diff --git a/git-rebase.sh b/git-rebase.sh
index a553f96..40be59e 100755
--- a/git-rebase.sh
+++ b/git-rebase.sh
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 autostash          automatically stash/stash pop before and after
 fork-point         use 'merge-base --fork-point' to refine upstream
 onto=!             rebase onto given branch instead of upstream
-r,rebase-merges!   try to rebase merges instead of skipping them
+r,rebase-merges?   try to rebase merges instead of skipping them
 p,preserve-merges! try to recreate merges instead of ignoring them
 s,strategy=!       use the given merge strategy
 no-ff!             cherry-pick all commits, even if unchanged
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@
 # One of {'', continue, skip, abort}, as parsed from command line
 action=
 rebase_merges=
+rebase_cousins=
 preserve_merges=
 autosquash=
 keep_empty=
@@ -286,6 +287,15 @@
 		rebase_merges=t
 		test -z "$interactive_rebase" && interactive_rebase=implied
 		;;
+	--rebase-merges=*)
+		rebase_merges=t
+		case "${1#*=}" in
+		rebase-cousins) rebase_cousins=t;;
+		no-rebase-cousins) rebase_cousins=;;
+		*) die "Unknown mode: $1";;
+		esac
+		test -z "$interactive_rebase" && interactive_rebase=implied
+		;;
 	--preserve-merges)
 		preserve_merges=t
 		test -z "$interactive_rebase" && interactive_rebase=implied