diff --git a/newsfragments/XXX.misc b/newsfragments/XXX.misc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..861df4124d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/newsfragments/XXX.misc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Add r_free_flag generation to merging function (separate to dials.merge command line program)