diff --git a/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt b/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt
index 7cc7fafc1d..493cac22db 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt
@@ -9,37 +9,46 @@ git-format-patch - Prepare patches for e-mail submission
 SYNOPSIS
 --------
 [verse]
-'git-format-patch' [-n | -k] [-o <dir> | --stdout] [--attach] [-s] [-c]
-		 [--diff-options] <his> [<mine>]
+'git-format-patch' [-n | -k] [-o <dir> | --stdout] [--attach]
+	           [-s | --signoff] [--diff-options] [--start-number <n>]
+		   <since>[..<until>]
 
 DESCRIPTION
 -----------
-Prepare each commit with its patch since <mine> head forked from
-<his> head, one file per patch formatted to resemble UNIX mailbox
-format, for e-mail submission or use with gitlink:git-am[1].
+
+Prepare each commit between <since> and <until> with its patch in
+one file per commit, formatted to resemble UNIX mailbox format.
+If ..<until> is not specified, the head of the current working
+tree is implied.
+
+The output of this command is convenient for e-mail submission or
+for use with gitlink:git-am[1].
 
 Each output file is numbered sequentially from 1, and uses the
-first line of the commit message (massaged for pathname safety)
-as the filename.
+first line of the commit message (massaged for pathname safety) as
+the filename. The names of the output files are printed to standard
+output, unless the --stdout option is specified.
 
-When -o is specified, output files are created in <dir>; otherwise
-they are created in the current working directory.  This option
-is ignored if --stdout is specified.
+If -o is specified, output files are created in <dir>.  Otherwise
+they are created in the current working directory.
 
-When -n is specified, instead of "[PATCH] Subject", the first
-line is formatted as "[PATCH N/M] Subject", unless you have only
-one patch.
+If -n is specified, instead of "[PATCH] Subject", the first line
+is formatted as "[PATCH n/m] Subject".
 
 
 OPTIONS
 -------
 -o|--output-directory <dir>::
 	Use <dir> to store the resulting files, instead of the
-	current working directory.
+	current working directory. This option is ignored if
+	--stdout is specified.
 
 -n|--numbered::
 	Name output in '[PATCH n/m]' format.
 
+--start-number <n>::
+	Start numbering the patches at <n> instead of 1.
+
 -k|--keep-subject::
 	Do not strip/add '[PATCH]' from the first line of the
 	commit log message.
@@ -48,17 +57,9 @@ OPTIONS
 	Add `Signed-off-by:` line to the commit message, using
 	the committer identity of yourself.
 
--c|--check::
-        Display suspicious lines in the patch.  The definition
-        of 'suspicious lines' is currently the lines that has
-        trailing whitespaces, and the lines whose indentation
-        has a SP character immediately followed by a TAB
-        character.
-
 --stdout::
-	This flag generates the mbox formatted output to the
-	standard output, instead of saving them into a file per
-	patch and implies --mbox.
+	Print all commits to the standard output in mbox format,
+	instead of creating a file for each one.
 
 --attach::
 	Create attachments instead of inlining patches.
@@ -82,18 +83,18 @@ git-format-patch -k --stdout R1..R2 | git-am -3 -k::
 	cherry-pick them.
 
 git-format-patch origin::
-	Extract commits the current branch accumulated since it
-	pulled from origin the last time in a patch form for
-	e-mail submission.
+	Extract all commits which are in the current branch but
+	not in the origin branch.  For each commit a separate file
+	is created in the current directory.
 
 git-format-patch -M -B origin::
-	The same as the previous one, except detect and handle
-	renames and complete rewrites intelligently to produce
-	renaming patch.  A renaming patch reduces the amount of
-	text output, and generally makes it easier to review
-	it.  Note that the "patch" program does not understand
-	renaming patch well, so use it only when you know the
-	recipient uses git to apply your patch.
+	The same as the previous one.  Additionally, it detects
+	and handles renames and complete rewrites intelligently to
+	produce a renaming patch.  A renaming patch reduces the
+	amount of text output, and generally makes it easier to
+	review it.  Note that the "patch" program does not
+	understand renaming patches, so use it only when you know
+	the recipient uses git to apply your patch.
 
 
 See Also
diff --git a/builtin-log.c b/builtin-log.c
index db1912a05b..6612f4c2a8 100644
--- a/builtin-log.c
+++ b/builtin-log.c
@@ -85,6 +85,23 @@ static int istitlechar(char c)
 		(c >= '0' && c <= '9') || c == '.' || c == '_';
 }
 
+static char *extra_headers = NULL;
+static int extra_headers_size = 0;
+
+static int git_format_config(const char *var, const char *value)
+{
+	if (!strcmp(var, "format.headers")) {
+		int len = strlen(value);
+		extra_headers_size += len + 1;
+		extra_headers = realloc(extra_headers, extra_headers_size);
+		extra_headers[extra_headers_size - len - 1] = 0;
+		strcat(extra_headers, value);
+		return 0;
+	}
+	return git_default_config(var, value);
+}
+
+
 static FILE *realstdout = NULL;
 static char *output_directory = NULL;
 
@@ -150,6 +167,7 @@ int cmd_format_patch(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 	int numbered = 0;
 	int start_number = -1;
 	int keep_subject = 0;
+	char *add_signoff = NULL;
 
 	init_revisions(&rev);
 	rev.commit_format = CMIT_FMT_EMAIL;
@@ -161,6 +179,9 @@ int cmd_format_patch(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 	rev.ignore_merges = 1;
 	rev.diffopt.output_format = DIFF_FORMAT_PATCH;
 
