diff --git a/edenscm/mercurial/commands/debugmutation.py b/edenscm/mercurial/commands/debugmutation.py
index 7a16092c7e..45e60e52f5 100644
--- a/edenscm/mercurial/commands/debugmutation.py
+++ b/edenscm/mercurial/commands/debugmutation.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# debugmutation.py - command processing for debugmutation* commands
+# debugmutation.py - command processing for debug commands for mutation and visbility
 #
 # Copyright 2019 Facebook, Inc.
 #
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 
-from .. import mutation, node as nodemod, pycompat, registrar, scmutil, util
+from .. import mutation, node as nodemod, pycompat, registrar, scmutil, util, visibility
 from ..i18n import _
 
 
@@ -183,3 +183,25 @@ def debugmutationfromobsmarkers(ui, repo, **opts):
     with repo.lock():
         count = mutation.recordentries(repo, entries, skipexisting=False)
         repo.ui.write(_("wrote %s entries\n") % count)
+
+
+@command("debugvisibility", [], subonly=True)
+def debugvisibility(ui, repo):
+    """control visibility tracking"""
+
+
+subcmd = debugvisibility.subcommand()
+
+
+@subcmd("start", [])
+def debugvisibilitystart(ui, repo):
+    """start tracking commit visibility explicitly"""
+    visibility.starttracking(repo)
+    return 0
+
+
+@subcmd("stop", [])
+def debugvisibilitystop(ui, repo):
+    """stop tracking commit visibility explicitly"""
+    visibility.stoptracking(repo)
+    return 0
diff --git a/edenscm/mercurial/configitems.py b/edenscm/mercurial/configitems.py
index 573d34af88..c96785d9ae 100644
--- a/edenscm/mercurial/configitems.py
+++ b/edenscm/mercurial/configitems.py
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ coreconfigitem("ui", "enableincomingoutgoing", default=True)
 coreconfigitem("unsafe", "filtersuspectsymlink", default=True)
 coreconfigitem("unsafe", "wvfsauditorcache", default=False)
 coreconfigitem("verify", "skipflags", default=None)
-coreconfigitem("visibility", "tracking", default="auto")
+coreconfigitem("visibility", "enabled", default=False)
 coreconfigitem("web", "allowbz2", default=False)
 coreconfigitem("web", "allowgz", default=False)
 coreconfigitem("web", "allow-pull", alias=[("web", "allowpull")], default=True)
diff --git a/edenscm/mercurial/help/config.txt b/edenscm/mercurial/help/config.txt
index 68e3cf4aab..bc7d42a143 100644
--- a/edenscm/mercurial/help/config.txt
+++ b/edenscm/mercurial/help/config.txt
@@ -2325,29 +2325,15 @@ User interface controls.
 ``visibility``
 --------------
 
-Controls how Mercurial determines commit visibility.
+Controls how Mercurial determines commit visibility.  Mercurial
+can optionally track which commits are visible explicitly, or it
+can determine them implicitly from obsolescence markers.
 
-``forceobsolete``
-    Force the use of obsolescence information for visibility, even if
-    the ``visibleheads`` requirement is set in the repo.
-
-``tracking``
-    Whether to track commit visibility.  (default: auto)
-
-    ``off``
-      Use obsolescence markers to determine visibility.  Only commits
-      that have not been obsoleted are visible.
-
-    ``on``
-      Explicitly track visibility of commits using a set of visible
-      heads. Only commits that are ancestors of the visible heads are
-      visible.  This adds the ``visibleheads`` requirement to the
-      repository store, so it cannot be used by versions of Mercurial
-      that do not track visibleheads.
-
-    ``auto``
-      Use visible heads if the repository store has the ``visibleheads``
-      requirement, otherwise use ``obsolescence``.
+``enabled``
+    Set to true to use explicit tracking of commit visibility if
+    the ``visibleheads`` requirement is set in the repo.  If False,
+    or if the ``visibleheads`` requirement is not set in the repo,
+    then obsolescence markers will be used to determine visibility.
 
 
 ``web``
diff --git a/edenscm/mercurial/localrepo.py b/edenscm/mercurial/localrepo.py
index 2a8e0d2029..db4cf3b15a 100644
--- a/edenscm/mercurial/localrepo.py
+++ b/edenscm/mercurial/localrepo.py
@@ -774,7 +774,7 @@ class localrepository(object):
 
     @storecache("visibleheads")
     def _visibleheads(self):
-        return visibility.makevisibleheads(self.ui, self)
+        return visibility.visibleheads(self.ui, self)
 
