diff --git a/mercurial/commands.py b/mercurial/commands.py
--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def add(ui, repo, *pats, **opts):
     repository.
 
     The files will be added to the repository at the next commit. To
-    undo an add before that, see hg revert.
+    undo an add before that, see hg forget.
 
     If no names are given, add all files to the repository.
     """
@@ -1138,6 +1138,37 @@ def export(ui, repo, *changesets, **opts
                  switch_parent=opts.get('switch_parent'),
                  opts=patch.diffopts(ui, opts))
 
+def forget(ui, repo, *pats, **opts):
+    """forget the specified files on the next commit
+
+    Mark the specified files so they will no longer be tracked
+    after the next commit.
+
+    This only removes files from the current branch, not from the
+    entire project history, and it does not delete them from the
+    working directory.
+
+    To undo a forget before the next commit, see hg add.
+    """
+
+    if not pats:
+        raise util.Abort(_('no files specified'))
+
+    m = cmdutil.match(repo, pats, opts)
+    s = repo.status(match=m, clean=True)
+    forget = sorted(s[0] + s[1] + s[3] + s[6])
+
+    for f in m.files():
+        if f not in repo.dirstate and not os.path.isdir(m.rel(f)):
+            ui.warn(_('not removing %s: file is already untracked\n')
+                    % m.rel(f))
+
+    for f in forget:
+        if ui.verbose or not m.exact(f):
+            ui.status(_('removing %s\n') % m.rel(f))
+
+    repo.remove(forget, unlink=False)
+
 def grep(ui, repo, pattern, *pats, **opts):
     """search for a pattern in specified files and revisions
 
@@ -3269,6 +3300,10 @@ table = {
           ('', 'switch-parent', None, _('diff against the second parent'))
           ] + diffopts,
          _('[OPTION]... [-o OUTFILESPEC] REV...')),
+    "^forget":
+        (forget,
+         [] + walkopts,
+         _('[OPTION]... FILE...')),
     "grep":
         (grep,
          [('0', 'print0', None, _('end fields with NUL')),
diff --git a/tests/test-add b/tests/test-add
--- a/tests/test-add
+++ b/tests/test-add
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ hg add -n
 hg st
 hg add
 hg st
+hg forget a
+hg add
+hg st
 
