diff --git a/tools/patman/README b/tools/patman/README
index d1d9891c4c..5a67a49e88 100644
--- a/tools/patman/README
+++ b/tools/patman/README
@@ -247,6 +247,23 @@ Series-changes: n
 	to update the log there and then, knowing that the script will
 	do the rest.
 
+Commit-changes: n
+- This line will not appear in the cover-letter changelog
+<blank line>
+	This tag is like Series-changes, except changes in this changelog will
+	only appear in the changelog of the commit this tag is in. This is
+	useful when you want to add notes which may not make sense in the cover
+	letter. For example, you can have short changes such as "New" or
+	"Lint".
+
+Cover-changes: n
+- This line will only appear in the cover letter
+<blank line>
+	This tag is like Series-changes, except changes in this changelog will
+	only appear in the cover-letter changelog. This is useful to summarize
+	changes made with Commit-changes, or to add additional context to
+	changes.
+
 Patch-cc: Their Name <email>
 	This copies a single patch to another email address. Note that the
 	Cc: used by git send-email is ignored by patman, but will be
diff --git a/tools/patman/main.py b/tools/patman/main.py
index f3d9c0c434..2c21a3130e 100755
--- a/tools/patman/main.py
+++ b/tools/patman/main.py
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ parser.add_option('--no-check', action='store_false', dest='check_patch',
                   default=True,
                   help="Don't check for patch compliance")
 parser.add_option('--no-tags', action='store_false', dest='process_tags',
-                  default=True, help="Don't process subject tags as aliaes")
+                  default=True, help="Don't process subject tags as aliases")
 parser.add_option('--smtp-server', type='str',
                   help="Specify the SMTP server to 'git send-email'")
 parser.add_option('-T', '--thread', action='store_true', dest='thread',
diff --git a/tools/patman/patchstream.py b/tools/patman/patchstream.py
index 405297505c..871c66aeb1 100644
--- a/tools/patman/patchstream.py
+++ b/tools/patman/patchstream.py
@@ -24,11 +24,8 @@ re_allowed_after_test = re.compile('^Signed-off-by:')
 # Signoffs
 re_signoff = re.compile('^Signed-off-by: *(.*)')
 
-# The start of the cover letter
-re_cover = re.compile('^Cover-letter:')
-
-# A cover letter Cc
-re_cover_cc = re.compile('^Cover-letter-cc: *(.*)')
+# Cover letter tag
+re_cover = re.compile('^Cover-([a-z-]*): *(.*)')
 
 # Patch series tag
 re_series_tag = re.compile('^Series-([a-z-]*): *(.*)')
@@ -65,7 +62,7 @@ class PatchStream:
     def __init__(self, series, name=None, is_log=False):
         self.skip_blank = False          # True to skip a single blank line
         self.found_test = False          # Found a TEST= line
-        self.lines_after_test = 0        # MNumber of lines found after TEST=
+        self.lines_after_test = 0        # Number of lines found after TEST=
         self.warn = []                   # List of warnings we have collected
         self.linenum = 1                 # Output line number we are up to
         self.in_section = None           # Name of start...END section we are in
@@ -73,7 +70,8 @@ class PatchStream:
         self.section = []                # The current section...END section
         self.series = series             # Info about the patch series
         self.is_log = is_log             # True if indent like git log
-        self.in_change = 0               # Non-zero if we are in a change list
+        self.in_change = None            # Name of the change list we are in
+        self.change_version = 0          # Non-zero if we are in a change list
         self.blank_count = 0             # Number of blank lines stored up
         self.state = STATE_MSG_HEADER    # What state are we in?
         self.signoff = []                # Contents of signoff line
@@ -124,6 +122,22 @@ class PatchStream:
             self.skip_blank = True
             self.section = []
 
+    def ParseVersion(self, value, line):
+        """Parse a version from a *-changes tag
+
+        Args:
+            value: Tag value (part after 'xxx-changes: '
+            line: Source line containing tag
+
+        Returns:
+            The version as an integer
+        """
+        try:
+            return int(value)
+        except ValueError as str:
+            raise ValueError("%s: Cannot decode version info '%s'" %
+                (self.commit.hash, line))
+
     def ProcessLine(self, line):
         """Process a single line of a patch file or commit log
 
@@ -163,7 +177,6 @@ class PatchStream:
         change_id_match = re_change_id.match(line)
         commit_tag_match = re_commit_tag.match(line)
         cover_match = re_cover.match(line)
-        cover_cc_match = re_cover_cc.match(line)
         signoff_match = re_signoff.match(line)
         tag_match = None
         if self.state == STATE_PATCH_HEADER:
@@ -183,8 +196,7 @@ class PatchStream:
 
