diff --git a/hgext/mq.py b/hgext/mq.py
--- a/hgext/mq.py
+++ b/hgext/mq.py
@@ -26,6 +26,18 @@ Common tasks (use "hg help command" for 
   add known patch to applied stack          qpush
   remove patch from applied stack           qpop
   refresh contents of top applied patch     qrefresh
+
+By default, mq will automatically use git patches when required to
+avoid losing file mode changes, copy records, binary files or empty
+files creations or deletions. This behaviour can be configured with::
+
+  [mq]
+  git = auto/keep/yes/no
+
+If set to 'keep', mq will obey the [diff] section configuration while
+preserving existing git patches upon qrefresh. If set to 'yes' or
+'no', mq will override the [diff] section and always generate git or
+regular patches, possibly losing data in the second case.
 '''
 
 from mercurial.i18n import _
@@ -225,6 +237,14 @@ class queue(object):
         self.guards_path = "guards"
         self.active_guards = None
         self.guards_dirty = False
+        # Handle mq.git as a bool with extended values
+        try:
+            gitmode = ui.configbool('mq', 'git', None)
+            if gitmode is None:
+                raise error.ConfigError()
+            self.gitmode = gitmode and 'yes' or 'no'
+        except error.ConfigError:
+            self.gitmode = ui.config('mq', 'git', 'auto').lower()
 
     @util.propertycache
     def applied(self):
@@ -260,23 +280,33 @@ class queue(object):
 
     def diffopts(self, opts={}, patchfn=None):
         diffopts = patch.diffopts(self.ui, opts)
+        if self.gitmode == 'auto':
+            diffopts.upgrade = True
+        elif self.gitmode == 'keep':
+            pass
+        elif self.gitmode in ('yes', 'no'):
+            diffopts.git = self.gitmode == 'yes'
+        else:
+            raise util.Abort(_('mq.git option can be auto/keep/yes/no'
+                               ' got %s') % self.gitmode)
         if patchfn:
             diffopts = self.patchopts(diffopts, patchfn)
         return diffopts
 
     def patchopts(self, diffopts, *patches):
         """Return a copy of input diff options with git set to true if
-        referenced patch is a git patch.
+        referenced patch is a git patch and should be preserved as such.
         """
         diffopts = diffopts.copy()
-        for patchfn in patches:
-            patchf = self.opener(patchfn, 'r')
-            # if the patch was a git patch, refresh it as a git patch
-            for line in patchf:
-                if line.startswith('diff --git'):
-                    diffopts.git = True
-                    break
-            patchf.close()
+        if not diffopts.git and self.gitmode == 'keep':
+            for patchfn in patches:
+                patchf = self.opener(patchfn, 'r')
+                # if the patch was a git patch, refresh it as a git patch
+                for line in patchf:
+                    if line.startswith('diff --git'):
+                        diffopts.git = True
+                        break
+                patchf.close()
         return diffopts
 
     def join(self, *p):
@@ -1260,7 +1290,7 @@ class queue(object):
                     patchf.write(chunk)
 
                 try:
-                    if diffopts.git:
+                    if diffopts.git or diffopts.upgrade:
                         copies = {}
                         for dst in a:
                             src = repo.dirstate.copied(dst)
diff --git a/tests/test-mq-eol b/tests/test-mq-eol
--- a/tests/test-mq-eol
+++ b/tests/test-mq-eol
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 
 echo "[extensions]" >> $HGRCPATH
 echo "mq=" >> $HGRCPATH
+echo "[diff]" >> $HGRCPATH
+echo "nodates=1" >> $HGRCPATH
 
