diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index cb5b11daec5a883951c23691925b974bbb6224d1..5d9f8b0b924451f5cea7a48e8586b9b4dd3e7842 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,12 @@
+Fri Dec 12 18:50:20 +0100 2008 Jim Meyering <meyering@redhat.com>
+
+	syntax-check: enforce the no-cvs-keywords prohibition
+	* Makefile.maint (sc_prohibit_cvs_keyword): New rule.
+	Suggested by Daniel Veillard.
+	The new test exposed two uses of $\Date$.
+	* docs/Goals: Don't use $\Date$.
+	* python/TODO: Likewise.
+
 Fri Dec 12 17:08:08 +0100 2008 Jim Meyering <meyering@redhat.com>
 
 	avoid a spurious test failure on non-numa systems
@@ -11,7 +20,7 @@ Fri Dec 12 14:57:17 CET 2008 Daniel Veillard <veillard@redhat.com>
 
 Fri Dec 12 13:41:31 +0100 2008 Jim Meyering <meyering@redhat.com>
 
-	remove cvs $Id$ strings
+	remove cvs $\Id$ strings
 	* po/id.po: Likewise.
 	* qemud/remote_generate_stubs.pl: Likewise.
 	* src/virsh.c: Likewise.
diff --git a/Makefile.maint b/Makefile.maint
index fda15db00a712249e396f70db74e75cc71f76a0a..5758215465a2c0870867e533cfee2c54ad5ec7db 100644
--- a/Makefile.maint
+++ b/Makefile.maint
@@ -81,6 +81,14 @@ sc_space_tab:
 	  { echo '$(ME): found SPACE-TAB sequence; remove the SPACE'	\
 		1>&2; exit 1; } || :
 
+cvs_keywords = \
+  Author|Date|Header|Id|Name|Locker|Log|RCSfile|Revision|Source|State
+
+sc_prohibit_cvs_keyword:
+	@grep -nE '\$$($(cvs_keywords))\$$' $$($(VC_LIST_EXCEPT)) &&	\
+	  { echo '$(ME): do not use CVS keyword expansion '		\
+		1>&2; exit 1; } || :
+
 # Don't use *scanf or the old ato* functions in `real' code.
 # They provide no error checking mechanism.
 # Instead, use strto* functions.
diff --git a/docs/Goals b/docs/Goals
index fbe2a5ee9a8b97cc859109a6f11b434508210e4e..70c1d25140921476bc99f28a21211a2278222b02 100644
--- a/docs/Goals
+++ b/docs/Goals
@@ -26,4 +26,3 @@ the underlying acual implementation of the hypervisor calls.
    releases of the library.
 
 Daniel Veillard <veillard@redhat.com>
-$Date$
diff --git a/python/TODO b/python/TODO
index f78c07b26a54f754df5e5b8f608dfce94520bc4a..46274820a7b7fdbdb776f013a7823c0cb658d752 100644
--- a/python/TODO
+++ b/python/TODO
@@ -4,5 +4,3 @@
 - add examples, web page and python based test suite
 
 Daniel Veillard
-
-$Date$