diff --git a/openstack_requirements/cmds/update.py b/openstack_requirements/cmds/update.py
index d979aeafcf..ed36f4ff54 100644
--- a/openstack_requirements/cmds/update.py
+++ b/openstack_requirements/cmds/update.py
@@ -138,8 +138,24 @@ def _sync_requirements_file(
                     # less in globals
                     changes.append(Change(req[0].package, req[1], ''))
                 elif req[0] != ref[0]:
-                    # A change on this entry
-                    changes.append(Change(req[0].package, req[1], ref[1]))
+                    # NOTE(jamielennox): extras are allowed to be specified in
+                    # a project's requirements and the version be updated and
+                    # extras maintained. Create a new ref object the same as
+                    # the original but with the req's extras.
+
+                    merged_ref = requirement.Requirement(ref[0].package,
+                                                         ref[0].location,
+                                                         ref[0].specifiers,
+                                                         ref[0].markers,
+                                                         ref[0].comment,
+                                                         req[0].extras)
+
+                    ref = (merged_ref, merged_ref.to_line())
+
+                    if req[0] != ref[0]:
+                        # A change on this entry
+                        changes.append(Change(req[0].package, req[1], ref[1]))
+
                 if ref:
                     output_requirements.append(ref[0])
         elif softupdate:
diff --git a/openstack_requirements/requirement.py b/openstack_requirements/requirement.py
index 18f6b6b1d3..48ece717ba 100644
--- a/openstack_requirements/requirement.py
+++ b/openstack_requirements/requirement.py
@@ -40,6 +40,20 @@ class Requirement(collections.namedtuple('Requirement',
             cls, package, location, specifiers, markers, comment,
             frozenset(extras or ()))
 
+    def to_line(self, marker_sep=';', line_prefix=''):
+        comment_p = ' ' if self.package else ''
+        comment = (comment_p + self.comment if self.comment else '')
+        marker = marker_sep + self.markers if self.markers else ''
+        package = line_prefix + self.package if self.package else ''
+        location = self.location + '#egg=' if self.location else ''
+        extras = '[%s]' % ",".join(sorted(self.extras)) if self.extras else ''
+        return '%s%s%s%s%s%s\n' % (location,
+                                   package,
+                                   extras,
+                                   self.specifiers,
+                                   marker,
+                                   comment)
+
 
 Requirements = collections.namedtuple('Requirements', ['reqs'])
 
@@ -135,13 +149,7 @@ def to_content(reqs, marker_sep=';', line_prefix='', prefix=True):
     if prefix:
         lines += _REQS_HEADER
     for req in reqs.reqs:
-        comment_p = ' ' if req.package else ''
-        comment = (comment_p + req.comment if req.comment else '')
-        marker = marker_sep + req.markers if req.markers else ''
-        package = line_prefix + req.package if req.package else ''
-        location = req.location + '#egg=' if req.location else ''
-        lines.append('%s%s%s%s%s\n' % (
-            location, package, req.specifiers, marker, comment))
+        lines.append(req.to_line(marker_sep, line_prefix))
     return u''.join(lines)
 
 
diff --git a/openstack_requirements/tests/test_update.py b/openstack_requirements/tests/test_update.py
index b2ad48f90c..266191c2ce 100644
--- a/openstack_requirements/tests/test_update.py
+++ b/openstack_requirements/tests/test_update.py
@@ -384,6 +384,26 @@ class TestSyncRequirementsFile(testtools.TestCase):
             requirement.Requirement('', '', '', '', n)]),
             reqs)
 
+    def test_extras_kept(self):
+        global_content = textwrap.dedent("""\
+            oslo.db>1.4.1
+            """)
+        project_content = textwrap.dedent("""\
+            oslo.db[fixture,mysql]>1.3
+            """)
+        global_reqs = requirement.parse(global_content)
+        project_reqs = list(requirement.to_reqs(project_content))
+        actions, reqs = update._sync_requirements_file(
+            global_reqs, project_reqs, 'f', False, False, False)
+        self.assertEqual(requirement.Requirements([
+            requirement.Requirement(
+                'oslo.db', '', '>1.4.1', '', '', ['fixture', 'mysql'])]),
+            reqs)
+        self.assertThat(actions, matchers.HasLength(3))
+        self.assertEqual(project.StdOut(
+            "    oslo.db[fixture,mysql]>1.3     ->   "
+            "oslo.db[fixture,mysql]>1.4.1\n"), actions[2])
+
 
 class TestCopyRequires(testtools.TestCase):