diff --git a/contrib/ssh-copy-id b/contrib/ssh-copy-id

index ae88e99..8e1091c 100644

--- a/contrib/ssh-copy-id

+++ b/contrib/ssh-copy-id

@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ use_id_file() {

     PUB_ID_FILE="$L_ID_FILE.pub"

   fi

-  PRIV_ID_FILE=$(dirname "$PUB_ID_FILE")/$(basename "$PUB_ID_FILE" .pub)

+  [ "x$SSH_COPY_ID_LEGACY" != "x" ] || PRIV_ID_FILE=$(dirname "$PUB_ID_FILE")/$(basename "$PUB_ID_FILE" .pub)

   # check that the files are readable

   for f in $PUB_ID_FILE $PRIV_ID_FILE ; do

@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ populate_new_ids() {

   printf '%s: INFO: %d key(s) remain to be installed -- if you are prompted now it is to install the new keys\n' "$0" "$(printf '%s\n' "$NEW_IDS" | wc -l)" >&2

 }

-REMOTE_VERSION=$(ssh -v -o PreferredAuthentications=',' "$@" 2>&1 |

+[ "x$SSH_COPY_ID_LEGACY" != "x" ] || REMOTE_VERSION=$(ssh -v -o PreferredAuthentications=',' "$@" 2>&1 |

                  sed -ne 's/.*remote software version //p')

 case "$REMOTE_VERSION" in

@@ -268,7 +268,11 @@ case "$REMOTE_VERSION" in

     ;;

   *)

     # Assuming that the remote host treats ~/.ssh/authorized_keys as one might expect

-    populate_new_ids 0

+    if [ "x$SSH_COPY_ID_LEGACY" != "x" ]; then

+      NEW_IDS=`eval "$GET_ID"`

+    else

+      populate_new_ids 0

+    fi

     [ "$DRY_RUN" ] || printf '%s\n' "$NEW_IDS" | ssh "$@" "

 		umask 077 ;

 		mkdir -p .ssh && cat >> .ssh/authorized_keys || exit 1 ;

diff --git a/contrib/ssh-copy-id.1 b/contrib/ssh-copy-id.1

index 67a59e4..df7ce16 100644

--- a/contrib/ssh-copy-id.1

+++ b/contrib/ssh-copy-id.1

@@ -180,6 +180,18 @@ should prove enlightening (N.B. the modern approach is to use the

 .Fl W

 option, rather than

 .Xr nc 1 ) .

+.Sh ENVIRONMENT

+.Bl -tag -width Ds

+.Pp

+.It Pa SSH_COPY_ID_LEGACY

+If the 

+.Cm SSH_COPY_ID_LEGACY

+environment variable is set, the

+.Nm

+is run in a legacy mode. In this mode, the 

+.Nm

+doesn't check an existence of a private key and doesn't do remote checks

+of the remote server versions or if public keys are already installed.

 .Sh "SEE ALSO"

 .Xr ssh 1 ,

 .Xr ssh-agent 1 ,