+	git_config(git_format_config);
+	rev.extra_headers = extra_headers;
+
 	/*
 	 * Parse the arguments before setup_revisions(), or something
 	 * like "git fmt-patch -o a123 HEAD^.." may fail; a123 is
@@ -179,11 +200,13 @@ int cmd_format_patch(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 			if (i == argc)
 				die("Need a number for --start-number");
 			start_number = strtol(argv[i], NULL, 10);
-		} else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-k") ||
+		}
+		else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-k") ||
 				!strcmp(argv[i], "--keep-subject")) {
 			keep_subject = 1;
 			rev.total = -1;
-		} else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-o")) {
+		}
+		else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-o")) {
 			if (argc < 3)
 				die ("Which directory?");
 			if (mkdir(argv[i + 1], 0777) < 0 && errno != EEXIST)
@@ -192,6 +215,16 @@ int cmd_format_patch(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 			output_directory = strdup(argv[i + 1]);
 			i++;
 		}
+		else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "--signoff") ||
+			 !strcmp(argv[i], "-s")) {
+			const char *committer = git_committer_info(1);
+			const char *endpos = strchr(committer, '>');
+			if (!endpos)
+				die("bogos committer info %s\n", committer);
+			add_signoff = xmalloc(endpos - committer + 2);
+			memcpy(add_signoff, committer, endpos - committer + 1);
+			add_signoff[endpos - committer + 1] = 0;
+		}
 		else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "--attach"))
 			rev.mime_boundary = git_version_string;
 		else if (!strncmp(argv[i], "--attach=", 9))
@@ -230,6 +263,7 @@ int cmd_format_patch(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 	total = nr;
 	if (numbered)
 		rev.total = total + start_number - 1;
+	rev.add_signoff = add_signoff;
 	while (0 <= --nr) {
 		int shown;
 		commit = list[nr];
diff --git a/log-tree.c b/log-tree.c
index 58b016378c..ebb49f2970 100644
--- a/log-tree.c
+++ b/log-tree.c
@@ -12,6 +12,37 @@ static void show_parents(struct commit *commit, int abbrev)
 	}
 }
 
+static int append_signoff(char *buf, int buf_sz, int at, const char *signoff)
+{
+	int signoff_len = strlen(signoff);
+	static const char signed_off_by[] = "Signed-off-by: ";
+	char *cp = buf;
+
+	/* Do we have enough space to add it? */
+	if (buf_sz - at <= strlen(signed_off_by) + signoff_len + 2)
+		return at;
+
+	/* First see if we already have the sign-off by the signer */
+	while (1) {
+		cp = strstr(cp, signed_off_by);
+		if (!cp)
+			break;
+		cp += strlen(signed_off_by);
+		if ((cp + signoff_len < buf + at) &&
+		    !strncmp(cp, signoff, signoff_len) &&
+		    isspace(cp[signoff_len]))
+			return at; /* we already have him */
+	}
+
+	strcpy(buf + at, signed_off_by);
+	at += strlen(signed_off_by);
+	strcpy(buf + at, signoff);
+	at += signoff_len;
+	buf[at++] = '\n';
+	buf[at] = 0;
+	return at;
+}
+
 void show_log(struct rev_info *opt, struct log_info *log, const char *sep)
 {
 	static char this_header[16384];
@@ -20,7 +51,7 @@ void show_log(struct rev_info *opt, struct log_info *log, const char *sep)
 	int abbrev_commit = opt->abbrev_commit ? opt->abbrev : 40;
 	const char *extra;
 	int len;
-	char *subject = NULL, *after_subject = NULL;
+	const char *subject = NULL, *extra_headers = opt->extra_headers;
 
 	opt->loginfo = NULL;
 	if (!opt->verbose_header) {
@@ -69,6 +100,7 @@ void show_log(struct rev_info *opt, struct log_info *log, const char *sep)
 			static char subject_buffer[1024];
 			static char buffer[1024];
 			snprintf(subject_buffer, sizeof(subject_buffer) - 1,
+				 "%s"
 				 "MIME-Version: 1.0\n"
 				 "Content-Type: multipart/mixed;\n"
 				 " boundary=\"%s%s\"\n"
@@ -79,9 +111,10 @@ void show_log(struct rev_info *opt, struct log_info *log, const char *sep)
 				 "Content-Type: text/plain; "
 				 "charset=UTF-8; format=fixed\n"
 				 "Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n\n",
+				 extra_headers ? extra_headers : "",
 				 mime_boundary_leader, opt->mime_boundary,
 				 mime_boundary_leader, opt->mime_boundary);
-			after_subject = subject_buffer;
+			extra_headers = subject_buffer;
 
 			snprintf(buffer, sizeof(buffer) - 1,
 				 "--%s%s\n"
@@ -110,7 +143,11 @@ void show_log(struct rev_info *opt, struct log_info *log, const char *sep)
 	/*
 	 * And then the pretty-printed message itself
 	 */
-	len = pretty_print_commit(opt->commit_format, commit, ~0u, this_header, sizeof(this_header), abbrev, subject, after_subject);
+	len = pretty_print_commit(opt->commit_format, commit, ~0u, this_header, sizeof(this_header), abbrev, subject, extra_headers);
+
+	if (opt->add_signoff)
+		len = append_signoff(this_header, sizeof(this_header), len,
+				     opt->add_signoff);
 	printf("%s%s%s", this_header, extra, sep);
 }
 
diff --git a/revision.h b/revision.h
index bdbdd235d8..7d85b0f2e9 100644
--- a/revision.h
+++ b/revision.h
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ struct rev_info {
 	struct log_info *loginfo;
 	int		nr, total;
 	const char	*mime_boundary;
+	const char	*add_signoff;
+	const char	*extra_headers;
 
 	/* special limits */
 	int max_count;