diff --git a/Documentation/git-checkout.txt b/Documentation/git-checkout.txt
index 37c1810e3f..4505eb6d84 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-checkout.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-checkout.txt
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ SYNOPSIS
 --------
 [verse]
 'git checkout' [-q] [-f] [-m] [<branch>]
-'git checkout' [-q] [-f] [-m] [-b <new_branch>] [<start_point>]
+'git checkout' [-q] [-f] [-m] [[-b|--orphan] <new_branch>] [<start_point>]
 'git checkout' [-f|--ours|--theirs|-m|--conflict=<style>] [<tree-ish>] [--] <paths>...
 'git checkout' --patch [<tree-ish>] [--] [<paths>...]
 
@@ -90,6 +90,24 @@ explicitly give a name with '-b' in such a case.
 	Create the new branch's reflog; see linkgit:git-branch[1] for
 	details.
 
+--orphan::
+	Create a new branch named <new_branch>, unparented to any other
+	branch.  The new branch you switch to does not have any commit
+	and after the first one it will become the root of a new history
+	completely unconnected from all the other branches.
++
+When you use "--orphan", the index and the working tree are kept intact.
+This allows you to start a new history that records set of paths similar
+to that of the start-point commit, which is useful when you want to keep
+different branches for different audiences you are working to like when
+you have an open source and commercial versions of a software, for example.
++
+If you want to start a disconnected history that records set of paths
+totally different from the original branch, you may want to first clear
+the index and the working tree, by running "git rm -rf ." from the
+top-level of the working tree, before preparing your files (by copying
+from elsewhere, extracting a tarball, etc.) in the working tree.
+
 -m::
 --merge::
 	When switching branches,
diff --git a/builtin/checkout.c b/builtin/checkout.c
index 88b1f43e05..c3825219c1 100644
--- a/builtin/checkout.c
+++ b/builtin/checkout.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ struct checkout_opts {
 	int writeout_error;
 
 	const char *new_branch;
+	const char *new_orphan_branch;
 	int new_branch_log;
 	enum branch_track track;
 };
@@ -492,8 +493,9 @@ static void update_refs_for_switch(struct checkout_opts *opts,
 	struct strbuf msg = STRBUF_INIT;
 	const char *old_desc;
 	if (opts->new_branch) {
-		create_branch(old->name, opts->new_branch, new->name, 0,
-			      opts->new_branch_log, opts->track);
+		if (!opts->new_orphan_branch)
+			create_branch(old->name, opts->new_branch, new->name, 0,
+				      opts->new_branch_log, opts->track);
 		new->name = opts->new_branch;
 		setup_branch_path(new);
 	}
@@ -633,6 +635,7 @@ int cmd_checkout(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		OPT_BOOLEAN('l', NULL, &opts.new_branch_log, "log for new branch"),
 		OPT_SET_INT('t', "track",  &opts.track, "track",
 			BRANCH_TRACK_EXPLICIT),
+		OPT_STRING(0, "orphan", &opts.new_orphan_branch, "new branch", "new unparented branch"),
 		OPT_SET_INT('2', "ours", &opts.writeout_stage, "stage",
 			    2),
 		OPT_SET_INT('3', "theirs", &opts.writeout_stage, "stage",
@@ -678,6 +681,14 @@ int cmd_checkout(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		opts.new_branch = argv0 + 1;
 	}
 
+	if (opts.new_orphan_branch) {
+		if (opts.new_branch)
+			die("--orphan and -b are mutually exclusive");
+		if (opts.track > 0 || opts.new_branch_log)
+			die("--orphan cannot be used with -t or -l");
+		opts.new_branch = opts.new_orphan_branch;
+	}
+
 	if (conflict_style) {
 		opts.merge = 1; /* implied */
 		git_xmerge_config("merge.conflictstyle", conflict_style, NULL);
diff --git a/t/t2017-checkout-orphan.sh b/t/t2017-checkout-orphan.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..a8297c61bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t2017-checkout-orphan.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2010 Erick Mattos
+#
+
+test_description='git checkout --orphan
+
+Main Tests for --orphan functionality.'
+
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+TEST_FILE=foo
+
+test_expect_success 'Setup' '
+	echo "Initial" >"$TEST_FILE" &&
+	git add "$TEST_FILE" &&
+	git commit -m "First Commit"
+	test_tick &&
+	echo "State 1" >>"$TEST_FILE" &&
+	git add "$TEST_FILE" &&
+	test_tick &&
+	git commit -m "Second Commit"
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--orphan creates a new orphan branch from HEAD' '
+	git checkout --orphan alpha &&
+	test_must_fail git rev-parse --verify HEAD &&
+	test "refs/heads/alpha" = "$(git symbolic-ref HEAD)" &&
+	test_tick &&
+	git commit -m "Third Commit" &&
+	test_must_fail git rev-parse --verify HEAD^ &&
+	git diff-tree --quiet master alpha
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--orphan creates a new orphan branch from <start_point>' '
+	git checkout master &&
+	git checkout --orphan beta master^ &&
+	test_must_fail git rev-parse --verify HEAD &&
+	test "refs/heads/beta" = "$(git symbolic-ref HEAD)" &&
+	test_tick &&
+	git commit -m "Fourth Commit" &&
+	test_must_fail git rev-parse --verify HEAD^ &&
+	git diff-tree --quiet master^ beta
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--orphan must be rejected with -b' '
+	git checkout master &&
+	test_must_fail git checkout --orphan new -b newer &&
+	test refs/heads/master = "$(git symbolic-ref HEAD)"
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--orphan is rejected with an existing name' '
+	git checkout master &&
+	test_must_fail git checkout --orphan master &&
+	test refs/heads/master = "$(git symbolic-ref HEAD)"
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--orphan refuses to switch if a merge is needed' '
+	git checkout master &&
+	git reset --hard &&
+	echo local >>"$TEST_FILE" &&
+	cat "$TEST_FILE" >"$TEST_FILE.saved" &&
+	test_must_fail git checkout --orphan gamma master^ &&
+	test refs/heads/master = "$(git symbolic-ref HEAD)" &&
+	test_cmp "$TEST_FILE" "$TEST_FILE.saved" &&
+	git diff-index --quiet --cached HEAD &&
+	git reset --hard
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--orphan does not mix well with -t' '
+	git checkout master &&
+	test_must_fail git checkout -t master --orphan gamma &&
+	test refs/heads/master = "$(git symbolic-ref HEAD)"
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--orphan ignores branch.autosetupmerge' '
+	git checkout -f master &&
+	git config branch.autosetupmerge always &&
+	git checkout --orphan delta &&
+	test -z "$(git config branch.delta.merge)" &&
+	test refs/heads/delta = "$(git symbolic-ref HEAD)" &&
+	test_must_fail git rev-parse --verify HEAD^
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--orphan does not mix well with -l' '
+	git checkout -f master &&
+	test_must_fail git checkout -l --orphan gamma
+'
+
+test_done