     @storecache("obsstore")
     def obsstore(self):
@@ -2656,4 +2656,9 @@ def newreporequirements(repo):
 
 
 def newrepostorerequirements(repo):
-    return set()
+    ui = repo.ui
+    requirements = set()
+    if ui.configbool("visibility", "enabled"):
+        requirements.add("visibleheads")
+
+    return requirements
diff --git a/edenscm/mercurial/visibility.py b/edenscm/mercurial/visibility.py
index 7f22f2597c..f4cd809c44 100644
--- a/edenscm/mercurial/visibility.py
+++ b/edenscm/mercurial/visibility.py
@@ -9,16 +9,32 @@ from __future__ import absolute_import
 
 import errno
 
-from edenscm.mercurial import error, node, util
-from edenscm.mercurial.i18n import _
+from edenscm.mercurial import error, node
 
 
 def _convertfromobsolete(repo):
     """convert obsolete markers into a set of visible heads"""
     with repo.ui.configoverride(
-        {("mutation", "enabled"): False}, "convertfromobsolete"
+        {("mutation", "enabled"): False, ("visibility", "enabled"): False},
+        "convertfromobsolete",
     ):
-        return set(repo.unfiltered().nodes("heads((not public()) - obsolete())"))
+        return set(repo.unfiltered().nodes("heads((not public()) - hidden())"))
+
+
+def starttracking(repo):
+    if "visibleheads" not in repo.storerequirements:
+        with repo.lock():
+            repo.storerequirements.add("visibleheads")
+            repo._writestorerequirements()
+
+
+def stoptracking(repo):
+    if "visibleheads" in repo.storerequirements:
+        with repo.lock():
+            repo.storerequirements.discard("visibleheads")
+            repo._writestorerequirements()
+    if repo.svfs.lexists("visibleheads"):
+        repo.svfs.tryunlink("visibleheads")
 
 
 # Supported file format version.
@@ -145,71 +161,42 @@ class visibleheads(object):
         return hidden
 
 
-def makevisibleheads(ui, repo):
-    tracking = ui.config("visibility", "tracking", "auto")
-    if tracking != "auto":
-        trackingbool = util.parsebool(tracking)
-        if trackingbool is None:
-            raise error.ConfigError(
-                _("visibility.tracking not valid ('%s' is not 'auto' or boolean)")
-                % tracking
-            )
-        if trackingbool:
-            if "visibleheads" not in repo.storerequirements:
-                repo.storerequirements.add("visibleheads")
-                with repo.lock():
-                    repo._writestorerequirements()
-        else:
-            if "visibleheads" in repo.storerequirements:
-                repo.storerequirements.remove("visibleheads")
-                with repo.lock():
-                    repo._writestorerequirements()
-            if repo.svfs.lexists("visibleheads"):
-                repo.svfs.tryunlink("visibleheads")
-    if "visibleheads" in repo.storerequirements:
-        return visibleheads(ui, repo)
-    else:
-        return None
-
-
 def add(repo, newnodes):
-    vh = repo._visibleheads
-    if vh is not None:
+    if tracking(repo):
         with repo.lock(), repo.transaction("update-visibility") as tr:
-            vh.add(repo, newnodes, tr)
+            repo._visibleheads.add(repo, newnodes, tr)
 
 
 def remove(repo, oldnodes):
-    vh = repo._visibleheads
-    if vh is not None:
+    if tracking(repo):
         with repo.lock(), repo.transaction("update-visibility") as tr:
-            vh.remove(repo, oldnodes, tr)
+            repo._visibleheads.remove(repo, oldnodes, tr)
 
 
 def phaseadjust(repo, tr, newdraft=None, newpublic=None):
-    vh = repo._visibleheads
-    if vh is not None:
-        vh.phaseadjust(repo, tr, newdraft, newpublic)
+    if tracking(repo):
+        repo._visibleheads.phaseadjust(repo, tr, newdraft, newpublic)
 
 
 def heads(repo):
-    vh = repo._visibleheads
-    if vh is not None:
-        return vh.heads
-    return None
+    if tracking(repo):
+        return repo._visibleheads.heads
 
 
 def invisiblerevs(repo):
     """Returns the invisible mutable revs in this repo"""
-    vh = repo._visibleheads
-    if vh is not None:
-        return vh.invisiblerevs(repo)
-    return None
+    if tracking(repo):
+        return repo._visibleheads.invisiblerevs(repo)
 
 
 def tracking(repo):
-    return repo._visibleheads is not None
+    return "visibleheads" in repo.storerequirements
 
 
 def enabled(repo):
-    return tracking(repo) and not repo.ui.configbool("visibility", "forceobsolete")
+    # TODO(mbthomas): support bundlerepo
+    from . import bundlerepo  # avoid import cycle
+
+    if isinstance(repo, bundlerepo.bundlerepository):
+        return False
+    return tracking(repo) and repo.ui.configbool("visibility", "enabled")
diff --git a/tests/test-completion.t b/tests/test-completion.t
index fa300f4289..ea084835f1 100644
--- a/tests/test-completion.t
+++ b/tests/test-completion.t
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ Show debug commands if there are no other candidates
   debugtreestate
   debugupdatecaches
   debugupgraderepo
+  debugvisibility
   debugwalk
   debugwireargs
 
