diff --git a/doc/lispref/minibuf.texi b/doc/lispref/minibuf.texi
index d30114f768b..da27805f86d 100644
--- a/doc/lispref/minibuf.texi
+++ b/doc/lispref/minibuf.texi
@@ -316,8 +316,22 @@ input before returning it.  However,
 @code{read-no-blanks-input} (see below), as well as
 @code{read-minibuffer} and related functions (@pxref{Object from
 Minibuffer,, Reading Lisp Objects With the Minibuffer}), and all
-functions that do minibuffer input with completion, discard text
-properties unconditionally, regardless of the value of this variable.
+functions that do minibuffer input with completion, remove the @code{face}
+property unconditionally, regardless of the value of this variable.
+
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, most text properties on strings
+from the completion table are preserved---but only on the part of the
+strings that were completed.
+
+@lisp
+(let ((minibuffer-allow-text-properties t))
+  (completing-read "String: " (list (propertize "foobar" 'data 'zot))))
+=> #("foobar" 3 6 (data zot))
+@end lisp
+
+In this example, the user typed @samp{foo} and then hit the @kbd{TAB}
+key, so the text properties are only preserved on the last three
+characters.
 @end defvar
 
 @defvar minibuffer-local-map
diff --git a/etc/NEWS b/etc/NEWS
index 52092f2ef72..4076630bf22 100644
--- a/etc/NEWS
+++ b/etc/NEWS
@@ -1190,6 +1190,12 @@ directory instead of the default directory.
 
 * Incompatible Lisp Changes in Emacs 28.1
 
++++
+** Some properties from completion tables are now preserved.
+If 'minibuffer-allow-text-properties' is non-nil, doing completion
+over a table of strings with properties will no longer remove all the
+properties before returning.  This affects things like 'completing-read'.
+
 ** 'equal' no longer examines some contents of window configurations.
 Instead, it considers window configurations to be equal only if they
 are 'eq'.  To compare contents, use 'compare-window-configurations'
diff --git a/lisp/minibuffer.el b/lisp/minibuffer.el
index 62a33f3e2dd..3e23c05bb0c 100644
--- a/lisp/minibuffer.el
+++ b/lisp/minibuffer.el
@@ -1065,10 +1065,16 @@ in the last `cdr'."
 (defun completion--replace (beg end newtext)
   "Replace the buffer text between BEG and END with NEWTEXT.
 Moves point to the end of the new text."
-  ;; The properties on `newtext' include things like
-  ;; completions-first-difference, which we don't want to include
-  ;; upon insertion.
-  (set-text-properties 0 (length newtext) nil newtext)
+  ;; The properties on `newtext' include things like the
+  ;; `completions-first-difference' face, which we don't want to
+  ;; include upon insertion.
+  (if minibuffer-allow-text-properties
+      ;; If we're preserving properties, then just remove the faces
+      ;; and other properties added by the completion machinery.
+      (remove-text-properties 0 (length newtext) '(face completion-score)
+                              newtext)
+    ;; Remove all text properties.
+    (set-text-properties 0 (length newtext) nil newtext))
   ;; Maybe this should be in subr.el.
   ;; You'd think this is trivial to do, but details matter if you want
   ;; to keep markers "at the right place" and be robust in the face of