diff --git a/Documentation/git-rebase.txt b/Documentation/git-rebase.txt
index f9ddfe2e77..79cecd2929 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-rebase.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-rebase.txt
@@ -450,8 +450,9 @@ See also INCOMPATIBLE OPTIONS below.
 	date. This option implies `--force-rebase`.
 
 --ignore-date::
-	This flag is passed to 'git am' to change the author date
-	of each rebased commit (see linkgit:git-am[1]).
+	Instead of using the author date of the original commit, use
+	the current time as the	author date of the rebased commit.  This
+	option implies `--force-rebase`.
 +
 See also INCOMPATIBLE OPTIONS below.
 
@@ -589,7 +590,6 @@ INCOMPATIBLE OPTIONS
 The following options:
 
  * --apply
- * --ignore-date
  * --whitespace
  * -C
 
@@ -617,6 +617,7 @@ In addition, the following pairs of options are incompatible:
  * --preserve-merges and --empty=
  * --preserve-merges and --ignore-whitespace
  * --preserve-merges and --committer-date-is-author-date
+ * --preserve-merges and --ignore-date
  * --keep-base and --onto
  * --keep-base and --root
 
diff --git a/builtin/rebase.c b/builtin/rebase.c
index 2579380729..583ac96fc7 100644
--- a/builtin/rebase.c
+++ b/builtin/rebase.c
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ struct rebase_options {
 	char *gpg_sign_opt;
 	int autostash;
 	int committer_date_is_author_date;
+	int ignore_date;
 	char *cmd;
 	int allow_empty_message;
 	int rebase_merges, rebase_cousins;
@@ -127,6 +128,7 @@ static struct replay_opts get_replay_opts(const struct rebase_options *opts)
 	replay.reschedule_failed_exec = opts->reschedule_failed_exec;
 	replay.committer_date_is_author_date =
 					opts->committer_date_is_author_date;
+	replay.ignore_date = opts->ignore_date;
 	replay.gpg_sign = xstrdup_or_null(opts->gpg_sign_opt);
 	replay.strategy = opts->strategy;
 
@@ -1503,8 +1505,8 @@ int cmd_rebase(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		OPT_BOOL(0, "committer-date-is-author-date",
 			 &options.committer_date_is_author_date,
 			 N_("make committer date match author date")),
-		OPT_PASSTHRU_ARGV(0, "ignore-date", &options.git_am_opts, NULL,
-				  N_("passed to 'git am'"), PARSE_OPT_NOARG),
+		OPT_BOOL(0, "ignore-date", &options.ignore_date,
+			 N_("ignore author date and use current date")),
 		OPT_PASSTHRU_ARGV('C', NULL, &options.git_am_opts, N_("n"),
 				  N_("passed to 'git apply'"), 0),
 		OPT_BOOL(0, "ignore-whitespace", &ignore_whitespace,
@@ -1797,13 +1799,12 @@ int cmd_rebase(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	    options.autosquash) {
 		allow_preemptive_ff = 0;
 	}
-	if (options.committer_date_is_author_date)
+	if (options.committer_date_is_author_date || options.ignore_date)
 		options.flags |= REBASE_FORCE;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < options.git_am_opts.argc; i++) {
 		const char *option = options.git_am_opts.argv[i], *p;
-		if (!strcmp(option, "--ignore-date") ||
-		    !strcmp(option, "--whitespace=fix") ||
+		if (!strcmp(option, "--whitespace=fix") ||
 		    !strcmp(option, "--whitespace=strip"))
 			allow_preemptive_ff = 0;
 		else if (skip_prefix(option, "-C", &p)) {
@@ -1862,6 +1863,8 @@ int cmd_rebase(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		if (options.committer_date_is_author_date)
 			argv_array_push(&options.git_am_opts,
 					"--committer-date-is-author-date");
+		if (options.ignore_date)
+			argv_array_push(&options.git_am_opts, "--ignore-date");
 	} else {
 		/* REBASE_MERGE and PRESERVE_MERGES */
 		if (ignore_whitespace) {
diff --git a/sequencer.c b/sequencer.c
index 78d09f9252..4ccb5451a9 100644
--- a/sequencer.c
+++ b/sequencer.c
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ static GIT_PATH_FUNC(rebase_path_refs_to_delete, "rebase-merge/refs-to-delete")
  */
 static GIT_PATH_FUNC(rebase_path_gpg_sign_opt, "rebase-merge/gpg_sign_opt")
 static GIT_PATH_FUNC(rebase_path_cdate_is_adate, "rebase-merge/cdate_is_adate")
+static GIT_PATH_FUNC(rebase_path_ignore_date, "rebase-merge/ignore_date")
 static GIT_PATH_FUNC(rebase_path_orig_head, "rebase-merge/orig-head")
 static GIT_PATH_FUNC(rebase_path_verbose, "rebase-merge/verbose")
 static GIT_PATH_FUNC(rebase_path_quiet, "rebase-merge/quiet")
@@ -959,7 +960,11 @@ static int run_git_commit(struct repository *r,
 
