diff --git a/chmod.c b/chmod.c
index 8bbf791aa..8368e5b31 100644
--- a/chmod.c
+++ b/chmod.c
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ extern mode_t orig_umask;
 
 struct chmod_mode_struct {
 	struct chmod_mode_struct *next;
-	int ModeAND, ModeOR;
+	int ModeAND, ModeOR, ModeCOPY_SRC, ModeCOPY_DST, ModeCOPY_AND, ModeOP;
 	char flags;
 };
 
@@ -43,6 +43,20 @@ struct chmod_mode_struct {
 #define STATE_2ND_HALF 2
 #define STATE_OCTAL_NUM 3
 
+static int mode_dest_special_bits(int where)
+{
+	int bits = 0;
+
+	if (where & 0100)
+		bits |= S_ISUID;
+	if (where & 0010)
+		bits |= S_ISGID;
+	if (where & 0001)
+		bits |= S_ISVTX;
+
+	return bits;
+}
+
 /* Parse a chmod-style argument, and break it down into one or more AND/OR
  * pairs in a linked list.  We return a pointer to new items on success
  * (appending the items to the specified list), or NULL on error. */
@@ -50,13 +64,13 @@ struct chmod_mode_struct *parse_chmod(const char *modestr,
 				      struct chmod_mode_struct **root_mode_ptr)
 {
 	int state = STATE_1ST_HALF;
-	int where = 0, what = 0, op = 0, topbits = 0, topoct = 0, flags = 0;
+	int where = 0, what = 0, op = 0, topbits = 0, topoct = 0, flags = 0, copybits = 0;
 	struct chmod_mode_struct *first_mode = NULL, *curr_mode = NULL,
 				 *prev_mode = NULL;
 
 	while (state != STATE_ERROR) {
 		if (!*modestr || *modestr == ',') {
-			int bits;
+			int bits, where_specified;
 
 			if (!op) {
 				state = STATE_ERROR;
@@ -70,9 +84,10 @@ struct chmod_mode_struct *parse_chmod(const char *modestr,
 				first_mode = curr_mode;
 			curr_mode->next = NULL;
 
-			if (where)
+			where_specified = where;
+			if (where) {
 				bits = where * what;
-			else {
+			} else {
 				where = 0111;
 				bits = (where * what) & ~orig_umask;
 			}
@@ -81,18 +96,35 @@ struct chmod_mode_struct *parse_chmod(const char *modestr,
 			case CHMOD_ADD:
 				curr_mode->ModeAND = CHMOD_BITS;
 				curr_mode->ModeOR  = bits + topoct;
+				curr_mode->ModeCOPY_SRC = copybits;
+				curr_mode->ModeCOPY_DST = where;
+				curr_mode->ModeCOPY_AND = where_specified ? CHMOD_BITS : ~orig_umask;
+				curr_mode->ModeOP = op;
 				break;
 			case CHMOD_SUB:
 				curr_mode->ModeAND = CHMOD_BITS - bits - topoct;
 				curr_mode->ModeOR  = 0;
+				curr_mode->ModeCOPY_SRC = copybits;
+				curr_mode->ModeCOPY_DST = where;
+				curr_mode->ModeCOPY_AND = where_specified ? CHMOD_BITS : ~orig_umask;
+				curr_mode->ModeOP = op;
 				break;
 			case CHMOD_EQ:
-				curr_mode->ModeAND = CHMOD_BITS - (where * 7) - (topoct ? topbits : 0);
+				curr_mode->ModeAND = CHMOD_BITS - (where * 7) - (topoct ? topbits : 0)
+						    - (copybits ? mode_dest_special_bits(where) : 0);
 				curr_mode->ModeOR  = bits + topoct;
+				curr_mode->ModeCOPY_SRC = copybits;
+				curr_mode->ModeCOPY_DST = where;
+				curr_mode->ModeCOPY_AND = where_specified ? CHMOD_BITS : ~orig_umask;
+				curr_mode->ModeOP = op;
 				break;
 			case CHMOD_SET:
 				curr_mode->ModeAND = 0;
 				curr_mode->ModeOR  = bits;
+				curr_mode->ModeCOPY_SRC = 0;
+				curr_mode->ModeCOPY_DST = 0;
+				curr_mode->ModeCOPY_AND = CHMOD_BITS;
+				curr_mode->ModeOP = op;
 				break;
 			}
 
@@ -103,7 +135,7 @@ struct chmod_mode_struct *parse_chmod(const char *modestr,
 			modestr++;
 
 			state = STATE_1ST_HALF;
-			where = what = op = topoct = topbits = flags = 0;
+			where = what = op = topoct = topbits = flags = copybits = 0;
 		}
 
 		switch (state) {
@@ -159,26 +191,53 @@ struct chmod_mode_struct *parse_chmod(const char *modestr,
 		case STATE_2ND_HALF:
 			switch (*modestr) {
 			case 'r':
+				if (copybits)
+					state = STATE_ERROR;
 				what |= 4;
 				break;
 			case 'w':
+				if (copybits)
+					state = STATE_ERROR;
 				what |= 2;
 				break;
 			case 'X':
+				if (copybits)
+					state = STATE_ERROR;
 				flags |= FLAG_X_KEEP;
 				/* FALL THROUGH */
 			case 'x':
+				if (copybits)
+					state = STATE_ERROR;
 				what |= 1;
 				break;
 			case 's':
+				if (copybits)
+					state = STATE_ERROR;
 				if (topbits)
 					topoct |= topbits;
 				else
 					topoct = 04000;
 				break;
 			case 't':
+				if (copybits)
+					state = STATE_ERROR;
 				topoct |= 01000;
 				break;
+			case 'u':
+				if (what || topoct || copybits)
+					state = STATE_ERROR;
+				copybits = 0100;
+				break;
+			case 'g':
+				if (what || topoct || copybits)
+					state = STATE_ERROR;
+				copybits = 0010;
+				break;
+			case 'o':
+				if (what || topoct || copybits)
+					state = STATE_ERROR;
+				copybits = 0001;
+				break;
 			default:
 				state = STATE_ERROR;
 				break;
@@ -212,6 +271,20 @@ struct chmod_mode_struct *parse_chmod(const char *modestr,
 	return first_mode;
 }
 
