diff --git a/hgext/split.py b/hgext/split.py
--- a/hgext/split.py
+++ b/hgext/split.py
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 @command('^split',
     [('r', 'rev', '', _("revision to split"), _('REV')),
      ('', 'rebase', True, _('rebase descendants after split')),
+     ('', 'secret', None, _('use the secret phase for committing')),
     ] + cmdutil.commitopts2,
     _('hg split [--no-rebase] [[-r] REV]'))
 def split(ui, repo, *revs, **opts):
@@ -86,7 +87,11 @@
         if ctx.phase() == phases.public:
             raise error.Abort(_('cannot split public changeset'),
                               hint=_("see 'hg help phases' for details"))
-        opts['secret'] = ctx.phase() == phases.secret
+        # If the user specified --secret or --no-secret on the commandline,
+        # respect that; otherwise, respect the current phase of the commit
+        # (ignoring the phases.new-commit setting).
+        if opts.get('secret') is None:
+            opts['secret'] = ctx.phase() == phases.secret
 
         descendants = list(repo.revs('(%d::) - (%d)', rev, rev))
         alloworphaned = obsolete.isenabled(repo, obsolete.allowunstableopt)
diff --git a/tests/test-split.t b/tests/test-split.t
--- a/tests/test-split.t
+++ b/tests/test-split.t
@@ -564,3 +564,32 @@
   a09ad58faae3 draft
   e704349bd21b draft
   a61bcde8c529 draft
+
+If --secret is specified, convert draft commits to secret on split
+
+  $ cp -R $TESTTMP/clean $TESTTMP/phases3
+  $ cd $TESTTMP/phases3
+  $ hg log -T '{short(node)} {phase}\n'
+  1df0d5c5a3ab draft
+  a61bcde8c529 draft
+  $ runsplit --secret tip >/dev/null
+  $ hg log -T '{short(node)} {phase}\n'
+  00eebaf8d2e2 secret
+  a09ad58faae3 secret
+  e704349bd21b secret
+  a61bcde8c529 draft
+
+If --no-secret is specified, convert secret commits to draft on split
+
+  $ cp -R $TESTTMP/clean $TESTTMP/phases4
+  $ cd $TESTTMP/phases4
+  $ hg phase --secret -fr tip
+  $ hg log -T '{short(node)} {phase}\n'
+  1df0d5c5a3ab secret
+  a61bcde8c529 draft
+  $ runsplit --no-secret tip >/dev/null
+  $ hg log -T '{short(node)} {phase}\n'
+  00eebaf8d2e2 draft
+  a09ad58faae3 draft
+  e704349bd21b draft
+  a61bcde8c529 draft