 	if (opts->committer_date_is_author_date)
 		argv_array_pushf(&cmd.env_array, "GIT_COMMITTER_DATE=%s",
+				 opts->ignore_date ?
+				 "" :
 				 author_date_from_env_array(&cmd.env_array));
+	if (opts->ignore_date)
+		argv_array_push(&cmd.env_array, "GIT_AUTHOR_DATE=");
 
 	argv_array_push(&cmd.args, "commit");
 
@@ -1434,26 +1439,51 @@ static int try_to_commit(struct repository *r,
 		struct ident_split id;
 		struct strbuf date = STRBUF_INIT;
 
-		if (split_ident_line(&id, author, (int)strlen(author)) < 0) {
-			res = error(_("invalid author identity '%s'"), author);
-			goto out;
+		if (!opts->ignore_date) {
+			if (split_ident_line(&id, author, (int)strlen(author)) < 0) {
+				res = error(_("invalid author identity '%s'"),
+					    author);
+				goto out;
+			}
+			if (!id.date_begin) {
+				res = error(_(
+					"corrupt author: missing date information"));
+				goto out;
+			}
+			strbuf_addf(&date, "@%.*s %.*s",
+				    (int)(id.date_end - id.date_begin),
+				    id.date_begin,
+				    (int)(id.tz_end - id.tz_begin),
+				    id.tz_begin);
+		} else {
+			reset_ident_date();
 		}
-		if (!id.date_begin) {
-			res = error(_("corrupt author: missing date information"));
-			goto out;
-		}
-		strbuf_addf(&date, "@%.*s %.*s",
-			    (int)(id.date_end - id.date_begin), id.date_begin,
-			    (int)(id.tz_end - id.tz_begin), id.tz_begin);
 		committer = fmt_ident(opts->committer_name,
 				      opts->committer_email,
-				      WANT_COMMITTER_IDENT, date.buf,
+				      WANT_COMMITTER_IDENT,
+				      opts->ignore_date ? NULL : date.buf,
 				      IDENT_STRICT);
 		strbuf_release(&date);
 	} else {
 		reset_ident_date();
 	}
 
+	if (opts->ignore_date) {
+		struct ident_split id;
+		char *name, *email;
+
+		if (split_ident_line(&id, author, strlen(author)) < 0) {
+			error(_("invalid author identity '%s'"), author);
+			goto out;
+		}
+		name = xmemdupz(id.name_begin, id.name_end - id.name_begin);
+		email = xmemdupz(id.mail_begin, id.mail_end - id.mail_begin);
+		author = fmt_ident(name, email, WANT_AUTHOR_IDENT, NULL,
+				   IDENT_STRICT);
+		free(name);
+		free(email);
+	}
+
 	if (commit_tree_extended(msg->buf, msg->len, &tree, parents, oid,
 				 author, committer, opts->gpg_sign, extra)) {
 		res = error(_("failed to write commit object"));
@@ -2583,6 +2613,11 @@ static int read_populate_opts(struct replay_opts *opts)
 			opts->committer_date_is_author_date = 1;
 		}
 
+		if (file_exists(rebase_path_ignore_date())) {
+			opts->allow_ff = 0;
+			opts->ignore_date = 1;
+		}
+
 		if (file_exists(rebase_path_reschedule_failed_exec()))
 			opts->reschedule_failed_exec = 1;
 