+static int mode_copy_bits(int mode, int copy_src, int copy_dst, int copy_and)
+{
+	int copy_bits = 0;
+
+	if (copy_src & 0100)
+		copy_bits |= (mode >> 6) & 7;
+	if (copy_src & 0010)
+		copy_bits |= (mode >> 3) & 7;
+	if (copy_src & 0001)
+		copy_bits |= mode & 7;
+
+	return (copy_dst * copy_bits) & copy_and;
+}
+
 
 /* Takes an existing file permission and a list of AND/OR changes, and
  * create a new permissions. */
@@ -219,17 +292,25 @@ int tweak_mode(int mode, struct chmod_mode_struct *chmod_modes)
 {
 	int IsX = mode & 0111;
 	int NonPerm = mode & ~CHMOD_BITS;
+	int copy_bits;
 
 	for ( ; chmod_modes; chmod_modes = chmod_modes->next) {
 		if ((chmod_modes->flags & FLAG_DIRS_ONLY) && !S_ISDIR(NonPerm))
 			continue;
 		if ((chmod_modes->flags & FLAG_FILES_ONLY) && S_ISDIR(NonPerm))
 			continue;
+		copy_bits = mode_copy_bits(mode, chmod_modes->ModeCOPY_SRC,
+					   chmod_modes->ModeCOPY_DST,
+					   chmod_modes->ModeCOPY_AND);
 		mode &= chmod_modes->ModeAND;
 		if ((chmod_modes->flags & FLAG_X_KEEP) && !IsX && !S_ISDIR(NonPerm))
 			mode |= chmod_modes->ModeOR & ~0111;
 		else
 			mode |= chmod_modes->ModeOR;
+		if (chmod_modes->ModeOP == CHMOD_SUB)
+			mode &= CHMOD_BITS - copy_bits;
+		else
+			mode |= copy_bits;
 	}
 
 	return mode | NonPerm;
diff --git a/rsync.1.md b/rsync.1.md
index 7aa34f9e7..cae408c5d 100644
--- a/rsync.1.md
+++ b/rsync.1.md
@@ -1513,6 +1513,16 @@ expand it.
 
     >     --chmod=D2775,F664
 
+    Symbolic permission-copy modes are also allowed, such as `g=u`, `o=g` or
+    `g-o`.  A permission-copy item may copy from one class only (`u`, `g` or
+    `o`) and cannot be combined with `rwxXst` permission letters in the same
+    item.  Use comma-separated items when you need both behaviours, such as
+    `g=o,o=`.
+
+    A permission-copy `=` item also clears the special bit for each destination
+    class it updates (`u` clears setuid, `g` clears setgid, and `o` clears
+    sticky), matching GNU **chmod** behaviour.
+
     It is also legal to specify multiple `--chmod` options, as each additional
     option is just appended to the list of changes to make.
 
diff --git a/testsuite/chmod-option_test.py b/testsuite/chmod-option_test.py
index 57be6486d..ad0fc77be 100644
--- a/testsuite/chmod-option_test.py
+++ b/testsuite/chmod-option_test.py
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
 
 from rsyncfns import (
     FROMDIR, SCRATCHDIR, TODIR,
-    build_rsyncd_conf, checkit, makepath, rmtree,
-    run_rsync, start_test_daemon,
+    build_rsyncd_conf, check_perms, checkit, makepath, rmtree,
+    run_rsync, start_test_daemon, test_fail,
 )
 
 
@@ -62,6 +62,37 @@
 checkit(['-avv', '--chmod', 'ug-s,a+rX,D+w', f'{FROMDIR}/', f'{TODIR}/'],
         checkdir, TODIR)
 
+def check_permcopy(chmod_arg, start_mode, expected, is_dir=False):
+    rmtree(FROMDIR)
+    rmtree(TODIR)
+    makepath(FROMDIR)
+    permcopy = FROMDIR / 'permcopy'
+    if is_dir:
+        permcopy.mkdir()
+    else:
+        permcopy.write_text('permcopy\n')
+    os.chmod(permcopy, start_mode)
+    run_rsync('-avv', f'--chmod={chmod_arg}', f'{FROMDIR}/', f'{TODIR}/')
+    check_perms(TODIR / 'permcopy', expected)
+
+
+# Exercise chmod(1)-style permission copies.
+check_permcopy('g=o,o=', 0o647, 'rw-rwx---')
+check_permcopy('g=u', 0o741, 'rwxrwx--x')
+check_permcopy('g-o', 0o775, 'rwx-w-r-x')
+check_permcopy('u=g', 0o4755, 'r-xr-xr-x')
+check_permcopy('g=u', 0o2755, 'rwxrwxr-x')
+check_permcopy('o=u', 0o1750, 'rwxr-xrwx', is_dir=True)
+
+rmtree(FROMDIR)
+rmtree(TODIR)
+makepath(FROMDIR)
+(FROMDIR / 'permcopy').write_text('permcopy\n')
+proc = run_rsync('-avv', '--chmod=g=ur', f'{FROMDIR}/', f'{TODIR}/',
+                 check=False, capture_output=True)
+if proc.returncode == 0:
+    test_fail('--chmod=g=ur was not rejected')
+
 # Now exercise the F-only chmod path.
 rmtree(FROMDIR)
 rmtree(checkdir)