diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6ae9089dfb..ac8a9c2a0d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,12 @@
 
 ### Improvements
 
+- Reduce polygon and position function calls ([#1208](../../pull/1208))
+
+## Version 1.8.7
+
+### Improvements
+
 - Add some code paths to reduce transform calls ([#1207](../../pull/1207))
 
 ## Version 1.8.6
diff --git a/src/graphFeature.js b/src/graphFeature.js
index 43ed02be9a..32ff9b09c3 100644
--- a/src/graphFeature.js
+++ b/src/graphFeature.js
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ var graphFeature = function (arg) {
       arg.style === undefined ? {} : arg.style);
 
     m_this.style(defaultStyle);
-    m_this.nodes(function (d) { return d; });
+    m_this.nodes(util.identityFunction);
     return m_this;
   };
 
diff --git a/src/heatmapFeature.js b/src/heatmapFeature.js
index 48d5011a3e..251d46911d 100644
--- a/src/heatmapFeature.js
+++ b/src/heatmapFeature.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ var $ = require('jquery');
 var inherit = require('./inherit');
 var feature = require('./feature');
 var transform = require('./transform');
+var util = require('./util');
 
 /**
  * Heatmap feature specification.
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ var heatmapFeature = function (arg) {
 
   this.featureType = 'heatmap';
 
-  m_position = arg.position || function (d) { return d; };
+  m_position = arg.position || util.identityFunction;
   m_intensity = arg.intensity || function (d) { return 1; };
   m_maxIntensity = arg.maxIntensity !== undefined ? arg.maxIntensity : null;
   m_minIntensity = arg.minIntensity !== undefined ? arg.minIntensity : null;
diff --git a/src/lineFeature.js b/src/lineFeature.js
index fd90fea833..62e4cbef68 100644
--- a/src/lineFeature.js
+++ b/src/lineFeature.js
@@ -438,8 +438,8 @@ var lineFeature = function (arg) {
     });
 
     /* Set the reduced lines as the data and use simple accessors. */
-    m_this.style('position', function (d) { return d; });
-    m_this.style('line', function (d) { return d; });
+    m_this.style('position', util.identityFunction);
+    m_this.style('line', util.identityFunction);
     m_this.data(data);
     return m_this;
   };
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ var lineFeature = function (arg) {
         // Values of 2 and above appear smoothest.
         antialiasing: 2.0,
         closed: false,
-        line: function (d) { return d; },
+        line: util.identityFunction,
         position: (d) => Array.isArray(d) ? {x: d[0], y: d[1], z: d[2] || 0} : d,
         origin: (p) => (p.length >= 3 ? p.slice(0, 3) : [0, 0, 0])
       },
diff --git a/src/pixelmapFeature.js b/src/pixelmapFeature.js
index 24be0dee0e..5553fca09c 100644
--- a/src/pixelmapFeature.js
+++ b/src/pixelmapFeature.js
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ var pixelmapFeature = function (arg) {
             a: 1
           };
         },
-        position: function (d) { return d; }
+        position: util.identityFunction
       },
       arg.style === undefined ? {} : arg.style
     );
diff --git a/src/polygonFeature.js b/src/polygonFeature.js
index 5ec51875ab..b85fbd76f8 100644
--- a/src/polygonFeature.js
+++ b/src/polygonFeature.js
@@ -634,8 +634,8 @@ var polygonFeature = function (arg) {
     });
 
     /* Set the reduced polgons as the data and use simple accessors. */
-    m_this.style('position', function (d) { return d; });
-    m_this.style('polygon', function (d) { return d; });
+    m_this.style('position', util.identityFunction);
+    m_this.style('polygon', util.identityFunction);
     m_this.data(data);
     return m_this;
   };
@@ -719,7 +719,7 @@ var polygonFeature = function (arg) {
         strokeStyle: 'solid',
         strokeColor: {r: 0.0, g: 1.0, b: 1.0},
         strokeOpacity: 1.0,
-        polygon: function (d) { return d; },
+        polygon: util.identityFunction,
         position: (d) => Array.isArray(d) ? {x: d[0], y: d[1], z: d[2] || 0} : d,
         origin: (items) => {
           for (let i = 0; i < items.length; i += 1) {
diff --git a/src/quadFeature.js b/src/quadFeature.js
index 9b357226c9..f8a135bebd 100644
--- a/src/quadFeature.js
+++ b/src/quadFeature.js
@@ -699,7 +699,7 @@ var quadFeature = function (arg) {
         previewImage: null,
         image: function (d) { return d.image; },
         video: function (d) { return d.video; },
-        position: function (d) { return d; }
+        position: util.identityFunction
       },
       arg.style === undefined ? {} : arg.style
     );
diff --git a/src/trackFeature.js b/src/trackFeature.js
index 83f809451d..ed7e2f33df 100644
--- a/src/trackFeature.js
+++ b/src/trackFeature.js
@@ -814,8 +814,8 @@ var trackFeature = function (arg) {
       true,
       {},
       {
-        track: (d) => d,
-        position: (d) => d,
+        track: util.identityFunction,
+        position: util.identityFunction,
         time: (d, i) => (d.t !== undefined ? d.t : i)
       },
       arg.style === undefined ? {} : arg.style
diff --git a/src/transform.js b/src/transform.js
index de91959751..ecbd06e4b8 100644
--- a/src/transform.js
+++ b/src/transform.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ var maxTransformCacheSize = 10;
 
