diff --git a/contrib/cvs/src/rcs.c b/contrib/cvs/src/rcs.c
index 1187fb1eec2e..ce4f41002c96 100644
--- a/contrib/cvs/src/rcs.c
+++ b/contrib/cvs/src/rcs.c
@@ -4308,6 +4308,7 @@ RCS_setlocalid (arg)
 
     keywords[KEYWORD_LOCALID].string = xstrdup(key);
     keywords[KEYWORD_LOCALID].len = strlen(key);
+    keywords[KEYWORD_LOCALID].expandit = 1;
 
     /* options? */
     while (key = strtok(NULL, ",")) {