emacs, hard-links, version-control

[Neal Becker]

Let's say I start a new variation on a project, using cp -al.  Now start
editing with emacs.

Normally emacs gives you a choice of methods for backups that would allow
hard-links to be broken.  Often (but not always) that's what I want.

Other times I want emacs to break hard links.  If I have loaded vc-hg, then
emacs doesn't make backup files and there seems to be no option to break
hard links.

Suggestions?