@@ -331,6 +332,7 @@ Show all commands + options
   debugtreestate: 
   debugupdatecaches: 
   debugupgraderepo: optimize, run
+  debugvisibility: 
   debugwalk: include, exclude
   debugwireargs: three, four, five, ssh, remotecmd, insecure
   files: rev, print0, include, exclude, template
diff --git a/tests/test-help.t b/tests/test-help.t
index f8805e1917..cc5a3a531b 100644
--- a/tests/test-help.t
+++ b/tests/test-help.t
@@ -1047,6 +1047,8 @@ Test list of internal help commands
                  warm all known caches in the repository
    debugupgraderepo
                  upgrade a repository to use different features
+   debugvisibility
+                 control visibility tracking
    debugwalk     show how files match on given patterns
    debugwireargs
                  (no help text available)
diff --git a/tests/test-mutation-infinitepush.t b/tests/test-mutation-infinitepush.t
index c0a90ce0ec..f1dff17d44 100644
--- a/tests/test-mutation-infinitepush.t
+++ b/tests/test-mutation-infinitepush.t
@@ -1,14 +1,7 @@
   $ enable amend rebase histedit fbhistedit
-
-We need obsmarkers for now, to allow unstable commits
-  $ enable obsstore
-
-  $ cat >> $HGRCPATH <<EOF
-  > [mutation]
-  > record=true
-  > enabled=true
-  > date=0 0
-  > EOF
+  $ setconfig experimental.evolution=
+  $ setconfig visibility.enabled=true
+  $ setconfig mutation.record=true mutation.enabled=true mutation.date="0 0"
 
   $ . "$TESTDIR/library.sh"
   $ . "$TESTDIR/infinitepush/library.sh"
diff --git a/tests/test-mutation-pushrebase.t b/tests/test-mutation-pushrebase.t
index 34e7b78c2a..de66d03879 100644
--- a/tests/test-mutation-pushrebase.t
+++ b/tests/test-mutation-pushrebase.t
@@ -1,16 +1,12 @@
 #testcases nostackpush stackpush
   $ enable pushrebase amend
   $ setconfig experimental.evolution=
+  $ setconfig visibility.enabled=true
+  $ setconfig mutation.record=true mutation.enabled=true mutation.date="0 0"
 
   $ cat >> $HGRCPATH <<EOF
   > [ui]
   > ssh = python "$RUNTESTDIR/dummyssh"
-  > [mutation]
-  > record=true
-  > enabled=true
-  > date=0 0
-  > [visibility]
-  > tracking=on
   > [templatealias]
   > sl_mutation_names = dict(amend="Amended as", rebase="Rebased to", split="Split into", fold="Folded into", histedit="Histedited to", rewrite="Rewritten into", land="Landed as", pushrebase="Pushed as")
   > sl_mutations = "{join(mutations % '({get(sl_mutation_names, operation, "Rewritten using {operation} into")} {join(successors % "{node|short}", ", ")})', ' ')}"
diff --git a/tests/test-mutation.t b/tests/test-mutation.t
index 3b2e5c1771..85ceca7da7 100644
--- a/tests/test-mutation.t
+++ b/tests/test-mutation.t
@@ -1,16 +1,10 @@
   $ enable amend rebase histedit fbhistedit phabdiff
-  $ setconfig ui.ssh="$PYTHON \"$TESTDIR/dummyssh\""
+  $ setconfig ui.ssh="$PYTHON \"$TESTDIR/dummyssh\"" ui.interactive=true
   $ setconfig experimental.evolution=
+  $ setconfig visibility.enabled=true
+  $ setconfig mutation.record=true mutation.enabled=true mutation.date="0 0"
 
   $ cat >> $HGRCPATH <<EOF
-  > [mutation]
-  > record=true
-  > enabled=true
-  > date=0 0
-  > [visibility]
-  > tracking=on
-  > [ui]
-  > interactive = true
   > [templatealias]
   > sl_mutation_names = dict(amend="Amended as", rebase="Rebased to", split="Split into", fold="Folded into", histedit="Histedited to", rewrite="Rewritten into", land="Landed as")
   > sl_mutations = "{join(mutations % '({get(sl_mutation_names, operation, "Rewritten using {operation} into")} {join(successors % "{node|short}", ", ")})', ' ')}"
diff --git a/tests/test-visibility.t b/tests/test-visibility.t
index 78464e5687..d0ab815767 100644
--- a/tests/test-visibility.t
+++ b/tests/test-visibility.t
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
   $ enable amend rebase undo
   $ setconfig experimental.evolution=
-  $ setconfig visibility.tracking=on
+  $ setconfig visibility.enabled=true
   $ setconfig mutation.record=true mutation.enabled=true mutation.date="0 0"
   $ setconfig hint.ack=undo
   $ cat >> $HGRCPATH <<EOF