rebase converts merge commits

Hello,

first of all, thank you for git this is a wonderful tool.

Yet, I have a problem while trying to rebase a bit of history which contains
merge commits.

I'm not sure whether I misuse something or whether this is a know (but
not documented?) limitation.

Here is more context.

I have the following history

* commit e1adb4bcd07372024689c697c56249ca6c044009
|
|     fixed  maintainer field
|
* commit 6aca4f53e8b7647df96dcd2caacde5883f9c67c5
|
|     updated changelog for release 2.9.9-0ubuntu1
|
* commit 96d69d992afae69a8caba07ab9b5b6e5ed7d35d8
|
|     updated lintian warning override
|
*   commit 53171e21222b6a7fcb25620b1c30e427b9ada6a6
|\  Merge: 2d58bfe 4f3385d
| |
| |     merged release 2.9.9
| |
| * commit 4f3385dd9cf129cb0d65c9fb3895fe61a03b8b59
| |
| |     upstream 2.9.9 (developer) release
| |
* | commit 2d58bfed1cc234b5a76bde8216298a72db29aacc
| |
| |     updated maintainer field
| |
* | commit 05b4de27b993dde0cc779364fa24223f29e66b0e
| |
| |     changelog for 2.9.8-0ubuntu5
| |
...


commit 2d58bfe introduced a trivial error that got fixed in commit e1adb4b.

I would like to manipulate the history to get these two commits subsequent
(or even merge them). Eventually I'd like to get this history

* commit 6aca4f53e8b7647df96dcd2caacde5883f9c67c5'
|
|     updated changelog for release 2.9.9-0ubuntu1
|
* commit 96d69d992afae69a8caba07ab9b5b6e5ed7d35d8'
|
|     updated lintian warning override
|
*   commit 53171e21222b6a7fcb25620b1c30e427b9ada6a6'
|\  Merge: e1adb4' 4f3385d
| |
| |     merged release 2.9.9
| |
| * commit 4f3385dd9cf129cb0d65c9fb3895fe61a03b8b59
| |
| |     upstream 2.9.9 (developer) release
| |
* | commit e1adb4bcd07372024689c697c56249ca6c044009'
| |
| |     fixed  maintainer field
| |
* | commit 2d58bfed1cc234b5a76bde8216298a72db29aacc
| |
| |     updated maintainer field
| |
* | commit 05b4de27b993dde0cc779364fa24223f29e66b0e
| |
| |     changelog for 2.9.8-0ubuntu5
| |
...

I tried with rebase -i, but it converts the merge commit into a normal commit.
Moreover, it asks me to resolve the merge conflict again.

I think this is a limitation of rebase, but I haven't read it stated anywhere,
so here I am, asking for a confirmation.

By the way, if there is a way to do what I want, please tell me.

I'm using git version 1.7.0.4.

Cheers

-- 
Sebastian