diff --git a/britney.py b/britney.py
index 60055d2..46df2fd 100755
--- a/britney.py
+++ b/britney.py
@@ -339,7 +339,8 @@ class Britney(object):
         self._migration_item_factory = MigrationItemFactory(self.suite_info)
         self._hint_parser = HintParser(self._migration_item_factory)
         self._migration_manager = MigrationManager(self.options, self.suite_info, self.all_binaries, self.pkg_universe,
-                                                   self.constraints, self.allow_uninst, self._migration_item_factory)
+                                                   self.constraints, self.allow_uninst, self._migration_item_factory,
+                                                   self.hints)
 
         if not self.options.nuninst_cache:
             self.logger.info("Building the list of non-installable packages for the full archive")
diff --git a/britney2/excusefinder.py b/britney2/excusefinder.py
index fad8e72..26ceadf 100644
--- a/britney2/excusefinder.py
+++ b/britney2/excusefinder.py
@@ -215,7 +215,8 @@ class ExcuseFinder(object):
                                                                  binaries_t,
                                                                  source_suite.binaries,
                                                                  frozenset(),
-                                                                 self.options.smooth_updates)
+                                                                 self.options.smooth_updates,
+                                                                 self.hints)
 
                 # for every binary package produced by this source in testing for this architecture
                 for pkg_id in sorted(x for x in source_t.binaries if x.architecture == arch):
diff --git a/britney2/hints.py b/britney2/hints.py
index 8e6a10a..e17e625 100644
--- a/britney2/hints.py
+++ b/britney2/hints.py
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ class HintParser(object):
             'remove': (1, split_into_one_hint_per_package),
             'force': (1, split_into_one_hint_per_package),
             'allow-uninst': (1, split_into_one_hint_per_package),
+            'allow-smooth-update': (1, split_into_one_hint_per_package),
         }
         self._aliases = {
             'approve': 'unblock',
diff --git a/britney2/migration.py b/britney2/migration.py
index dac189e..6b52cff 100644
--- a/britney2/migration.py
+++ b/britney2/migration.py
@@ -38,13 +38,15 @@ def is_nuninst_worse(must_be_installable, nuninst_now_arch, nuninst_after_arch,
 
 class MigrationManager(object):
 
-    def __init__(self, options, suite_info, all_binaries, pkg_universe, constraints, allow_uninst, migration_item_factory):
+    def __init__(self, options, suite_info, all_binaries, pkg_universe,
+                 constraints, allow_uninst, migration_item_factory, hints):
         self.options = options
         self.suite_info = suite_info
         self.all_binaries = all_binaries
         self.pkg_universe = pkg_universe
         self.constraints = constraints
         self.allow_uninst = allow_uninst
+        self.hints = hints
         self._transactions = []
         self._all_architectures = frozenset(self.options.architectures)
         self._migration_item_factory = migration_item_factory
@@ -206,7 +208,8 @@ class MigrationManager(object):
                                                          binaries_t,
                                                          binaries_s,
                                                          removals,
-                                                         self.options.smooth_updates)
+                                                         self.options.smooth_updates,
+                                                         self.hints)
         else:
             smoothbins = set()
 
diff --git a/britney2/policies/policy.py b/britney2/policies/policy.py
index 5c1b3cd..d69dedf 100644
--- a/britney2/policies/policy.py
+++ b/britney2/policies/policy.py
@@ -1692,7 +1692,7 @@ class ImplicitDependencyPolicy(BasePolicy):
                 pkg_id_s = None
 
             if not pkg_id_s and \
-                    is_smooth_update_allowed(binaries_t_a[mypkg], self._smooth_updates):
+                    is_smooth_update_allowed(binaries_t_a[mypkg], self._smooth_updates, self.hints):
                 # the binary isn't in the new version (or is cruft there), and
                 # smooth updates are allowed: the binary can stay around if
                 # that is necessary to satisfy dependencies, so we don't need
diff --git a/britney2/utils.py b/britney2/utils.py
index fbae559..bd640d2 100644
--- a/britney2/utils.py
+++ b/britney2/utils.py
@@ -761,12 +761,15 @@ def compile_nuninst(target_suite, architectures, nobreakall_arches):
     return nuninst
 
 
-def is_smooth_update_allowed(binary, smooth_updates):
+def is_smooth_update_allowed(binary, smooth_updates, hints):
     if 'ALL' in smooth_updates:
         return True
     section = binary.section.split('/')[-1]
     if section in smooth_updates:
         return True
+    if hints.search('allow-smooth-update', package=binary.source, version=binary.source_version):
+        # note that this needs to match the source version *IN TESTING*
+        return True
     return False
 
 
@@ -777,7 +780,8 @@ def find_smooth_updateable_binaries(binaries_to_check,
                                     binaries_t,
                                     binaries_s,
                                     removals,
-                                    smooth_updates):
+                                    smooth_updates,
+                                    hints):
     check = set()
     smoothbins = set()
 
@@ -793,7 +797,7 @@ def find_smooth_updateable_binaries(binaries_to_check,
             cruftbins.add(binaries_s[parch][binary].pkg_id)
 
         # Maybe a candidate (cruft or removed binary): check if config allows us to smooth update it.
-        if is_smooth_update_allowed(binaries_t[parch][binary], smooth_updates):
+        if is_smooth_update_allowed(binaries_t[parch][binary], smooth_updates, hints):
             # if the package has reverse-dependencies which are
             # built from other sources, it's a valid candidate for
             # a smooth update.  if not, it may still be a valid