diff -Nuarp rsync-3.0.7.orig/generator.c rsync-3.0.7/generator.c
--- rsync-3.0.7.orig/generator.c	2009-12-23 20:36:27.000000000 +0100
+++ rsync-3.0.7/generator.c	2014-01-15 07:01:21.840000000 +0100
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ extern int ignore_errors;
 extern int remove_source_files;
 extern int delay_updates;
 extern int update_only;
+extern int dirs_update_only;
 extern int ignore_existing;
 extern int ignore_non_existing;
 extern int inplace;
@@ -1434,6 +1435,15 @@ static void recv_generator(char *fname,
 				dry_missing_dir = file;
 			file->flags |= FLAG_MISSING_DIR;
 		}
+
+		if (dirs_update_only > 0 && statret == 0
+		    && cmp_time(sx.st.st_mtime, file->modtime) > 0) {
+			if (verbose > 1)
+				rprintf(FINFO, "%s is newer\n", fname);
+			file->flags |= FLAG_DONT_TOUCH_UP;
+			goto cleanup;
+		}
+
 		real_ret = statret;
 		real_sx = sx;
 		if (file->flags & FLAG_DIR_CREATED)
@@ -2049,6 +2059,14 @@ static void touch_up_dirs(struct file_li
 		if (!S_ISDIR(file->mode)
 		 || (!implied_dirs && file->flags & FLAG_IMPLIED_DIR))
 			continue;
+		if (S_ISDIR(file->mode) && file->flags & FLAG_DONT_TOUCH_UP) {
+			fname = f_name(file, NULL);
+			if (verbose > 3) {
+				rprintf(FINFO, "skipping touch_up_dirs: %s (%d)\n",
+					NS(fname), i);
+			}
+			continue;
+		}
 		if (verbose > 3) {
 			fname = f_name(file, NULL);
 			rprintf(FINFO, "touch_up_dirs: %s (%d)\n",
diff -Nuarp rsync-3.0.7.orig/options.c rsync-3.0.7/options.c
--- rsync-3.0.7.orig/options.c	2009-12-21 23:40:41.000000000 +0100
+++ rsync-3.0.7/options.c	2014-01-15 07:23:21.152000000 +0100
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ int preserve_uid = 0;
 int preserve_gid = 0;
 int preserve_times = 0;
 int update_only = 0;
+int dirs_update_only = 0;
 int cvs_exclude = 0;
 int dry_run = 0;
 int do_xfers = 1;
@@ -326,6 +327,7 @@ void usage(enum logcode F)
   rprintf(F,"     --backup-dir=DIR        make backups into hierarchy based in DIR\n");
   rprintf(F,"     --suffix=SUFFIX         set backup suffix (default %s w/o --backup-dir)\n",BACKUP_SUFFIX);
   rprintf(F," -u, --update                skip files that are newer on the receiver\n");
+  rprintf(F,"     --dirs-update           skip dirs that are newer on the receiver\n");
   rprintf(F,"     --inplace               update destination files in-place (SEE MAN PAGE)\n");
   rprintf(F,"     --append                append data onto shorter files\n");
   rprintf(F,"     --append-verify         like --append, but with old data in file checksum\n");
@@ -534,6 +536,7 @@ static struct poptOption long_options[]
   {"no-one-file-system",'x',POPT_ARG_VAL,   &one_file_system, 0, 0, 0 },
   {"no-x",            'x', POPT_ARG_VAL,    &one_file_system, 0, 0, 0 },
   {"update",          'u', POPT_ARG_NONE,   &update_only, 0, 0, 0 },
