Index: usr.sbin/freebsd-update/freebsd-update.sh
===================================================================
--- usr.sbin/freebsd-update/freebsd-update.sh
+++ usr.sbin/freebsd-update/freebsd-update.sh
@@ -2521,19 +2521,6 @@
 	mv $2 $3
 }
 
-# Helper for upgrade_merge: Return zero true iff the two files differ only
-# in the contents of their RCS tags.
-samef () {
-	X=`sed -E 's/\\$FreeBSD.*\\$/\$FreeBSD\$/' < $1 | ${SHA256}`
-	Y=`sed -E 's/\\$FreeBSD.*\\$/\$FreeBSD\$/' < $2 | ${SHA256}`
-
-	if [ $X = $Y ]; then
-		return 0;
-	else
-		return 1;
-	fi
-}
-
 # From the list of "old" files in $1, merge changes in $2 with those in $3,
 # and update $3 to reflect the hashes of merged files.
 upgrade_merge () {
@@ -2617,14 +2604,6 @@
 
 		# Ask the user to handle any files which didn't merge.
 		while read F; do
-			# If the installed file differs from the version in
-			# the old release only due to RCS tag expansion
-			# then just use the version in the new release.
-			if samef merge/old/${F} merge/${OLDRELNUM}/${F}; then
-				cp merge/${RELNUM}/${F} merge/new/${F}
-				continue
-			fi
-
 			cat <<-EOF
 
 The following file could not be merged automatically: ${F}
@@ -2657,21 +2636,6 @@
 		# Ask the user to confirm that he likes how the result
 		# of merging files.
 		while read F; do
-			# Skip files which haven't changed except possibly
-			# in their RCS tags.
-			if [ -f merge/old/${F} ] && [ -f merge/new/${F} ] &&
-			    samef merge/old/${F} merge/new/${F}; then
-				continue
-			fi
-
-			# Skip files where the installed file differs from
-			# the old file only due to RCS tags.
-			if [ -f merge/old/${F} ] &&
-			    [ -f merge/${OLDRELNUM}/${F} ] &&
-			    samef merge/old/${F} merge/${OLDRELNUM}/${F}; then
-				continue
-			fi
-
 			# Warn about files which are ceasing to exist.
 			if ! [ -f merge/new/${F} ]; then
 				cat <<-EOF