@@ -2675,6 +2710,8 @@ int write_basic_state(struct replay_opts *opts, const char *head_name,
 		write_file(rebase_path_keep_redundant_commits(), "%s", "");
 	if (opts->committer_date_is_author_date)
 		write_file(rebase_path_cdate_is_adate(), "%s", "");
+	if (opts->ignore_date)
+		write_file(rebase_path_ignore_date(), "%s", "");
 	if (opts->reschedule_failed_exec)
 		write_file(rebase_path_reschedule_failed_exec(), "%s", "");
 
@@ -3597,7 +3634,11 @@ static int do_merge(struct repository *r,
 
 		if (opts->committer_date_is_author_date)
 			argv_array_pushf(&cmd.env_array, "GIT_COMMITTER_DATE=%s",
+					 opts->ignore_date ?
+					 "" :
 					 author_date_from_env_array(&cmd.env_array));
+		if (opts->ignore_date)
+			argv_array_push(&cmd.env_array, "GIT_AUTHOR_DATE=");
 
 		cmd.git_cmd = 1;
 		argv_array_push(&cmd.args, "merge");
@@ -3877,7 +3918,8 @@ static int pick_commits(struct repository *r,
 	if (opts->allow_ff)
 		assert(!(opts->signoff || opts->no_commit ||
 			 opts->record_origin || opts->edit ||
-			 opts->committer_date_is_author_date));
+			 opts->committer_date_is_author_date ||
+			 opts->ignore_date));
 	if (read_and_refresh_cache(r, opts))
 		return -1;
 
diff --git a/sequencer.h b/sequencer.h
index 7ca657fe2c..20493a2be2 100644
--- a/sequencer.h
+++ b/sequencer.h
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ struct replay_opts {
 	int quiet;
 	int reschedule_failed_exec;
 	int committer_date_is_author_date;
+	int ignore_date;
 
 	int mainline;
 
diff --git a/t/t3436-rebase-more-options.sh b/t/t3436-rebase-more-options.sh
index 50a63d8ebe..8d73639954 100755
--- a/t/t3436-rebase-more-options.sh
+++ b/t/t3436-rebase-more-options.sh
@@ -108,6 +108,62 @@ test_expect_success '--committer-date-is-author-date works when committing confl
 	test_ctime_is_atime -1
 '
 
+# Checking for +0000 in the author date is sufficient since the
+# default timezone is UTC but the timezone used while committing is
+# +0530. The inverted logic in the grep is necessary to check all the
+# author dates in the file.
+test_atime_is_ignored () {
+	git log $1 --format=%ai >authortime &&
+	! grep -v +0000 authortime
+}
+
+test_expect_success '--ignore-date works with apply backend' '
+	git commit --amend --date="$GIT_AUTHOR_DATE" &&
+	git rebase --apply --ignore-date HEAD^ &&
+	test_atime_is_ignored -1
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--ignore-date works with merge backend' '
+	git commit --amend --date="$GIT_AUTHOR_DATE" &&
+	git rebase --ignore-date -m HEAD^ &&
+	test_atime_is_ignored -1
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--ignore-date works after conflict resolution' '
+	test_must_fail git rebase --ignore-date -m \
+		--onto commit2^^ commit2^ commit2 &&
+	echo resolved >foo &&
+	git add foo &&
+	git rebase --continue &&
+	test_atime_is_ignored -1
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--ignore-date works with rebase -r' '
+	git checkout side &&
+	git merge --no-ff commit3 &&
+	git rebase -r --root --ignore-date &&
+	test_atime_is_ignored
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--ignore-date with --committer-date-is-author-date works' '
+	test_must_fail git rebase -m --committer-date-is-author-date \
+		--ignore-date --onto commit2^^ commit2^ commit3 &&
+	git checkout --theirs foo &&
+	git add foo &&
+	git rebase --continue &&
+	test_ctime_is_atime -2 &&
+	test_atime_is_ignored -2
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--ignore-date --committer-date-is-author-date works when forking merge' '
+	GIT_SEQUENCE_EDITOR="echo \"merge -C $(git rev-parse HEAD) commit3\">" \
+		PATH="./test-bin:$PATH" git rebase -i --strategy=test \
+				--ignore-date --committer-date-is-author-date \
+				side side &&
+	test_ctime_is_atime -1 &&
+	test_atime_is_ignored -1
+ '
+
 # This must be the last test in this file
 test_expect_success '$EDITOR and friends are unchanged' '
 	test_editor_unchanged