+  {"dirs-update",      0,  POPT_ARG_NONE,   &dirs_update_only, 0, 0, 0 },
   {"existing",         0,  POPT_ARG_NONE,   &ignore_non_existing, 0, 0, 0 },
   {"ignore-non-existing",0,POPT_ARG_NONE,   &ignore_non_existing, 0, 0, 0 },
   {"ignore-existing",  0,  POPT_ARG_NONE,   &ignore_existing, 0, 0, 0 },
diff -Nuarp rsync-3.0.7.orig/rsync.h rsync-3.0.7/rsync.h
--- rsync-3.0.7.orig/rsync.h	2009-12-23 20:36:27.000000000 +0100
+++ rsync-3.0.7/rsync.h	2014-01-15 07:13:05.880000000 +0100
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@
 #define FLAG_LENGTH64 (1<<9)	/* sender/receiver/generator */
 #define FLAG_SKIP_GROUP (1<<10)	/* receiver/generator */
 #define FLAG_TIME_FAILED (1<<11)/* generator */
+#define FLAG_DONT_TOUCH_UP (1<<12)/* generator */
 
 /* These flags are passed to functions but not stored. */
 
diff -Nuarp rsync-3.0.7.orig/rsync.yo rsync-3.0.7/rsync.yo
--- rsync-3.0.7.orig/rsync.yo	2009-12-31 22:08:07.000000000 +0100
+++ rsync-3.0.7/rsync.yo	2014-01-15 07:38:39.676000000 +0100
@@ -330,6 +330,7 @@ to the detailed description below for a
      --backup-dir=DIR        make backups into hierarchy based in DIR
      --suffix=SUFFIX         backup suffix (default ~ w/o --backup-dir)
  -u, --update                skip files that are newer on the receiver
+     --dirs-update           skip dirs that are newer on the receiver
      --inplace               update destination files in-place
      --append                append data onto shorter files
      --append-verify         --append w/old data in file checksum
@@ -708,6 +709,11 @@ This option is a transfer rule, not an e
 data that goes into the file-lists, and thus it doesn't affect deletions.
 It just limits the files that the receiver requests to be transferred.
 
+dit(bf(--dirs-update)) This forces rsync to skip modification of the status
+of directories (i.e. ownership, posix permissions, fACLs, extended attributes)
+which exist on the destination and have a modified time that is newer than
+the source directory. Note that the directory content will not be skipped.
+
 dit(bf(--inplace)) This option changes how rsync transfers a file when
 its data needs to be updated: instead of the default method of creating
 a new copy of the file and moving it into place when it is complete, rsync
diff -Nuarp rsync-3.0.7.orig/testsuite/dirs-update.test rsync-3.0.7/testsuite/dirs-update.test
--- rsync-3.0.7.orig/testsuite/dirs-update.test	1970-01-01 01:00:00.000000000 +0100
+++ rsync-3.0.7/testsuite/dirs-update.test	2014-01-17 02:53:56.600000000 +0100
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+#! /bin/sh
+
+# This program is distributable under the terms of the GNU GPL (see
+# COPYING).
+
+# Test that rsync handles dirctory ACL preservation.