 /* A RegExp to detect if two transforms only different by the middle axis's
  * direction. */
-var axisPattern = /^(.* |)\\+axis=e(n|s)u(| .*)$/;
+var axisPattern = /^(.* |)\+axis=e(n|s)u(| .*)$/;
 var affinePattern = /(^|\s)\+(s[1-3][1-3]|[xyz]off)=\S/;
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/util/common.js b/src/util/common.js
index 52faa0f6ff..065c5067e0 100644
--- a/src/util/common.js
+++ b/src/util/common.js
@@ -1443,6 +1443,17 @@ var util = {
     return value !== null && value !== undefined && (type === 'object' || type === 'function');
   },
 
+  /**
+   * Return the first value passed to the function.  Using this function for
+   * identity calls can allow some code to bypass making such a call entirely.
+   *
+   * @param {*} d Any value.
+   * @returns {*} The passed value.
+   */
+  identityFunction: function (d) {
+    return d;
+  },
+
   ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
   /*
    * Utility member properties.
diff --git a/src/vectorFeature.js b/src/vectorFeature.js
index c110cc49ce..a27ba27167 100644
--- a/src/vectorFeature.js
+++ b/src/vectorFeature.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 var inherit = require('./inherit');
 var feature = require('./feature');
+var util = require('./util');
 
 /**
  * Object specification for a graph feature.
@@ -120,7 +121,7 @@ var vectorFeature = function (arg) {
         originStyle: 'none',
         endStyle: 'arrow',
         origin: {x: 0, y: 0, z: 0},
-        delta: function (d) { return d; },
+        delta: util.identityFunction,
         scale: null // size scaling factor (null -> renderer decides)
       },
       arg.style === undefined ? {} : arg.style
diff --git a/src/webgl/lineFeature.js b/src/webgl/lineFeature.js
index e59e0c62f6..8dd5c1a7c8 100644
--- a/src/webgl/lineFeature.js
+++ b/src/webgl/lineFeature.js
@@ -178,6 +178,7 @@ var webgl_lineFeature = function (arg) {
     if (!onlyStyle) {
       var position = [],
           posFunc = m_this.position();
+      posFunc = posFunc === util.identityFunction ? null : posFunc;
       lineItemList = new Array(data.length);
       closed = new Array(data.length);
       for (i = 0; i < data.length; i += 1) {
@@ -189,7 +190,7 @@ var webgl_lineFeature = function (arg) {
         }
         numSegments += lineItem.length - 1;
         for (j = 0; j < lineItem.length; j += 1) {
-          pos = posFunc(lineItem[j], j, d, i);
+          pos = posFunc ? posFunc(lineItem[j], j, d, i) : lineItem[j];
           position.push(pos.x);
           position.push(simpleInverse ? -pos.y : pos.y);
           position.push(pos.z || 0.0);
diff --git a/src/webgl/polygonFeature.js b/src/webgl/polygonFeature.js
index 8ae07ea838..1f7a1972e8 100644
--- a/src/webgl/polygonFeature.js
+++ b/src/webgl/polygonFeature.js
@@ -98,11 +98,13 @@ var webgl_polygonFeature = function (arg) {
 
     if (!onlyStyle) {
       posFunc = m_this.style.get('position');
+      posFunc = posFunc === util.identityFunction ? null : posFunc;
       polyFunc = m_this.style.get('polygon');
+      polyFunc = polyFunc === util.identityFunction ? null : polyFunc;
       m_this.data().forEach(function (item, itemIndex) {
         var polygon, outer, geometry, c;
 
-        polygon = polyFunc(item, itemIndex);
+        polygon = polyFunc ? polyFunc(item, itemIndex) : item;
         if (!polygon) {
           return;
         }
@@ -116,7 +118,7 @@ var webgl_polygonFeature = function (arg) {
          * test). */
         geometry = new Array(outer.length * 3);
         for (i = d3 = 0; i < outer.length; i += 1, d3 += 3) {
-          c = posFunc(outer[i], i, item, itemIndex);
+          c = posFunc ? posFunc(outer[i], i, item, itemIndex) : outer[i];
           geometry[d3] = c.x;
           geometry[d3 + 1] = simpleInverse ? -c.y : c.y;
           // ignore the z values until we support them
@@ -133,7 +135,7 @@ var webgl_polygonFeature = function (arg) {
             original = original.concat(hole);
             geometry.holes.push(d3 / 3);
             for (i = 0; i < hole.length; i += 1, d3 += 3) {
-              c = posFunc(hole[i], i, item, itemIndex);
+              c = posFunc ? posFunc(hole[i], i, item, itemIndex) : hole[i];
               geometry.vertices[d3] = c.x;
               geometry.vertices[d3 + 1] = simpleInverse ? -c.y : c.y;
               // ignore the z values until we support them