diff --git a/contrib/check-code.py b/contrib/check-code.py
--- a/contrib/check-code.py
+++ b/contrib/check-code.py
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@
             "don't use 'sed ... \\n', use a \\ and a newline",
         ),
         (r'env.*-u', "don't use 'env -u VAR', use 'unset VAR'"),
-        (r'cp.* -r ', "don't use 'cp -r', use 'cp -R'"),
+        (r'(?<!hg )cp.* -r ', "don't use 'cp -r', use 'cp -R'"),
         (r'grep.* -[ABC]', "don't use grep's context flags"),
         (
             r'find.*-printf',