diff --git a/internal/parse-options.js b/internal/parse-options.js
index f7e6df6c..10d64ce0 100644
--- a/internal/parse-options.js
+++ b/internal/parse-options.js
@@ -1,51 +1,15 @@
 // parse out just the options we care about
-const isParsedConfigSymbol = Symbol('isParsedConfig')
-const var1 = Object.freeze({ includePrerelease: true, loose: true, rtl: true, [isParsedConfigSymbol]: true })
-const var2 = Object.freeze({ includePrerelease: true, loose: true, [isParsedConfigSymbol]: true })
-const var3 = Object.freeze({ includePrerelease: true, rtl: true, [isParsedConfigSymbol]: true })
-const var4 = Object.freeze({ includePrerelease: true, [isParsedConfigSymbol]: true })
-const var5 = Object.freeze({ loose: true, rtl: true, [isParsedConfigSymbol]: true })
-const var6 = Object.freeze({ loose: true, [isParsedConfigSymbol]: true })
-const var7 = Object.freeze({ rtl: true, [isParsedConfigSymbol]: true })
-const emptyOpts = Object.freeze({ [isParsedConfigSymbol]: true })
-
+const looseOption = Object.freeze({ loose: true })
+const emptyOpts = Object.freeze({ })
 const parseOptions = options => {
   if (!options) {
     return emptyOpts
   }
 
   if (typeof options !== 'object') {
-    return var6
-  }
-
-  if (options[isParsedConfigSymbol]) {
-    return options
+    return looseOption
   }
 
-  if (options.includePrerelease) {
-    if (options.loose && options.rtl) {
-      return var1
-    }
-
-    if (options.loose) {
-      return var2
-    }
-
-    if (options.rtl) {
-      return var3
-    }
-
-    return var4
-  } else if (options.loose) {
-    if (options.rtl) {
-      return var5
-    }
-
-    return var6
-  } else if (options.rtl) {
-    return var7
-  } else {
-    return emptyOpts
-  }
+  return options
 }
 module.exports = parseOptions
diff --git a/test/internal/parse-options.js b/test/internal/parse-options.js
index e219eb71..9e1aa726 100644
--- a/test/internal/parse-options.js
+++ b/test/internal/parse-options.js
@@ -18,15 +18,11 @@ t.test('truthy non-objects always loose mode, for backwards comp', t => {
   t.end()
 })
 
-t.test('objects only include truthy flags we know about, set to true', t => {
-  t.strictSame(parseOptions(/asdf/), {})
-  t.strictSame(parseOptions(new Error('hello')), {})
-  t.strictSame(parseOptions({ loose: true, a: 1, rtl: false }), { loose: true })
-  t.strictSame(parseOptions({ loose: 1, rtl: 2, includePrerelease: 10 }), {
-    loose: true,
-    rtl: true,
-    includePrerelease: true,
-  })
+t.test('any object passed is returned', t => {
+  t.strictSame(parseOptions(/asdf/), /asdf/)
+  t.strictSame(parseOptions(new Error('hello')), new Error('hello'))
+  t.strictSame(parseOptions({ loose: true, a: 1, rtl: false }), { loose: true, a: 1, rtl: false })
+  t.strictSame(parseOptions({ loose: 1, rtl: 2, includePrerelease: 10 }), { loose: 1, rtl: 2, includePrerelease: 10 })
   t.strictSame(parseOptions({ loose: true }), { loose: true })
   t.strictSame(parseOptions({ rtl: true }), { rtl: true })
   t.strictSame(parseOptions({ includePrerelease: true }), { includePrerelease: true })
@@ -35,12 +31,3 @@ t.test('objects only include truthy flags we know about, set to true', t => {
   t.strictSame(parseOptions({ rtl: true, includePrerelease: true }), { rtl: true, includePrerelease: true })
   t.end()
 })
-
-t.test('should skip validation when options is already parsed', t => {
-  const options = { loose: true, rtl: true }
-  const parsedOptions = parseOptions(options)
-
-  t.equal(parseOptions(parsedOptions) === parsedOptions, true)
-  t.not(parseOptions(options) === parsedOptions, false)
-  t.end()
-})