diff --git a/mercurial/ancestor.py b/mercurial/ancestor.py
--- a/mercurial/ancestor.py
+++ b/mercurial/ancestor.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 
-import collections
 import heapq
 
 from .node import nullrev
@@ -305,14 +304,15 @@ class lazyancestors(object):
         """Generate the ancestors of _initrevs in reverse topological order.
 
         If inclusive is False, yield a sequence of revision numbers starting
-        with the parents of each revision in revs, i.e., each revision is *not*
-        considered an ancestor of itself.  Results are in breadth-first order:
-        parents of each rev in revs, then parents of those, etc.
+        with the parents of each revision in revs, i.e., each revision is
+        *not* considered an ancestor of itself. Results are emitted in reverse
+        revision number order. That order is also topological: a child is
+        always emitted before its parent.
 
         If inclusive is True, yield all the revs first (ignoring stoprev),
-        then yield all the ancestors of revs as when inclusive is False.
-        If an element in revs is an ancestor of a different rev it is not
-        yielded again."""
+        then yield all the ancestors of revs as when inclusive is False. If an
+        element in revs is an ancestor of a different rev it is not yielded
+        again."""
         seen = set()
         revs = self._initrevs
         if self._inclusive:
@@ -322,17 +322,27 @@ class lazyancestors(object):
 
         parentrevs = self._parentrevs
         stoprev = self._stoprev
-        visit = collections.deque(revs)
+        visit = []
+        heapq.heapify(visit)
+        schedule = heapq.heappush
+        nextitem = heapq.heappop
+        see = seen.add
+        see(nullrev)
 
-        see = seen.add
-        schedule = visit.append
+        for r in revs:
+            for parent in parentrevs(r):
+                if parent not in seen:
+                    schedule(visit, -parent)
+                    see(parent)
 
         while visit:
-            for parent in parentrevs(visit.popleft()):
-                if parent >= stoprev and parent not in seen:
-                    schedule(parent)
-                    see(parent)
-                    yield parent
+            current = -nextitem(visit)
+            if current >= stoprev:
+                yield current
+                for parent in parentrevs(current):
+                    if parent not in seen:
+                        schedule(visit, -parent)
+                        see(parent)
 
     def __contains__(self, target):
         """Test whether target is an ancestor of self._initrevs."""
diff --git a/tests/test-ancestor.py.out b/tests/test-ancestor.py.out
--- a/tests/test-ancestor.py.out
+++ b/tests/test-ancestor.py.out
@@ -3,16 +3,16 @@ membership: []
 iteration:  []
 % lazy ancestor set for [11, 13], stoprev = 0, inclusive = False
 membership: [7, 8, 3, 4, 1, 0]
-iteration:  [3, 7, 8, 1, 4, 0, 2]
+iteration:  [8, 7, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0]
 % lazy ancestor set for [1, 3], stoprev = 0, inclusive = False
 membership: [1, 0]
-iteration:  [0, 1]
+iteration:  [1, 0]
 % lazy ancestor set for [11, 13], stoprev = 0, inclusive = True
 membership: [11, 13, 7, 8, 3, 4, 1, 0]
-iteration:  [11, 13, 3, 7, 8, 1, 4, 0, 2]
+iteration:  [11, 13, 8, 7, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0]
 % lazy ancestor set for [11, 13], stoprev = 6, inclusive = False
 membership: [7, 8]
-iteration:  [7, 8]
+iteration:  [8, 7]
 % lazy ancestor set for [11, 13], stoprev = 6, inclusive = True
 membership: [11, 13, 7, 8]
-iteration:  [11, 13, 7, 8]
+iteration:  [11, 13, 8, 7]
diff --git a/tests/test-issue5979.t b/tests/test-issue5979.t
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test-issue5979.t
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+  $ hg init r1
+  $ cd r1
+  $ hg ci --config ui.allowemptycommit=true -m c0
+  $ hg ci --config ui.allowemptycommit=true -m c1
+  $ hg ci --config ui.allowemptycommit=true -m c2
+  $ hg co -q 0
+  $ hg ci --config ui.allowemptycommit=true -m c3
+  created new head
+  $ hg co -q 3
+  $ hg merge --quiet
+  $ hg ci --config ui.allowemptycommit=true -m c4
+
+  $ hg log -G -T'{desc}'
+  @    c4
+  |\
+  | o  c3
+  | |
+  o |  c2
+  | |
+  o |  c1
+  |/
+  o  c0
+  
+
+  >>> from mercurial.ui import ui
+  >>> from mercurial.hg import repository
+  >>> repo = repository(ui())
+  >>> for anc in repo.changelog.ancestors([4], inclusive=True):
+  ...   print(anc)
+  4
+  3
+  2
+  1
+  0
diff --git a/tests/test-revlog-ancestry.py.out b/tests/test-revlog-ancestry.py.out
--- a/tests/test-revlog-ancestry.py.out
+++ b/tests/test-revlog-ancestry.py.out
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 Ancestors of 5
 4 2 0 
 Ancestors of 6 and 5
-3 4 2 1 0 
+4 3 2 1 0 
 Ancestors of 5 and 4
 4 2 0 
 Ancestors of 7, stop at 6
 6 
 Ancestors of 7, including revs
-7 6 5 3 4 2 1 0 
+7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 
 Ancestors of 7, 5 and 3, including revs
 7 5 3 6 4 2 1 0