diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 32a48ea..b37e253 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -1,11 +1,5 @@
 var path = require('path');
-
-var clone;
-try {
-  clone = require('node-v8-clone').clone;
-} catch(e) {
-  clone = require('lodash').clone;
-}
+var clone = require('lodash').clone;
 var cloneStats = require('clone-stats');
 var cloneBuffer = require('./lib/cloneBuffer');
 var isBuffer = require('./lib/isBuffer');
@@ -76,10 +70,8 @@ File.prototype.clone = function(opt) {
   if (this.isStream()) {
     file.contents = this.contents.pipe(new Stream.PassThrough());
     this.contents = this.contents.pipe(new Stream.PassThrough());
-  } else if (opt.contents && this.isBuffer()) {
-    file.contents = cloneBuffer(this.contents);
-  } else {
-    file.contents = this.contents;
+  } else if (this.isBuffer()) {
+    file.contents = opt.contents ? cloneBuffer(this.contents) : this.contents;
   }
 
   // clone our custom properties
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 080334d..d9a92ef 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -22,9 +22,6 @@
     "lodash.templatesettings": "^2.4.1",
     "event-stream": "^3.1.0"
   },
-  "optionalDependencies": {
-    "node-v8-clone": "~0.6.2"
-  },
   "scripts": {
     "test": "istanbul cover node_modules/mocha/bin/_mocha -- --reporter spec && jshint .",
     "coveralls": "istanbul cover _mocha --report lcovonly -- -R spec && cat ./coverage/lcov.info | coveralls && rm -rf ./coverage"
diff --git a/perf/clone.js b/perf/clone.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4df8578
--- /dev/null
+++ b/perf/clone.js
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+var File = require('../');
+
+var contents = new Buffer('blah blah blah');
+
+var originalFile = new File({
+  path: 'yo.coffee',
+  contents: contents
+});
+
+// simulate some history
+originalFile.path = 'yo.js';
+originalFile.path = 'yo.js';
+originalFile.path = 'yo.js';
+originalFile.path = 'yo.js';
+originalFile.path = 'yo.js';
+
+originalFile.ast = {
+  a: {
+    b: {
+      c: {
+a: {
+    b: {
+      c: {
+a: {
+    b: {
+      c: {
+a: {
+    b: {
+      c: {
+a: {
+    b: {
+      c: {
+a: {
+    b: {
+      c: {
+
+      }
+    }
+  }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+};
+
+for (var i = 0; i < 10000; i++) {
+  originalFile.clone(true).ast;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/File.js b/test/File.js
index 61a8286..fd8832d 100644
--- a/test/File.js
+++ b/test/File.js
@@ -2,32 +2,12 @@ var Stream = require('stream');
 var fs = require('fs');
 var path = require('path');
 var es = require('event-stream');
+var File = require('../');
 
 var should = require('should');
 require('mocha');
 
 describe('File', function() {
-
-  describe('using node-v8-clone', function() {
-    var File = require('../');
-    testFile(File);
-  });
-
-  describe('using lodash', function() {
-    delete require.cache[path.join(__dirname, '../index.js')];
-    var clonePath = path.join(__dirname, '../node_modules/node-v8-clone/lib/clone.js');
-    var exports = require.cache[clonePath].exports;
-    // test lodash when node-v8-clone is not found
-    require.cache[clonePath].exports = undefined;
-    after(function() {
-      require.cache[clonePath].exports = exports;
-    });
-    var File = require('../');
-    testFile(File);
-  });
-});
-
-function testFile(File) {
   describe('constructor()', function() {
     it('should default cwd to process.cwd', function(done) {
       var file = new File();
@@ -755,4 +735,4 @@ function testFile(File) {
       }).should.throw('path should be string');
     });
   });
-}
+});