@@ -, +, @@ 
---
 .../package/ebuild/_config/special_env_vars.py       |  2 +-
 lib/portage/package/ebuild/config.py                 |  3 ++-
 man/make.conf.5                                      | 12 +++++++++---
 repoman/lib/repoman/actions.py                       |  8 +++++---
 4 files changed, 17 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)
--- a/lib/portage/package/ebuild/_config/special_env_vars.py	
+++ a/lib/portage/package/ebuild/_config/special_env_vars.py	
@@ -152,7 +152,6 @@ environ_filter += [
 	"BINPKG_COMPRESS", "BINPKG_COMPRESS_FLAGS",
 	"CLEAN_DELAY", "COLLISION_IGNORE",
 	"CONFIG_PROTECT", "CONFIG_PROTECT_MASK",
-	"DCO_SIGNED_OFF_BY",
 	"EGENCACHE_DEFAULT_OPTS", "EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS",
 	"EMERGE_LOG_DIR",
 	"EMERGE_WARNING_DELAY",
@@ -182,6 +181,7 @@ environ_filter += [
 	"RESUMECOMMAND", "RESUMECOMMAND_FTP",
 	"RESUMECOMMAND_HTTP", "RESUMECOMMAND_HTTPS",
 	"RESUMECOMMAND_RSYNC", "RESUMECOMMAND_SFTP",
+	"SIGNED_OFF_BY",
 	"UNINSTALL_IGNORE", "USE_EXPAND_HIDDEN", "USE_ORDER",
 	"__PORTAGE_HELPER"
 ]
--- a/lib/portage/package/ebuild/config.py	
+++ a/lib/portage/package/ebuild/config.py	
@@ -157,7 +157,8 @@ class config(object):
 		'PORTAGE_PYM_PATH', 'PORTAGE_PYTHONPATH'])
 
 	_deprecated_keys = {'PORTAGE_LOGDIR': 'PORT_LOGDIR',
-		'PORTAGE_LOGDIR_CLEAN': 'PORT_LOGDIR_CLEAN'}
+		'PORTAGE_LOGDIR_CLEAN': 'PORT_LOGDIR_CLEAN',
+		'SIGNED_OFF_BY': 'DCO_SIGNED_OFF_BY'}
 
 	_setcpv_aux_keys = ('BDEPEND', 'DEFINED_PHASES', 'DEPEND', 'EAPI', 'HDEPEND',
 		'INHERITED', 'IUSE', 'REQUIRED_USE', 'KEYWORDS', 'LICENSE', 'PDEPEND',
--- a/man/make.conf.5	
+++ a/man/make.conf.5	
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@ 
-.TH "MAKE.CONF" "5" "Jul 2019" "Portage VERSION" "Portage"
+.TH "MAKE.CONF" "5" "Nov 2019" "Portage VERSION" "Portage"
 .SH "NAME"
 make.conf \- custom settings for Portage
 .SH "SYNOPSIS"
@@ -205,8 +205,7 @@ This variable is passed by the \fIebuild scripts\fR to the \fIconfigure\fR
 as \fI\-\-target=${CTARGET}\fR only if it is defined.
 .TP
 .B DCO_SIGNED_OFF_BY
-This variable may contain a name and email address which will be used by
-\fBrepoman\fR(1) to add a Signed\-off\-by line to each commit message.
+See \fISIGNED_OFF_BY\fR below.  Deprecated.
 .TP
 \fBDISTDIR\fR = \fI[path]\fR
 Defines the location of your local source file repository. After packages
@@ -1141,6 +1140,13 @@ Defines the location where created RPM packages will be stored.
 .br
 Defaults to /var/cache/rpm.
 .TP
+.B SIGNED_OFF_BY
+This variable may contain a name and email address which will be used by
+\fBrepoman\fR(1) to add a Signed\-off\-by line to each commit message.
+The meaning of a signoff depends on the project.  Typically, it certifies
+that the committer has the rights to submit the work under a free license
+and agrees to a Certificate of Origin.
+.TP
 \fBSYNC\fR = \fI[RSYNC]\fR
 Insert your preferred rsync mirror here.  This rsync server
 is used to sync the local ebuild repository when `emerge \-\-sync` is run.
--- a/repoman/lib/repoman/actions.py	
+++ a/repoman/lib/repoman/actions.py	
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@ 
 # -*- coding:utf-8 -*-
+# Copyright 1999-2019 Gentoo Authors
+# Distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2
 
 from __future__ import print_function, unicode_literals
 
@@ -402,7 +404,7 @@ the whole commit message to abort.
 	def get_commit_footer(self):
 		portage_version = getattr(portage, "VERSION", None)
 		gpg_key = self.repoman_settings.get("PORTAGE_GPG_KEY", "")
-		dco_sob = self.repoman_settings.get("DCO_SIGNED_OFF_BY", "")
+		signoff = self.repoman_settings.get("SIGNED_OFF_BY", "")
 		report_options = []
 		if self.options.force:
 			report_options.append("--force")
@@ -470,8 +472,8 @@ the whole commit message to abort.
 				commit_footer += ", unsigned Manifest commit"
 			commit_footer += ")"
 
-		if dco_sob:
-			commit_footer += "\nSigned-off-by: %s" % (dco_sob, )
+		if signoff:
+			commit_footer += "\nSigned-off-by: %s" % (signoff, )
 
 		return commit_footer
 
--