):
             seen[rev] = 1
             yield str(rev)
 
-def make_filename(repo, r, pat, node=None,
+def make_filename(repo, pat, node,
                   total=None, seqno=None, revwidth=None, pathname=None):
     node_expander = {
         'H': lambda: hex(node),
-        'R': lambda: str(r.rev(node)),
+        'R': lambda: str(repo.changelog.rev(node)),
         'h': lambda: short(node),
         }
     expander = {
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ def make_filename(repo, r, pat, node=Non
         raise util.Abort(_("invalid format spec '%%%s' in output file name"),
                     inst.args[0])
 
-def make_file(repo, r, pat, node=None,
+def make_file(repo, pat, node=None,
               total=None, seqno=None, revwidth=None, mode='wb', pathname=None):
     if not pat or pat == '-':
         return 'w' in mode and sys.stdout or sys.stdin
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ def make_file(repo, r, pat, node=None,
         return pat
     if hasattr(pat, 'read') and 'r' in mode:
         return pat
-    return open(make_filename(repo, r, pat, node, total, seqno, revwidth,
+    return open(make_filename(repo, pat, node, total, seqno, revwidth,
                               pathname),
                 mode)
 
@@ -741,15 +741,18 @@ def annotate(ui, repo, *pats, **opts):
 
     ucache = {}
     def getname(rev):
-        cl = repo.changelog.read(repo.changelog.node(rev))
-        return trimuser(ui, cl[1], rev, ucache)
+        try:
+            return ucache[rev]
+        except:
+            u = trimuser(ui, repo.changectx(rev).user(), rev, ucache)
+            ucache[rev] = u
+            return u
 
     dcache = {}
     def getdate(rev):
         datestr = dcache.get(rev)
         if datestr is None:
-            cl = repo.changelog.read(repo.changelog.node(rev))
-            datestr = dcache[rev] = util.datestr(cl[2])
+            datestr = dcache[rev] = util.datestr(repo.changectx(rev).date())
         return datestr
 
     if not pats:
@@ -760,20 +763,15 @@ def annotate(ui, repo, *pats, **opts):
     if not opts['user'] and not opts['changeset'] and not opts['date']:
         opts['number'] = 1
 
-    if opts['rev']:
-        node = repo.changelog.lookup(opts['rev'])
-    else:
-        node = repo.dirstate.parents()[0]
-    change = repo.changelog.read(node)
-    mmap = repo.manifest.read(change[0])
+    ctx = repo.changectx(opts['rev'] or repo.dirstate.parents()[0])
 
     for src, abs, rel, exact in walk(repo, pats, opts, node=node):
-        f = repo.file(abs)
-        if not opts['text'] and util.binary(f.read(mmap[abs])):
+        fctx = ctx.filectx(abs)
+        if not opts['text'] and util.binary(fctx.data()):
             ui.write(_("%s: binary file\n") % ((pats and rel) or abs))
             continue
 
-        lines = f.annotate(mmap[abs])
+        lines = fctx.annotate()
         pieces = []
 
         for o, f in opmap:
@@ -819,7 +817,7 @@ def archive(ui, repo, dest, **opts):
             raise util.Abort(_('uncommitted merge - please provide a '
                                'specific revision'))
 
-    dest = make_filename(repo, repo.changelog, dest, node)
+    dest = make_filename(repo, dest, node)
     if os.path.realpath(dest) == repo.root:
         raise util.Abort(_('repository root cannot be destination'))
     dummy, matchfn, dummy = matchpats(repo, [], opts)
@@ -830,7 +828,7 @@ def archive(ui, repo, dest, **opts):
             raise util.Abort(_('cannot archive plain files to stdout'))
         dest = sys.stdout
         if not prefix: prefix = os.path.basename(repo.root) + '-%h'
-    prefix = make_filename(repo, repo.changelog, prefix, node)
+    prefix = make_filename(repo, prefix, node)
     archival.archive(repo, dest, node, kind, not opts['no_decode'],
                      matchfn, prefix)
 
@@ -920,19 +918,10 @@ def cat(ui, repo, file1, *pats, **opts):
     %d   dirname of file being printed, or '.' if in repo root
     %p   root-relative path name of file being printed
     """
-    mf = {}
-    rev = opts['rev']
-    if rev:
-        node = repo.lookup(rev)
-    else:
-        node = repo.changelog.tip()
-    change = repo.changelog.read(node)
-    mf = repo.manifest.read(change[0])
-    for src, abs, rel, exact in walk(repo, (file1,) + pats, opts, node):
-        r = repo.file(abs)
-        n = mf[abs]
-        fp = make_file(repo, r, opts['output'], node=n, pathname=abs)
-        fp.write(r.read(n))
+    ctx = repo.changectx(opts['rev'] or -1)
+    for src, abs, rel, exact in walk(repo, (file1,) + pats, opts, ctx.node()):
+        fp = make_file(repo, opts['output'], ctx.node(), pathname=abs)
+        fp.write(ctx.filectx(abs).data())
 
 def clone(ui, source, dest=None, **opts):
     """make a copy of an existing repository
@@ -1501,8 +1490,7 @@ def doexport(ui, repo, changeset, seqno,
     prev = (parents and parents[0]) or nullid
     change = repo.changelog.read(node)
 
-    fp = make_file(repo, repo.changelog, opts['output'],
-                   node=node, total=total, seqno=seqno,
+    fp = make_file(repo, opts['output'], node, total=total, seqno=seqno,
                    revwidth=revwidth)
     if fp != sys.stdout:
         ui.note("%s\n" % fp.name)