diff --git a/mercurial/hgweb/protocol.py b/mercurial/hgweb/protocol.py
--- a/mercurial/hgweb/protocol.py
+++ b/mercurial/hgweb/protocol.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 # This software may be used and distributed according to the terms of the
 # GNU General Public License version 2, incorporated herein by reference.
 
-import cStringIO, zlib, tempfile, errno, os, sys
+import cStringIO, zlib, tempfile, errno, os, sys, urllib
 from mercurial import util, streamclone
 from mercurial.node import bin, hex
 from mercurial import changegroup as changegroupmod
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ from common import ErrorResponse, HTTP_O
 __all__ = [
    'lookup', 'heads', 'branches', 'between', 'changegroup',
    'changegroupsubset', 'capabilities', 'unbundle', 'stream_out',
+   'branchmap',
 ]
 
 HGTYPE = 'application/mercurial-0.1'
@@ -37,6 +38,17 @@ def heads(repo, req):
     req.respond(HTTP_OK, HGTYPE, length=len(resp))
     yield resp
 
+def branchmap(repo, req):
+    branches = repo.branchmap()
+    heads = []
+    for branch, nodes in branches.iteritems():
+        branchname = urllib.quote(branch)
+        branchnodes = [hex(node) for node in nodes]
+        heads.append('%s %s' % (branchname, ' '.join(branchnodes)))
+    resp = '\n'.join(heads)
+    req.respond(HTTP_OK, HGTYPE, length=len(resp))
+    yield resp
+
 def branches(repo, req):
     nodes = []
     if 'nodes' in req.form:
@@ -97,7 +109,7 @@ def changegroupsubset(repo, req):
     yield z.flush()
 
 def capabilities(repo, req):
-    caps = ['lookup', 'changegroupsubset']
+    caps = ['lookup', 'changegroupsubset', 'branchmap']
     if repo.ui.configbool('server', 'uncompressed', untrusted=True):
         caps.append('stream=%d' % repo.changelog.version)
     if changegroupmod.bundlepriority:
diff --git a/mercurial/localrepo.py b/mercurial/localrepo.py
--- a/mercurial/localrepo.py
+++ b/mercurial/localrepo.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import weakref, stat, errno, os, time, i
 propertycache = util.propertycache
 
 class localrepository(repo.repository):
-    capabilities = set(('lookup', 'changegroupsubset'))
+    capabilities = set(('lookup', 'changegroupsubset', 'branchmap'))
     supported = set('revlogv1 store fncache'.split())
 
     def __init__(self, baseui, path=None, create=0):
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ class localrepository(repo.repository):
 
         return partial
 
-    def _branchheads(self):
+    def branchmap(self):
         tip = self.changelog.tip()
         if self.branchcache is not None and self._branchcachetip == tip:
             return self.branchcache
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ class localrepository(repo.repository):
         '''return a dict where branch names map to the tipmost head of
         the branch, open heads come before closed'''
         bt = {}
-        for bn, heads in self._branchheads().iteritems():
+        for bn, heads in self.branchmap().iteritems():
             head = None
             for i in range(len(heads)-1, -1, -1):
                 h = heads[i]
@@ -1125,7 +1125,7 @@ class localrepository(repo.repository):
     def branchheads(self, branch=None, start=None, closed=True):
         if branch is None:
             branch = self[None].branch()
-        branches = self._branchheads()
+        branches = self.branchmap()
         if branch not in branches:
             return []
         bheads = branches[branch]
diff --git a/mercurial/sshserver.py b/mercurial/sshserver.py
--- a/mercurial/sshserver.py
+++ b/mercurial/sshserver.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 from i18n import _
 from node import bin, hex
 import streamclone, util, hook
-import os, sys, tempfile
+import os, sys, tempfile, urllib
 
 class sshserver(object):
     def __init__(self, ui, repo):
@@ -64,6 +64,15 @@ class sshserver(object):
             success = 0
         self.respond("%s %s\n" % (success, r))
 
+    def do_branchmap(self):
+        branchmap = self.repo.branchmap()
+        heads = []
+        for branch, nodes in branchmap.iteritems():
+            branchname = urllib.quote(branch)
+            branchnodes = [hex(node) for node in nodes]
+            heads.append('%s %s' % (branchname, ' '.join(branchnodes)))
+        self.respond('\n'.join(heads))
+
     def do_heads(self):
         h = self.repo.heads()
         self.respond(" ".join(map(hex, h)) + "\n")
@@ -77,7 +86,7 @@ class sshserver(object):
         capabilities: space separated list of tokens
         '''
 
-        caps = ['unbundle', 'lookup', 'changegroupsubset']
+        caps = ['unbundle', 'lookup', 'changegroupsubset', 'branchmap']
         if self.ui.configbool('server', 'uncompressed'):
             caps.append('stream=%d' % self.repo.changelog.version)
         self.respond("capabilities: %s\n" % (' '.join(caps),))
diff --git a/tests/test-hgweb-commands.out b/tests/test-hgweb-commands.out
--- a/tests/test-hgweb-commands.out
+++ b/tests/test-hgweb-commands.out
@@ -848,7 +848,7 @@ graph.render(data);
 % capabilities
 200 Script output follows
 
-lookup changegroupsubset unbundle=HG10GZ,HG10BZ,HG10UN% heads
+lookup changegroupsubset branchmap unbundle=HG10GZ,HG10BZ,HG10UN% heads
 200 Script output follows
 
 1d22e65f027e5a0609357e7d8e7508cd2ba5d2fe