diff --git a/swh/loader/cvs/cvs2gitdump/cvs2gitdump.py b/swh/loader/cvs/cvs2gitdump/cvs2gitdump.py
--- a/swh/loader/cvs/cvs2gitdump/cvs2gitdump.py
+++ b/swh/loader/cvs/cvs2gitdump/cvs2gitdump.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #   % git --git-dir /git/openbsd.git fast-import < openbsd2.dump
 #
 
+from collections import defaultdict
 import copy
 import getopt
 import os
@@ -381,18 +382,18 @@
             c.tags.append(t)
 
     def parse_file(self, path: str) -> None:
-        rtags: Dict[str, List[str]] = dict()
+        rtags: Dict[str, List[str]] = defaultdict(list)
         rcsfile = rcsparse.rcsfile(path)
+
         branches = {'1': 'HEAD', '1.1.1': 'VENDOR'}
+
         for k, v_ in list(rcsfile.symbols.items()):
             r = v_.split('.')
             if len(r) == 3:
                 branches[v_] = 'VENDOR'
             elif len(r) >= 3 and r[-2] == '0':
                 branches['.'.join(r[:-2] + r[-1:])] = k
-            if len(r) == 2 and branches[r[0]] == 'HEAD':
-                if v_ not in rtags:
-                    rtags[v_] = list()
+            elif len(r) == 2 and branches.get(r[0]) == 'HEAD':
                 rtags[v_].append(k)
 
         revs: List[Tuple[str, Tuple[str, int, str, str, List[str], str, str]]] = list(rcsfile.revs.items())
@@ -418,6 +419,8 @@
                     continue
                 last_vendor_status = v[3]
             elif len(r) == 2:
+                # ensure revision targets head branch
+                branches[r[0]] = 'HEAD'
                 if r[0] == '1' and r[1] == '1':
                     if have_initial_revision:
                         continue
diff --git a/swh/loader/cvs/rlog.py b/swh/loader/cvs/rlog.py
--- a/swh/loader/cvs/rlog.py
+++ b/swh/loader/cvs/rlog.py
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 # OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
 
 import calendar
+from collections import defaultdict
 import re
 import string
 import time
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@
         logmsgs: Dict[str, Optional[bytes]],
     ) -> None:
         """Convert RCS revision history of a file into self.changesets items"""
-        rtags: Dict[str, List[str]] = dict()
+        rtags: Dict[str, List[str]] = defaultdict(list)
         # RCS and CVS represent branches by adding digits to revision numbers.
         # And CVS assigns special meaning to certain revision number ranges.
         #
@@ -121,23 +122,21 @@
         # This allows CVS to store information about a branch's existence
         # before any files on this branch have been modified.
         # Even-numbered branch revisions appear once the file is modified.
+
         branches = {"1": "HEAD", "1.1.1": "VENDOR"}
 
-        k: str
-        v_: str
-        for k, v_ in list(taginfo.items()):  # type: ignore  # FIXME, inconsistent types
-            r = v_.split(".")
+        for k_, v_ in taginfo.items():
+            v_str = v_.decode()
+            r = v_str.split(".")
             if len(r) == 3:
                 # vendor branch number
-                branches[v_] = "VENDOR"
+                branches[v_str] = "VENDOR"
             elif len(r) >= 3 and r[-2] == "0":
                 # magic branch number
-                branches[".".join(r[:-2] + r[-1:])] = k
-            if len(r) == 2 and branches[r[0]] == "HEAD":
+                branches[".".join(r[:-2] + r[-1:])] = k_.decode()
+            elif len(r) == 2 and branches.get(r[0]) == "HEAD":
                 # main branch number
-                if v_ not in rtags:
-                    rtags[v_] = list()
-                rtags[v_].append(k)
+                rtags[v_str].append(k_.decode())
 
         revs: List[Tuple[str, revtuple]] = list(revisions.items())
         # sort by revision descending to priorize 1.1.1.1 than 1.1
@@ -167,6 +166,8 @@
                     continue
                 last_vendor_status = v[3]
             elif len(r) == 2:
+                # ensure revision targets head branch
+                branches[r[0]] = "HEAD"
                 if r[0] == "1" and r[1] == "1":
                     if have_initial_revision:
                         continue
@@ -308,7 +309,7 @@
             break
 
         if state == 1:
-            if line[0] == b"\t":
+            if line.startswith(b"\t"):
                 [tag, rev] = [x.strip() for x in line.split(b":")]
                 taginfo[tag] = rev
             else:
@@ -316,7 +317,7 @@
                 state = 0
 
         if state == 2:
-            if line[0] == b"\t":
+            if line.startswith(b"\t"):
                 [locker, rev] = [x.strip() for x in line.split(b":")]
                 lockinfo[rev] = locker
             else:
diff --git a/swh/loader/cvs/tests/data/cpmixin.tgz b/swh/loader/cvs/tests/data/cpmixin.tgz
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
GIT binary patch
literal 0
Hc$@<O00001

literal 0
Hc$@<O00001

diff --git a/swh/loader/cvs/tests/test_loader.py b/swh/loader/cvs/tests/test_loader.py
--- a/swh/loader/cvs/tests/test_loader.py
+++ b/swh/loader/cvs/tests/test_loader.py
@@ -1288,3 +1288,45 @@
     )
 
     assert loader.load() == {"status": "eventful"}
+
+
+CPMIXIN_SNAPSHOT = Snapshot(
+    id=hash_to_bytes("105b49290a48cc780f5519588ae822e2dd942930"),
+    branches={
+        b"HEAD": SnapshotBranch(
+            target=hash_to_bytes("658f18d145376f0b71716649602752b509cfdbd4"),
+            target_type=TargetType.REVISION,
+        )
+    },
+)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("protocol", ["rsync", "pserver"])
+def test_loader_cvs_with_rev_numbers_greater_than_one(
+    swh_storage, datadir, tmp_path, protocol
+):
+    archive_name = "cpmixin"
+    archive_path = os.path.join(datadir, f"{archive_name}.tgz")
+    repo_url = prepare_repository_from_archive(archive_path, archive_name, tmp_path)
+    repo_url += "/cpmixin"  # CVS module name
+
+    protocol_prefix = "file://"
+    if protocol == "pserver":
+        protocol_prefix = "fake://"
+        repo_url = repo_url.replace("file://", protocol_prefix)
+
+    loader = CvsLoader(
+        swh_storage, repo_url, cvsroot_path=os.path.join(tmp_path, archive_name)
+    )
+
+    assert loader.load() == {"status": "eventful"}
+
+    assert_last_visit_matches(
+        loader.storage,
+        repo_url,
+        status="full",
+        type="cvs",
+        snapshot=CPMIXIN_SNAPSHOT.id,
+    )
+
+    check_snapshot(CPMIXIN_SNAPSHOT, loader.storage)