diff --git a/cfg.sample.toml b/cfg.sample.toml
index 43fc1cd6..49b80de6 100644
--- a/cfg.sample.toml
+++ b/cfg.sample.toml
@@ -44,6 +44,13 @@ try_users = []
 # Auto-squash commits. Requires the local Git command
 #autosquash = true
 
+# Whether homu should push a temporary merge commit that causes
+# github to think the PR was merged.  You need to disable this if
+# you have branch protection enabled.  Also, leaving this enabled
+# means that other people pulling master might transiently see
+# the merge commit.
+#linear_fake_merge = true
+
 ## branch names (these settings here are the defaults)
 #[repo.NAME.branch]
 #
diff --git a/homu/main.py b/homu/main.py
index a0f0f703..05ce7e18 100644
--- a/homu/main.py
+++ b/homu/main.py
@@ -214,7 +214,12 @@ def refresh(self):
         self.body = issue.body
 
     def fake_merge(self, repo_cfg):
-        if repo_cfg.get('linear', False) or repo_cfg.get('autosquash', False):
+        is_linear_or_autosquash = repo_cfg.get('linear', False) or repo_cfg.get('autosquash', False)
+        # Backwards compat, though I think this is a terrible default.
+        fake_merge = repo_cfg.get('linear_fake_merge', True)
+        if not is_linear_or_autosquash:
+            return
+        if fake_merge:
             msg = '''!!! Temporary commit !!!
 
 This commit is artifically made up to mark PR {} as merged.
@@ -238,6 +243,16 @@ def fail(err):
                 self.get_issue().close()
 
             utils.retry_until(inner, fail, self)
+        else:
+            issue = self.get_issue()
+            title = issue.title
+            # So unfortunately, we can't yet tell github this PR was
+            # merged.  We need to rework things so that our last
+            # comment at least includes a link to the master commit.
+            merged_prefix = '[merged] '
+            if not title.startswith(merged_prefix):
+                title = merged_prefix + title
+            issue.edit(title=title, state='closed')
 
 def sha_cmp(short, full):
     return len(short) >= 4 and short == full[:len(short)]