---
 common.h |    2 ++
 merge.c  |    8 ++++----
 patch.c  |   14 +++++++++++++-
 3 files changed, 19 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

Index: b/common.h
===================================================================
--- a/common.h
+++ b/common.h
@@ -310,6 +310,8 @@ XTERN LINENUM last_offset;
 /* how many input lines have been irretractably output */
 XTERN LINENUM last_frozen_line;
 
+XTERN const char *file_label[2];
+
 bool similar (char const *, size_t, char const *, size_t);
 bool copy_till (struct outstate *, LINENUM);
 
Index: b/patch.c
===================================================================
--- a/patch.c
+++ b/patch.c
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ static void usage (FILE *, int) __attrib
 static void (*abort_hunk) (bool, bool) = abort_hunk_context;
 
 static bool merge;
+const char *file_label[2];
+
 static bool make_backups;
 static bool backup_if_mismatch;
 static char const *version_control;
@@ -506,7 +508,7 @@ reinitialize_almost_everything (void)
     skip_rest_of_patch = false;
 }
 
-static char const shortopts[] = "bB:cd:D:eEfF:g:i:lMnNo:p:r:RstTuvV:x:Y:z:Z";
+static char const shortopts[] = "bB:cd:D:eEfF:g:i:lL:MnNo:p:r:RstTuvV:x:Y:z:Z";
 static struct option const longopts[] =
 {
   {"backup", no_argument, NULL, 'b'},
@@ -521,6 +523,7 @@ static struct option const longopts[] =
   {"get", no_argument, NULL, 'g'},
   {"input", required_argument, NULL, 'i'},
   {"ignore-whitespace", no_argument, NULL, 'l'},
+  {"label", required_argument, NULL, 'L'},
   {"merge", no_argument, NULL, 'M'},
   {"normal", no_argument, NULL, 'n'},
   {"forward", no_argument, NULL, 'N'},
@@ -577,6 +580,7 @@ static char const *const option_help[] =
 "",
 "  -D NAME  --ifdef=NAME  Make merged if-then-else output using NAME.",
 "  -M  --merge  Produce a diff3-style merge for rejects.",
+"  -L LABEL  --label=LABEL  Use LABEL instead of file name in merge.",
 "  -E  --remove-empty-files  Remove output files that are empty after patching.",
 "",
 "  -Z  --set-utc  Set times of patched files, assuming diff uses UTC (GMT).",
@@ -718,6 +722,14 @@ get_some_switches (void)
 	    case 'M':
 	    	merge = true;
 		break;
+	    case 'L':
+	    	if (!file_label[0])
+		  file_label[0] = optarg;
+	    	else if (!file_label[1])
+		  file_label[1] = optarg;
+		else
+		  fatal ("too many file label options");
+		break;
 	    case 'n':
 		diff_type = NORMAL_DIFF;
 		break;
Index: b/merge.c
===================================================================
--- a/merge.c
+++ b/merge.c
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ merge_hunk (struct outstate *outstate)
       return false;
 
     /* "From" lines in the patch */
-    name = pch_name(OLD);
+    name = file_label[OLD] ? file_label[OLD] : pch_name(OLD);
     if (!name)
       name = "";
     fprintf(fp, outstate->after_newline + "\n<<<<<<<%*s\n",
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ merge_hunk (struct outstate *outstate)
     if (! same_result)
       {
 	/* "To" lines in the patch */
-	name = pch_name(NEW);
+	name = file_label[NEW] ? file_label[NEW] : pch_name(NEW);
 	if (!name)
 	  name = "";
 	fprintf(fp, outstate->after_newline + "\n|||||||%*s\n",
@@ -112,8 +112,8 @@ merge_hunk (struct outstate *outstate)
        result with the new file's name. */
     if (same_result)
       {
-	name = pch_name(NEW);
-	if (!name)
+	name = file_label[NEW] ? file_label[NEW] : pch_name(NEW);
+	if (! name)
 	  name = "";
       }
     else