+
+. $srcdir/testsuite/rsync.fns
+set -x
+
+$RSYNC --version | grep ", ACLs" >/dev/null || test_skipped "Rsync is configured without ACL support"
+
+makepath "$fromdir/sub1"
+makepath "$fromdir/sub2"
+makepath "$fromdir/sub3"
+
+dst_preferred_files='. sub1 sub3'
+src_preferred_files='sub2 sub1/file1 sub2/file2'
+
+case "$setfacl_nodef" in
+true)
+    if ! chmod --help 2>&1 | fgrep +a >/dev/null; then
+	test_skipped "I don't know how to use setfacl or chmod for ACLs"
+    fi
+    chmod +a "root allow read,write,execute" "$fromdir/sub1" || test_skipped "Your filesystem has ACLs disabled"
+    chmod +a "admin allow read" "$fromdir/sub1"
+    chmod +a "daemon allow read,write" "$fromdir/sub1"
+
+    chmod +a "root allow read,write,execute" "$fromdir/sub2"
+    chmod +a "admin allow read" "$fromdir/sub2"
+    chmod +a "daemon allow read,write" "$fromdir/sub2"
+
+    chmod +a "root allow read,write,execute" "$fromdir/sub3"
+    chmod +a "admin allow read" "$fromdir/sub3"
+    chmod +a "daemon allow read,write" "$fromdir/sub3"
+
+    see_acls() {
+	ls -le "${@}"
+    }
+    ;;
+*)
+    setfacl -m u:0:7 "$fromdir/sub1" || test_skipped "Your filesystem has ACLs disabled"
+    setfacl -m g:1:5 "$fromdir/sub1"
+    setfacl -m g:2:1 "$fromdir/sub1"
+    setfacl -m g:0:7 "$fromdir/sub1"
+    setfacl -m u:2:1 "$fromdir/sub1"
+    setfacl -m u:1:5 "$fromdir/sub1"
+
+    setfacl -m u:0:7 "$fromdir/sub2"
+    setfacl -m g:1:5 "$fromdir/sub2"
+    setfacl -m g:2:1 "$fromdir/sub2"
+    setfacl -m g:0:7 "$fromdir/sub2"
+    setfacl -m u:2:1 "$fromdir/sub2"
+    setfacl -m u:1:5 "$fromdir/sub2"
+
+    setfacl -m u:0:7 "$fromdir/sub3"
+    setfacl -m g:1:5 "$fromdir/sub3"
+    setfacl -m g:2:1 "$fromdir/sub3"
+    setfacl -m g:0:7 "$fromdir/sub3"
+    setfacl -m u:2:1 "$fromdir/sub3"
+    setfacl -m u:1:5 "$fromdir/sub3"
+
+    see_acls() {
+	getfacl "${@}"
+    }
+    ;;
+esac
+
+$RSYNC -avvA "$fromdir/" "$todir"
+
+## add file1 to $fromdir/sub1
+echo else >"$fromdir/sub1/file1"
+
+sleep 1	## wait a bit for timestamp difference
+
+## change $todir and $todir/sub*
+case "$setfacl_nodef" in
+true)
+    if ! chmod --help 2>&1 | fgrep +a >/dev/null; then
+	test_skipped "I don't know how to use setfacl or chmod for ACLs"
+    fi
+    chmod +a "nobody allow read,execute" "$todir"
+    chmod +a "nobody allow read,execute" "$todir/sub1"
+    chmod +a "nobody allow read,execute" "$todir/sub2"
+    chmod +a "nobody allow read,execute" "$todir/sub3"
+    ;;
+*)
+    setfacl -m u:65534:5 "$todir"
+    setfacl -m u:65534:5 "$todir/sub1"
+    setfacl -m u:65534:5 "$todir/sub2"
+    setfacl -m u:65534:5 "$todir/sub3"
+    ;;
+esac
+
+sleep 1	## wait a bit for timestamp difference
+
+## update mtime of $todir and $todir/sub*
+chown guest "$todir"
+chown guest "$todir/sub1"
+chown guest "$todir/sub2"
+chown guest "$todir/sub3"
+touch "$todir"
+touch "$todir/sub1"
+touch "$todir/sub2"
+touch "$todir/sub3"
+
+sleep 1	## wait a bit for timestamp difference
+
+## add file2 to $fromdir/sub2, this causes the mtime of sub2 to be updated
+echo else >"$fromdir/sub2/file2"
+
+cd "$todir"
+see_acls $dst_preferred_files >"$scratchdir/dst_preferred_acls.txt"
+
+cd "$fromdir"
+see_acls $src_preferred_files >"$scratchdir/src_preferred_acls.txt"
+
+$RSYNC -avvA --update --dirs-update "$fromdir/" "$todir/"
+
+cd "$todir"
+see_acls $dst_preferred_files | diff $diffopt "$scratchdir/dst_preferred_acls.txt" -
+see_acls $src_preferred_files | diff $diffopt "$scratchdir/src_preferred_acls.txt" -
+
+# The script would have aborted on error, so getting here means we've won.
+exit 0