diff --git a/mercurial/commands.py b/mercurial/commands.py
--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -959,6 +959,7 @@ def clone(ui, source, dest=None, **opts)
     ui.setconfig_remoteopts(**opts)
     hg.clone(ui, ui.expandpath(source), dest,
              pull=opts['pull'],
+             stream=opts['stream'],
              rev=opts['rev'],
              update=not opts['noupdate'])
 
@@ -2850,6 +2851,7 @@ table = {
           ('r', 'rev', [],
            _('a changeset you would like to have after cloning')),
           ('', 'pull', None, _('use pull protocol to copy metadata')),
+          ('', 'stream', None, _('use streaming protocol (fast over LAN)')),
           ('e', 'ssh', '', _('specify ssh command to use')),
           ('', 'remotecmd', '',
            _('specify hg command to run on the remote side'))],
diff --git a/mercurial/hg.py b/mercurial/hg.py
--- a/mercurial/hg.py
+++ b/mercurial/hg.py
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ def repository(ui, path=None, create=0):
                              scheme)
     return ctor(ui, path)
 
-def clone(ui, source, dest=None, pull=False, rev=None, update=True):
+def clone(ui, source, dest=None, pull=False, rev=None, update=True,
+          stream=False):
     """Make a copy of an existing repository.
 
     Create a copy of an existing repository in a new directory.  The
@@ -96,6 +97,8 @@ def clone(ui, source, dest=None, pull=Fa
 
     pull: always pull from source repository, even in local case
 
+    stream: stream from repository (fast over LAN, slow over WAN)
+
     rev: revision to clone up to (implies pull=True)
 
     update: update working directory after clone completes, if
@@ -179,7 +182,7 @@ def clone(ui, source, dest=None, pull=Fa
             revs = [src_repo.lookup(r) for r in rev]
 
         if dest_repo.local():
-            dest_repo.clone(src_repo, heads=revs, pull=pull)
+            dest_repo.clone(src_repo, heads=revs, stream=stream)
         elif src_repo.local():
             src_repo.push(dest_repo, revs=revs)
         else:
diff --git a/mercurial/localrepo.py b/mercurial/localrepo.py
--- a/mercurial/localrepo.py
+++ b/mercurial/localrepo.py
@@ -2225,9 +2225,8 @@ class localrepository(repo.repository):
         self.reload()
         return len(self.heads()) + 1
         
-    def clone(self, remote, heads=[], pull=False):
+    def clone(self, remote, heads=[], stream=False):
         '''clone remote repository.
-        if possible, changes are streamed from remote server.
 
         keyword arguments:
         heads: list of revs to clone (forces use of pull)
@@ -2240,7 +2239,7 @@ class localrepository(repo.repository):
         # and format flags on "stream" capability, and stream only if
         # compatible.
 
-        if not pull and not heads and remote.capable('stream'):
+        if stream and not heads and remote.capable('stream'):
             return self.stream_in(remote)
         return self.pull(remote, heads)
 
diff --git a/tests/test-http b/tests/test-http
--- a/tests/test-http
+++ b/tests/test-http
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ cat hg.pid >> $DAEMON_PIDS
 cd ..
 
 echo % clone via stream
-http_proxy= hg clone http://localhost:20059/ copy 2>&1 | \
+http_proxy= hg clone --stream http://localhost:20059/ copy 2>&1 | \
   sed -e 's/[0-9][0-9.]*/XXX/g'
 cd copy
 hg verify
@@ -20,6 +20,6 @@ hg verify
 cd ..
 
 echo % clone via pull
-http_proxy= hg clone --pull http://localhost:20059/ copy-pull
+http_proxy= hg clone http://localhost:20059/ copy-pull
 cd copy-pull
 hg verify
diff --git a/tests/test-http-proxy b/tests/test-http-proxy
--- a/tests/test-http-proxy
+++ b/tests/test-http-proxy
@@ -14,26 +14,26 @@ cat proxy.pid >> $DAEMON_PIDS
 sleep 2
 
 echo %% url for proxy, stream
-http_proxy=http://localhost:20060/ hg --config http_proxy.always=True clone http://localhost:20059/ b | \
+http_proxy=http://localhost:20060/ hg --config http_proxy.always=True clone --stream http://localhost:20059/ b | \
   sed -e 's/[0-9][0-9.]*/XXX/g'
 cd b
 hg verify
 cd ..
 
 echo %% url for proxy, pull
-http_proxy=http://localhost:20060/ hg --config http_proxy.always=True clone --pull http://localhost:20059/ b-pull
+http_proxy=http://localhost:20060/ hg --config http_proxy.always=True clone http://localhost:20059/ b-pull
 cd b-pull
 hg verify
 cd ..
 
 echo %% host:port for proxy
-http_proxy=localhost:20060 hg clone --pull --config http_proxy.always=True http://localhost:20059/ c
+http_proxy=localhost:20060 hg clone --config http_proxy.always=True http://localhost:20059/ c
 
 echo %% proxy url with user name and password
-http_proxy=http://user:passwd@localhost:20060 hg clone --pull --config http_proxy.always=True http://localhost:20059/ d
+http_proxy=http://user:passwd@localhost:20060 hg clone --config http_proxy.always=True http://localhost:20059/ d
 
 echo %% url with user name and password
-http_proxy=http://user:passwd@localhost:20060 hg clone --pull --config http_proxy.always=True http://user:passwd@localhost:20059/ e
+http_proxy=http://user:passwd@localhost:20060 hg clone --config http_proxy.always=True http://user:passwd@localhost:20059/ e
 
 echo %% bad host:port for proxy
 http_proxy=localhost:20061 hg clone --config http_proxy.always=True http://localhost:20059/ f
diff --git a/tests/test-ssh b/tests/test-ssh
--- a/tests/test-ssh
+++ b/tests/test-ssh
@@ -31,14 +31,14 @@ hg ci -A -m "init" -d "1000000 0" foo
 cd ..
 
 echo "# clone remote via stream"
-hg clone -e ./dummyssh ssh://user@dummy/remote local-stream 2>&1 | \
+hg clone -e ./dummyssh --stream ssh://user@dummy/remote local-stream 2>&1 | \
   sed -e 's/[0-9][0-9.]*/XXX/g'
 cd local-stream
 hg verify
 cd ..
 
 echo "# clone remote via pull"
-hg clone -e ./dummyssh --pull ssh://user@dummy/remote local
+hg clone -e ./dummyssh ssh://user@dummy/remote local
 
 echo "# verify"
 cd local