 echo b > b
 hg add -n b
@@ -36,6 +39,9 @@ hg resolve -m a
 hg ci -m merge
 
 echo % issue683
+hg forget a
+hg add a
+hg st
 hg rm a
 hg st
 echo a > a
diff --git a/tests/test-add.out b/tests/test-add.out
--- a/tests/test-add.out
+++ b/tests/test-add.out
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ adding a
 ? a
 adding a
 A a
+adding a
+A a
 A a
 ? b
 A a
@@ -26,6 +28,7 @@ a already tracked!
 M a
 ? a.orig
 % issue683
+? a.orig
 R a
 ? a.orig
 M a
diff --git a/tests/test-debugcomplete.out b/tests/test-debugcomplete.out
--- a/tests/test-debugcomplete.out
+++ b/tests/test-debugcomplete.out
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ commit
 copy
 diff
 export
+forget
 grep
 heads
 help
@@ -167,6 +168,7 @@ clone: noupdate, rev, pull, uncompressed
 commit: addremove, close-branch, include, exclude, message, logfile, date, user
 diff: rev, change, text, git, nodates, show-function, ignore-all-space, ignore-space-change, ignore-blank-lines, unified, include, exclude
 export: output, switch-parent, text, git, nodates
+forget: include, exclude
 init: ssh, remotecmd
 log: follow, follow-first, date, copies, keyword, rev, removed, only-merges, user, only-branch, prune, patch, git, limit, no-merges, style, template, include, exclude
 merge: force, rev, preview
diff --git a/tests/test-globalopts.out b/tests/test-globalopts.out
--- a/tests/test-globalopts.out
+++ b/tests/test-globalopts.out
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ list of commands:
  copy         mark files as copied for the next commit
  diff         diff repository (or selected files)
  export       dump the header and diffs for one or more changesets
+ forget       forget the specified files on the next commit
  grep         search for a pattern in specified files and revisions
  heads        show current repository heads or show branch heads
  help         show help for a given topic or a help overview
@@ -230,6 +231,7 @@ list of commands:
  copy         mark files as copied for the next commit
  diff         diff repository (or selected files)
  export       dump the header and diffs for one or more changesets
+ forget       forget the specified files on the next commit
  grep         search for a pattern in specified files and revisions
  heads        show current repository heads or show branch heads
  help         show help for a given topic or a help overview
diff --git a/tests/test-help.out b/tests/test-help.out
--- a/tests/test-help.out
+++ b/tests/test-help.out
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ basic commands:
  commit     commit the specified files or all outstanding changes
  diff       diff repository (or selected files)
  export     dump the header and diffs for one or more changesets
+ forget     forget the specified files on the next commit
  init       create a new repository in the given directory
  log        show revision history of entire repository or files
  merge      merge working directory with another revision
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ use "hg help" for the full list of comma
  commit     commit the specified files or all outstanding changes
  diff       diff repository (or selected files)
  export     dump the header and diffs for one or more changesets
+ forget     forget the specified files on the next commit
  init       create a new repository in the given directory
  log        show revision history of entire repository or files
  merge      merge working directory with another revision
@@ -55,6 +57,7 @@ list of commands:
  copy         mark files as copied for the next commit
  diff         diff repository (or selected files)
  export       dump the header and diffs for one or more changesets
+ forget       forget the specified files on the next commit
  grep         search for a pattern in specified files and revisions
  heads        show current repository heads or show branch heads
  help         show help for a given topic or a help overview
@@ -117,6 +120,7 @@ use "hg -v help" to show aliases and glo
  copy         mark files as copied for the next commit
  diff         diff repository (or selected files)
  export       dump the header and diffs for one or more changesets
+ forget       forget the specified files on the next commit
  grep         search for a pattern in specified files and revisions
  heads        show current repository heads or show branch heads
  help         show help for a given topic or a help overview
@@ -170,7 +174,7 @@ add the specified files on the next comm
     repository.
 
     The files will be added to the repository at the next commit. To
-    undo an add before that, see hg revert.
+    undo an add before that, see hg forget.
 
     If no names are given, add all files to the repository.
 
@@ -190,7 +194,7 @@ add the specified files on the next comm
     repository.
 
     The files will be added to the repository at the next commit. To
-    undo an add before that, see hg revert.
+    undo an add before that, see hg forget.
 
     If no names are given, add all files to the repository.
 
@@ -309,6 +313,7 @@ basic commands:
  commit     commit the specified files or all outstanding changes
  diff       diff repository (or selected files)
  export     dump the header and diffs for one or more changesets
+ forget     forget the specified files on the next commit
  init       create a new repository in the given directory
  log        show revision history of entire repository or files
  merge      merge working directory with another revision
@@ -332,6 +337,7 @@ basic commands:
  commit     commit the specified files or all outstanding changes
  diff       diff repository (or selected files)
  export     dump the header and diffs for one or more changesets
+ forget     forget the specified files on the next commit
  init       create a new repository in the given directory
  log        show revision history of entire repository or files
  merge      merge working directory with another revision
diff --git a/tests/test-qrecord.out b/tests/test-qrecord.out
--- a/tests/test-qrecord.out
+++ b/tests/test-qrecord.out
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ basic commands:
  commit     commit the specified files or all outstanding changes
  diff       diff repository (or selected files)
  export     dump the header and diffs for one or more changesets
+ forget     forget the specified files on the next commit
  init       create a new repository in the given directory
  log        show revision history of entire repository or files
  merge      merge working directory with another revision
diff --git a/tests/test-strict.out b/tests/test-strict.out
--- a/tests/test-strict.out
+++ b/tests/test-strict.out
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ basic commands:
  commit     commit the specified files or all outstanding changes
  diff       diff repository (or selected files)
  export     dump the header and diffs for one or more changesets
+ forget     forget the specified files on the next commit
  init       create a new repository in the given directory
  log        show revision history of entire repository or files
  merge      merge working directory with another revision