diff --git a/hgext/convert/__init__.py b/hgext/convert/__init__.py
--- a/hgext/convert/__init__.py
+++ b/hgext/convert/__init__.py
@@ -332,6 +332,24 @@ def convert(ui, src, dest=None, revmapfi
     The 'rename' directive renames a file or directory.  To rename from a
     subdirectory into the root of the repository, use '.' as the path to
     rename to.
+
+    Back end options:
+
+    --config convert.hg.clonebranches=False   (boolean)
+        hg target: XXX not documented
+    --config convert.hg.saverev=True          (boolean)
+        hg source: allow target to preserve source revision ID
+    --config convert.hg.tagsbranch=default    (branch name)
+        hg target: XXX not documented
+    --config convert.hg.usebranchnames=True   (boolean)
+        hg target: preserve branch names
+
+    --config convert.svn.branches=branches    (directory name)
+        svn source: specify the directory containing branches
+    --config convert.svn.tags=tags            (directory name)
+        svn source: specify the directory containing tags
+    --config convert.svn.trunk=trunk          (directory name)
+        svn source: specify the name of the trunk branch
     """
 
     util._encoding = 'UTF-8'
diff --git a/hgext/convert/common.py b/hgext/convert/common.py
--- a/hgext/convert/common.py
+++ b/hgext/convert/common.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class commit(object):
 class converter_source(object):
     """Conversion source interface"""
 
-    def __init__(self, ui, path, rev=None):
+    def __init__(self, ui, path=None, rev=None):
         """Initialize conversion source (or raise NoRepo("message")
         exception if path is not a valid repository)"""
         self.ui = ui
diff --git a/hgext/convert/filemap.py b/hgext/convert/filemap.py
--- a/hgext/convert/filemap.py
+++ b/hgext/convert/filemap.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 import shlex
 from mercurial.i18n import _
 from mercurial import util
-from common import SKIPREV
+from common import SKIPREV, converter_source
 
 def rpairs(name):
     e = len(name)
@@ -110,9 +110,9 @@ class filemapper(object):
 #   touch files we're interested in, but also merges that merge two
 #   or more interesting revisions.
 
-class filemap_source(object):
+class filemap_source(converter_source):
     def __init__(self, ui, baseconverter, filemap):
-        self.ui = ui
+        super(filemap_source, self).__init__(ui)
         self.base = baseconverter
         self.filemapper = filemapper(ui, filemap)
         self.commits = {}
@@ -344,9 +344,3 @@ class filemap_source(object):
 
     def gettags(self):
         return self.base.gettags()
-
-    def before(self):
-        pass
-
-    def after(self):
-        pass
diff --git a/hgext/convert/hg.py b/hgext/convert/hg.py
--- a/hgext/convert/hg.py
+++ b/hgext/convert/hg.py
@@ -1,10 +1,16 @@
 # hg backend for convert extension
 
-# Note for hg->hg conversion: Old versions of Mercurial didn't trim
-# the whitespace from the ends of commit messages, but new versions
-# do.  Changesets created by those older versions, then converted, may
-# thus have different hashes for changesets that are otherwise
-# identical.
+# Notes for hg->hg conversion:
+#
+# * Old versions of Mercurial didn't trim the whitespace from the ends
+#   of commit messages, but new versions do.  Changesets created by
+#   those older versions, then converted, may thus have different
+#   hashes for changesets that are otherwise identical.
+#
+# * By default, the source revision is stored in the converted
+#   revision.  This will cause the converted revision to have a
+#   different identity than the source.  To avoid this, use the
+#   following option: "--config convert.hg.saverev=false"
 
 
 import os, time
@@ -181,6 +187,7 @@ class mercurial_sink(converter_sink):
 class mercurial_source(converter_source):
     def __init__(self, ui, path, rev=None):
         converter_source.__init__(self, ui, path, rev)
+        self.saverev = ui.configbool('convert', 'hg.saverev', True)
         try:
             self.repo = hg.repository(self.ui, path)
             # try to provoke an exception if this isn't really a hg
@@ -239,8 +246,12 @@ class mercurial_source(converter_source)
     def getcommit(self, rev):
         ctx = self.changectx(rev)
         parents = [hex(p.node()) for p in ctx.parents() if p.node() != nullid]
+        if self.saverev:
+            crev = rev
+        else:
+            crev = None
         return commit(author=ctx.user(), date=util.datestr(ctx.date()),
-                      desc=ctx.description(), rev=rev, parents=parents,
+                      desc=ctx.description(), rev=crev, parents=parents,
                       branch=ctx.branch(), extra=ctx.extra())
 