         # If a tag is detected, or a new commit starts
         if series_tag_match or commit_tag_match or change_id_match or \
-           cover_match or cover_cc_match or signoff_match or \
-           self.state == STATE_MSG_HEADER:
+           cover_match or signoff_match or self.state == STATE_MSG_HEADER:
             # but we are already in a section, this means 'END' is missing
             # for that section, fix it up.
             if self.in_section:
@@ -205,8 +217,9 @@ class PatchStream:
             # but we are already in a change list, that means a blank line
             # is missing, fix it up.
             if self.in_change:
-                self.warn.append("Missing 'blank line' in section 'Series-changes'")
-                self.in_change = 0
+                self.warn.append("Missing 'blank line' in section '%s-changes'" % self.in_change)
+                self.in_change = None
+                self.change_version = 0
 
         # If we are in a section, keep collecting lines until we see END
         if self.in_section:
@@ -242,26 +255,37 @@ class PatchStream:
         elif self.skip_blank and is_blank:
             self.skip_blank = False
 
-        # Detect the start of a cover letter section
+        # Detect Cover-xxx tags
         elif cover_match:
-            self.in_section = 'cover'
-            self.skip_blank = False
-
-        elif cover_cc_match:
-            value = cover_cc_match.group(1)
-            self.AddToSeries(line, 'cover-cc', value)
+            name = cover_match.group(1)
+            value = cover_match.group(2)
+            if name == 'letter':
+                self.in_section = 'cover'
+                self.skip_blank = False
+            elif name == 'letter-cc':
+                self.AddToSeries(line, 'cover-cc', value)
+            elif name == 'changes':
+                self.in_change = 'Cover'
+                self.change_version = self.ParseVersion(value, line)
 
         # If we are in a change list, key collected lines until a blank one
         elif self.in_change:
             if is_blank:
                 # Blank line ends this change list
-                self.in_change = 0
+                self.in_change = None
+                self.change_version = 0
             elif line == '---':
-                self.in_change = 0
+                self.in_change = None
+                self.change_version = 0
                 out = self.ProcessLine(line)
             else:
                 if self.is_log:
-                    self.series.AddChange(self.in_change, self.commit, line)
+                    if self.in_change == 'Series':
+                        self.series.AddChange(self.change_version, self.commit, line)
+                    elif self.in_change == 'Cover':
+                        self.series.AddChange(self.change_version, None, line)
+                    elif self.in_change == 'Commit':
+                        self.commit.AddChange(self.change_version, line)
             self.skip_blank = False
 
         # Detect Series-xxx tags
@@ -270,12 +294,8 @@ class PatchStream:
             value = series_tag_match.group(2)
             if name == 'changes':
                 # value is the version number: e.g. 1, or 2
-                try:
-                    value = int(value)
-                except ValueError as str:
-                    raise ValueError("%s: Cannot decode version info '%s'" %
-                        (self.commit.hash, line))
-                self.in_change = int(value)
+                self.in_change = 'Series'
+                self.change_version = self.ParseVersion(value, line)
             else:
                 self.AddToSeries(line, name, value)
                 self.skip_blank = True
@@ -297,6 +317,9 @@ class PatchStream:
             if name == 'notes':
                 self.AddToCommit(line, name, value)
                 self.skip_blank = True
+            elif name == 'changes':
+                self.in_change = 'Commit'
+                self.change_version = self.ParseVersion(value, line)
 
         # Detect the start of a new commit
         elif commit_match:
@@ -340,7 +363,7 @@ class PatchStream:
             elif line == '---':
                 self.state = STATE_DIFFS
 
-                # Output the tags (signeoff first), then change list
+                # Output the tags (signoff first), then change list
                 out = []
                 log = self.series.MakeChangeLog(self.commit)
                 out += [line]
diff --git a/tools/patman/series.py b/tools/patman/series.py
index be6f061122..ca7ca556dc 100644
--- a/tools/patman/series.py
+++ b/tools/patman/series.py
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2011 The Chromium OS Authors.
 #
 
+from __future__ import print_function
+
+import collections
 import itertools
 import os
 
@@ -156,7 +159,15 @@ class Series(dict):
             - Fix the widget
             - Jog the dial
         """
-        versions = sorted(self.changes, reverse=True)
+        # Collect changes from the series and this commit
+        changes = collections.defaultdict(list)
+        for version, changelist in self.changes.items():
+            changes[version] += changelist
+        if commit:
+            for version, changelist in commit.changes.items():
+                changes[version] += [[commit, text] for text in changelist]
+
+        versions = sorted(changes, reverse=True)
         newest_version = 1
         if 'version' in self:
             newest_version = max(newest_version, int(self.version))
@@ -169,7 +180,7 @@ class Series(dict):
         need_blank = False
         for version in versions:
             out = []
-            for this_commit, text in self.changes[version]:
+            for this_commit, text in changes[version]:
                 if commit and this_commit != commit:
                     continue
                 if 'uniq' not in process_it or text not in out:
