diff --git a/doc/g2rcdiff.mkd b/doc/g2rcdiff.mkd
index 81af122..53ebd55 100644
--- a/doc/g2rcdiff.mkd
+++ b/doc/g2rcdiff.mkd
@@ -64,12 +64,8 @@ or mechanisms, but you have to do some setup work.
   * `GL_NO_DAEMON_NO_GITWEB` -- uncomment the appropriate lines in the rc
     file, in both the `POST_COMPILE` and `POST_CREATE` trigger sections.
 
-  * `NICE_VALUE` -- use the `PRE_GIT` trigger to attach a program that renices
-    the pid given by $GL_TID (that's the pid of the initial gitolite entry
-    point, usually gitolite-shell, and propagates from there once set).
-
-    You may have to add this list to the rc file; if you don't know perl use
-    one of the others as a model or ask me.
+  * `NICE_VALUE` -- uncomment the 'renice 10' line in the rc file.  You can
+    also change the 10 to something else if you wish.
 
   * `GIT_PATH` -- gone, not needed.  Just add these lines to the end of the rc
     file:
diff --git a/doc/triggers.mkd b/doc/triggers.mkd
index 50e74bd..637a04b 100644
--- a/doc/triggers.mkd
+++ b/doc/triggers.mkd
@@ -42,13 +42,23 @@ However if the triggered code depends on arguments (see next section) this
 won't work.  (The `POST_COMPILE` trigger programs all just happen to not
 require any arguments, so it works).
 
-## triggers and arguments
+## common arguments
 
-All triggers receive the name of the trigger as a string (example,
-`"POST_COMPILE"`) as the first argument, so they can know who invoked them.
-(This allows you to write the same program and fire it from more than one
-trigger, as above).  In addition, they may receive other arguments pertaining
-to the event that happened.
+Triggers receive the following arguments:
+
+1.  any arguments mentioned in the rc file (for an example, see the renice
+    command in the PRE_GIT trigger sequence),
+
+2.  the name of the trigger as a string (example, `"POST_COMPILE"`), so you
+    can call the same program from multiple triggers and know where it was
+    called from,
+
+3.  followed by zero or more arguments specific to the trigger, as given in
+    the next section.
+
+## trigger-specific details
+
+Here's all you need to know about each specific trigger.
 
   * `ACCESS_CHECK`: this fires once after each access check.  The first is
     just before invoking git-receive-pack or git-upload-pack.  The second,
diff --git a/src/Gitolite/Rc.pm b/src/Gitolite/Rc.pm
index c4c3bcd..bdd6755 100644
--- a/src/Gitolite/Rc.pm
+++ b/src/Gitolite/Rc.pm
@@ -170,14 +170,12 @@ sub trigger {
         } else {
             for my $s ( @{ $rc{$rc_section} } ) {
 
-                # perl-ism; apart from keeping the full path separate from the
-                # simple name, this also protects %rc from change by implicit
-                # aliasing, which would happen if you touched $s itself
-                my $sfp = "$ENV{GL_BINDIR}/commands/$s";
+                my ($pgm, @args) = split ' ', $s;
+                $pgm = "$ENV{GL_BINDIR}/commands/$pgm";
 
-                _warn("skipped command '$s'"), next if not -x $sfp;
+                _warn("skipped command '$s'"), next if not -x $pgm;
                 trace( 2, "command: $s" );
-                _system( $sfp, $rc_section, @_ );    # they better all return with 0 exit codes!
+                _system( $pgm, @args, $rc_section, @_ );    # they better all return with 0 exit codes!
             }
         }
         return;
@@ -261,6 +259,17 @@ __DATA__
     # uncomment (and change) this if you wish
     # DEFAULT_ROLE_PERMS          =>  'READERS @all',
 
+    # comment out or uncomment as needed
+    # these are available to remote users
+    COMMANDS                    =>
+        {
+            'help'              =>  1,
+            'info'              =>  1,
+            'desc'              =>  1,
+            'perms'             =>  1,
+            'writes'            =>  1,
+        },
+
     # comment out or uncomment as needed
     # these will run in sequence during the conf file parse
     SYNTACTIC_SUGAR             =>
@@ -268,6 +277,22 @@ __DATA__
             # 'continuation-lines',
         ],
 
+    # comment out or uncomment as needed
+    # these will run in sequence at the start, before a git operation has started
+    PRE_GIT                     =>
+        [
+            # if you use this, make this the first item in the list
+            # 'renice 10',
+        ],
+
+    # comment out or uncomment as needed
+    # these will run in sequence at the end, after a git operation has ended
+    POST_GIT                    =>
+        [
+            # if you use this, make this the last item in the list
+            # 'cpu-time',
+        ],
+
     # comment out or uncomment as needed
     # these will run in sequence after post-update
     POST_COMPILE                =>
@@ -286,25 +311,6 @@ __DATA__
             'post-compile/update-gitweb-access-list',
             'post-compile/update-git-daemon-access-list',
         ],
-
-    # comment out or uncomment as needed
-    # these are available to remote users
-    COMMANDS                    =>
-        {
-            'help'              =>  1,
-            'info'              =>  1,
-            'desc'              =>  1,
-            'perms'             =>  1,
-            'writes'            =>  1,
-        },
-
-    # comment out or uncomment as needed
-    # these will run in sequence at the end, after a git operation has ended
-    POST_GIT                    =>
-        [
-            # if you use this, make this the last item in the list
-            # 'cpu-time',
-        ],
 );
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/commands/renice b/src/commands/renice
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..ba0b726
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/commands/renice
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+n=$1
+[ "$n" = "PRE_GIT" ] && n=10
+renice -n $n $GL_TID >/dev/null