--- a/cvs2svn_lib/abstract_rcs_revision_manager.py
+++ b/cvs2svn_lib/abstract_rcs_revision_manager.py
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ class AbstractRCSRevisionReader(Revision
   # mode, which leaves the keywords untouched.  Therefore, whenever
   # eol_fix is False, we need to use '-kb' mode and then (if
   # necessary) expand or collapse the keywords ourselves.
+  #
+  # The 'kept' substitution is an exception, we do not deal with
+  # keywords at all in this case and just let CVS do its thing.
   _text_options = {
       (False, 'collapsed') : (['-kb'], 'collapsed'),
       (False, 'expanded') : (['-kb'], 'expanded'),
@@ -46,6 +49,9 @@ class AbstractRCSRevisionReader(Revision
       (True, 'collapsed') : (['-kk'], None),
       (True, 'expanded') : (['-kkv'], None),
       (True, 'untouched') : (['-ko'], None),
+
+      (False, 'kept') : ([], None),
+      (True, 'kept') : ([], None),
       }
 
   def get_pipe_command(self, cvs_rev, k_option):
--- a/cvs2svn_lib/checkout_internal.py
+++ b/cvs2svn_lib/checkout_internal.py
@@ -706,6 +706,9 @@ class InternalRevisionReader(RevisionRea
         'untouched' -- output keywords in the form they are found in
             the RCS file
 
+        'kept' -- output keywords in the form they are found in
+            the CVS checkout output
+
     Note that $Log$ never actually generates a log (which makes test
     'requires_cvs()' fail).
 
@@ -727,6 +730,9 @@ class InternalRevisionReader(RevisionRea
     if keyword_handling == 'untouched':
       # Leave keywords in the form that they were checked in.
       pass
+    elif keyword_handling == 'kept':
+      # Leave keywords in the form they would have on checkout.
+      pass
     elif keyword_handling == 'collapsed':
       text = collapse_keywords(text)
     elif keyword_handling == 'expanded':
--- a/cvs2svn_lib/dvcs_common.py
+++ b/cvs2svn_lib/dvcs_common.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ from cvs2svn_lib import config
 from cvs2svn_lib.common import FatalError
 from cvs2svn_lib.common import InternalError
 from cvs2svn_lib.run_options import RunOptions
+from cvs2svn_lib.run_options import IncompatibleOption
 from cvs2svn_lib.log import logger
 from cvs2svn_lib.common import error_prefix
 from cvs2svn_lib.context import Ctx
@@ -50,9 +51,9 @@ class KeywordHandlingPropertySetter(File
   propname = '_keyword_handling'
 
   def __init__(self, value):
-    if value not in ['collapsed', 'expanded', 'untouched', None]:
+    if value not in ['collapsed', 'expanded', 'untouched', 'kept', None]:
       raise FatalError(
-          'Value for %s must be "collapsed", "expanded", or "untouched"'
+          'Value for %s must be "collapsed", "expanded", "untouched", or "kept"'
           % (self.propname,)
           )
     self.value = value
@@ -69,6 +70,27 @@ class DVCSRunOptions(RunOptions):
     Ctx().cross_branch_commits = False
     RunOptions.__init__(self, progname, cmd_args, pass_manager)
 
+  def _get_extraction_options_group(self):
+    group = super(DVCSRunOptions, self)._get_extraction_options_group()
+    self.parser.set_default('force_keyword_mode', 'no')
+    group.add_option(IncompatibleOption(
+        '--force-keyword-mode', type='choice',
+        choices=['untouched', 'collapsed', 'expanded', 'kept', 'no'],
+        action='store',
+        help='force (untouched, collapsed, expanded, kept), or no',
+        man_help=(
+            'Keyword mode to force, or \\fIno\\fR to use the default. '
+            '\\fIopt\\fR can be \'untouched\' (keep literally as they '
+            'are recorded in the RCS file), \'collapsed\' (retain the '
+            'key but not the value), \'expanded\' (fake the way CVS '
+            'expands them, even for binaries), \'kept\' (just let CVS '
+            'deal with keywords).'
+            ),
+        metavar='OPT',
+        ))
+
+    return group
+
   def set_project(
         self,
         project_cvs_repos_path,
@@ -100,9 +122,14 @@ class DVCSRunOptions(RunOptions):
   def process_property_setter_options(self):
     super(DVCSRunOptions, self).process_property_setter_options()
 
+    property_mode = self.options.force_keyword_mode
+    if property_mode == 'no':
+        # default
+        property_mode = 'collapsed'
+
     # Property setters for internal use:
     Ctx().file_property_setters.append(
-        KeywordHandlingPropertySetter('collapsed')
+        KeywordHandlingPropertySetter(property_mode)
         )
 
   def process_options(self):
--- a/cvs2svn_lib/revision_manager.py
+++ b/cvs2svn_lib/revision_manager.py
@@ -116,6 +116,8 @@ class RevisionReader(object):
         *previous* revision, because CVS expands keywords on checkout,
         not checkin.
 
+      * kept -- let CVS deal with keywords
+
       * unset -- undefined behavior; depends on which revision manager
         is being used.
 
--- a/doc/properties.txt
+++ b/doc/properties.txt
@@ -75,6 +75,10 @@ they are used for two purposes:
                useful feature, but is listed for completeness.  NOT
                YET IMPLEMENTED.
 
+           'kept' -- Just let CVS deal with the keywords, do not
+               handle them specially internally.  This may conflict
+               with other options and should be used carefully.
+
        _eol_fix -- Should end-of-line sequences be made uniform before
            committing to the target VCS?  If this property is set to a
            non-empty value, then every end-of-line character sequence