     def gettags(self):
diff --git a/tests/test-convert b/tests/test-convert
--- a/tests/test-convert
+++ b/tests/test-convert
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-echo "[extensions]" >> $HGRCPATH
-echo "convert=" >> $HGRCPATH
+cat >> $HGRCPATH <<EOF
+[extensions]
+convert=
+[convert]
+hg.saverev=False
+EOF
 
 hg help convert
 
diff --git a/tests/test-convert-cvs.out b/tests/test-convert-cvs.out
--- a/tests/test-convert-cvs.out
+++ b/tests/test-convert-cvs.out
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ 0 Initial revision files: b/c
 checking in src/a,v
 checking in src/b/c,v
 % convert again
-destination src-hg is a Mercurial repository
 connecting to cvsrepo
 scanning source...
 sorting...
@@ -56,7 +55,6 @@ c
 c
 c
 % convert again with --filemap
-destination src-filemap is a Mercurial repository
 connecting to cvsrepo
 scanning source...
 sorting...
diff --git a/tests/test-convert-hg-sink b/tests/test-convert-hg-sink
--- a/tests/test-convert-hg-sink
+++ b/tests/test-convert-hg-sink
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-echo "[extensions]" >> $HGRCPATH
-echo "hgext.convert=" >> $HGRCPATH
+cat >> $HGRCPATH <<EOF
+[extensions]
+convert=
+[convert]
+hg.saverev=False
+EOF
 
 hg init orig
 cd orig
diff --git a/tests/test-convert-hg-sink.out b/tests/test-convert-hg-sink.out
--- a/tests/test-convert-hg-sink.out
+++ b/tests/test-convert-hg-sink.out
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ 3 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files
 a   0         -1 unset             baz
 copy: bar -> baz
 % add a new revision in the original repo
-destination new is a Mercurial repository
 scanning source...
 sorting...
 converting...
diff --git a/tests/test-convert-hg-source b/tests/test-convert-hg-source
--- a/tests/test-convert-hg-source
+++ b/tests/test-convert-hg-source
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-echo "[extensions]" >> $HGRCPATH
-echo "hgext.convert=" >> $HGRCPATH
+cat >> $HGRCPATH <<EOF
+[extensions]
+convert=
+[convert]
+hg.saverev=False
+EOF
 
 hg init orig
 cd orig
diff --git a/tests/test-convert-svn-source.out b/tests/test-convert-svn-source.out
--- a/tests/test-convert-svn-source.out
+++ b/tests/test-convert-svn-source.out
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ Transmitting file data ..
 Committed revision 3.
 % test incremental conversion
 assuming destination trunk-hg
-destination trunk-hg is a Mercurial repository
 scanning source...
 sorting...
 converting...
@@ -86,7 +85,6 @@ Sending        letter2.txt
 Transmitting file data .
 Committed revision 11.
 % test incremental conversion
-destination A-hg is a Mercurial repository
 scanning source...
 sorting...
 converting...
diff --git a/tests/test-convert.out b/tests/test-convert.out
--- a/tests/test-convert.out
+++ b/tests/test-convert.out
@@ -55,6 +55,24 @@ Convert a foreign SCM repository to a Me
     subdirectory into the root of the repository, use '.' as the path to
     rename to.
 
+    Back end options:
+
+    --config convert.hg.clonebranches=False   (boolean)
+        hg target: XXX not documented
+    --config convert.hg.saverev=True          (boolean)
+        hg source: allow target to preserve source revision ID
+    --config convert.hg.tagsbranch=default    (branch name)
+        hg target: XXX not documented
+    --config convert.hg.usebranchnames=True   (boolean)
+        hg target: preserve branch names
+
+    --config convert.svn.branches=branches    (directory name)
+        svn source: specify the directory containing branches
+    --config convert.svn.tags=tags            (directory name)
+        svn source: specify the directory containing tags
+    --config convert.svn.trunk=trunk          (directory name)
+        svn source: specify the name of the trunk branch
+
 options:
 
  -A --authors      username mapping filename