 cat > makepatch.py <<EOF
 f = file('eol.diff', 'wb')
diff --git a/tests/test-mq-eol.out b/tests/test-mq-eol.out
--- a/tests/test-mq-eol.out
+++ b/tests/test-mq-eol.out
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ applying eol.diff
 now at: eol.diff
 test message<LF>
 <LF>
-diff --git a/a b/a<LF>
+diff -r 0d0bf99a8b7a a<LF>
 --- a/a<LF>
 +++ b/a<LF>
 @@ -1,5 +1,5 @@<LF>
diff --git a/tests/test-mq-git b/tests/test-mq-git
new file mode 100755
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test-mq-git
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# Test the plumbing of mq.git option
+# Automatic upgrade itself is tested elsewhere.
+
+echo "[extensions]" >> $HGRCPATH
+echo "mq=" >> $HGRCPATH
+echo "[diff]" >> $HGRCPATH
+echo "nodates=1" >> $HGRCPATH
+
+hg init repo-auto
+cd repo-auto
+echo '% git=auto: regular patch creation'
+echo a > a
+hg add a
+hg qnew -d '0 0' -f adda
+cat .hg/patches/adda
+echo '% git=auto: git patch creation with copy'
+hg cp a b
+hg qnew -d '0 0' -f copy
+cat .hg/patches/copy
+echo '% git=auto: git patch when using --git'
+echo regular > regular
+hg add regular
+hg qnew -d '0 0' --git -f git
+cat .hg/patches/git
+echo '% git=auto: regular patch after qrefresh without --git'
+hg qrefresh -d '0 0' 
+cat .hg/patches/git
+cd ..
+
+hg init repo-keep
+cd repo-keep
+echo '[mq]' > .hg/hgrc
+echo 'git = KEEP' >> .hg/hgrc
+echo '% git=keep: git patch with --git'
+echo a > a
+hg add a
+hg qnew -d '0 0' -f --git git
+cat .hg/patches/git
+echo '% git=keep: git patch after qrefresh without --git'
+echo a >> a
+hg qrefresh -d '0 0'
+cat .hg/patches/git
+cd ..
+
+hg init repo-yes
+cd repo-yes
+echo '[mq]' > .hg/hgrc
+echo 'git = yes' >> .hg/hgrc
+echo '% git=yes: git patch'
+echo a > a
+hg add a
+hg qnew -d '0 0' -f git
+cat .hg/patches/git
+echo '% git=yes: git patch after qrefresh'
+echo a >> a
+hg qrefresh -d '0 0'
+cat .hg/patches/git
+cd ..
+
+hg init repo-no
+cd repo-no
+echo '[diff]' > .hg/hgrc
+echo 'git = True' >> .hg/hgrc
+echo '[mq]' > .hg/hgrc
+echo 'git = False' >> .hg/hgrc
+echo '% git=no: regular patch with copy'
+echo a > a
+hg add a
+hg qnew -d '0 0' -f adda
+hg cp a b
+hg qnew -d '0 0' -f regular
+cat .hg/patches/regular
+echo '% git=no: regular patch after qrefresh with copy'
+hg cp a c
+hg qrefresh -d '0 0'
+cat .hg/patches/regular
+cd ..
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/test-mq-git.out b/tests/test-mq-git.out
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test-mq-git.out
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+% git=auto: regular patch creation
+# HG changeset patch
+# Date 0 0
+
+diff -r 000000000000 -r ef8dafc9fa4c a
+--- /dev/null
++++ b/a
+@@ -0,0 +1,1 @@
++a
+% git=auto: git patch creation with copy
+# HG changeset patch
+# Date 0 0
+
+diff --git a/a b/b
+copy from a
+copy to b
+% git=auto: git patch when using --git
+# HG changeset patch
+# Date 0 0
+
+diff --git a/regular b/regular
+new file mode 100644
+--- /dev/null
++++ b/regular
+@@ -0,0 +1,1 @@
++regular
+% git=auto: regular patch after qrefresh without --git
+# HG changeset patch
+# Date 0 0
+
+diff -r 2962f232b49d regular
+--- /dev/null
++++ b/regular
+@@ -0,0 +1,1 @@
++regular
+% git=keep: git patch with --git
+# HG changeset patch
+# Date 0 0
+
+diff --git a/a b/a
+new file mode 100644
+--- /dev/null
++++ b/a
+@@ -0,0 +1,1 @@
++a
+% git=keep: git patch after qrefresh without --git
+# HG changeset patch
+# Date 0 0
+
+diff --git a/a b/a
+new file mode 100644
+--- /dev/null
++++ b/a
+@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
++a
++a
+% git=yes: git patch
+# HG changeset patch
+# Date 0 0
+
+diff --git a/a b/a
+new file mode 100644
+--- /dev/null
++++ b/a
+@@ -0,0 +1,1 @@
++a
+% git=yes: git patch after qrefresh
+# HG changeset patch
+# Date 0 0
+
+diff --git a/a b/a
+new file mode 100644
+--- /dev/null
++++ b/a
+@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
++a
++a
+% git=no: regular patch with copy
+# HG changeset patch
+# Date 0 0
+
+diff -r ef8dafc9fa4c -r 110cde11d262 b
+--- /dev/null
++++ b/b
+@@ -0,0 +1,1 @@
++a
+% git=no: regular patch after qrefresh with copy
+# HG changeset patch
+# Date 0 0
+
+diff -r ef8dafc9fa4c b
+--- /dev/null
++++ b/b
+@@ -0,0 +1,1 @@
++a
+diff -r ef8dafc9fa4c c
+--- /dev/null
++++ b/c
+@@ -0,0 +1,1 @@
++a
diff --git a/tests/test-mq-merge b/tests/test-mq-merge
--- a/tests/test-mq-merge
+++ b/tests/test-mq-merge
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ checkundo()
 
 echo "[extensions]" >> $HGRCPATH
 echo "mq =" >> $HGRCPATH
+echo "[mq]" >> $HGRCPATH
+echo "git = keep" >> $HGRCPATH
 
 # Commit two dummy files in "init" changeset
 hg init t
diff --git a/tests/test-mq-qfold b/tests/test-mq-qfold
--- a/tests/test-mq-qfold
+++ b/tests/test-mq-qfold
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 echo "[extensions]" >> $HGRCPATH
 echo "mq=" >> $HGRCPATH
+echo "[mq]" >> $HGRCPATH
+echo "git=keep" >> $HGRCPATH
 
 filterdiff()
 {
diff --git a/tests/test-mq.out b/tests/test-mq.out
--- a/tests/test-mq.out
+++ b/tests/test-mq.out
@@ -21,6 +21,18 @@ Common tasks (use "hg help command" for 
   remove patch from applied stack           qpop
   refresh contents of top applied patch     qrefresh
 
+By default, mq will automatically use git patches when required to avoid
+losing file mode changes, copy records, binary files or empty files creations
+or deletions. This behaviour can be configured with:
+
+  [mq]
+  git = auto/keep/yes/no
+
+If set to 'keep', mq will obey the [diff] section configuration while
+preserving existing git patches upon qrefresh. If set to 'yes' or 'no', mq
+will override the [diff] section and always generate git or regular patches,
+possibly losing data in the second case.
+
 list of commands:
 
  qapplied     print the patches already applied