diff -upk.orig cvs-1.11.20.orig/src/cvs.h cvs-1.11.20/src/cvs.h
--- cvs-1.11.20.orig/src/cvs.h	2005-09-29 14:21:40 +0000
+++ cvs-1.11.20/src/cvs.h	2005-09-29 14:21:52 +0000
@@ -267,6 +267,7 @@ extern int errno;
 
 /* Environment variable used by CVS */
 #define	CVSREAD_ENV	"CVSREAD"	/* make files read-only */
+#define	CVSNORDLOCK_ENV	"CVSNOREADLOCK"	/* succeed on all read locks */
 #define	CVSREAD_DFLT	0		/* writable files by default */
 
 #define	TMPDIR_ENV	"TMPDIR"	/* Temporary directory */
@@ -399,6 +400,7 @@ extern int safe_location PROTO ((char *)
 
 extern int trace;		/* Show all commands */
 extern int noexec;		/* Don't modify disk anywhere */
+extern int noreadlock;		/* Succeed on all read locks */
 extern int logoff;		/* Don't write history entry */
 
 extern int top_level_admin;
diff -upk.orig cvs-1.11.20.orig/src/lock.c cvs-1.11.20/src/lock.c
--- cvs-1.11.20.orig/src/lock.c	2005-09-29 14:21:40 +0000
+++ cvs-1.11.20/src/lock.c	2005-09-29 14:21:52 +0000
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ Reader_Lock (xrepository)
 	(void) fprintf (stderr, "%s-> Reader_Lock(%s)\n", CLIENT_SERVER_STR,
                         xrepository);
 
-    if (noexec)
+    if (noexec || noreadlock)
 	return 0;
 
     /* we only do one directory at a time for read locks! */
diff -upk.orig cvs-1.11.20.orig/src/main.c cvs-1.11.20/src/main.c
--- cvs-1.11.20.orig/src/main.c	2005-09-29 14:21:40 +0000
+++ cvs-1.11.20/src/main.c	2005-09-29 14:21:52 +0000
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ int really_quiet = 0;
 int quiet = 0;
 int trace = 0;
 int noexec = 0;
+int noreadlock = 0;
 int logoff = 0;
 
 /* Set if we should be writing CVSADM directories at top level.  At
@@ -459,6 +460,8 @@ main (argc, argv)
 	Editor = cp;
     if (getenv (CVSREAD_ENV) != NULL)
 	cvswrite = 0;
+    if (getenv (CVSNORDLOCK_ENV) != NULL)
+	noreadlock = logoff = 1;
 
     /* Set this to 0 to force getopt initialization.  getopt() sets
        this to 1 internally.  */