diff --git a/conf/example.gitolite.rc b/conf/example.gitolite.rc
index ecaaaa5..4821596 100644
--- a/conf/example.gitolite.rc
+++ b/conf/example.gitolite.rc
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 # paths and configuration variables for gitolite
-$GL_BIG_CONFIG = 1;
 
 # please read comments before editing
 
@@ -83,7 +82,13 @@ $GIT_PATH="";
 
 # --------------------------------------
 
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+#                   BIG CONFIG SETTINGS
 
+# Please read doc/big-config.mkd for details
+
+$GL_BIG_CONFIG = 0;
+$GL_NO_DAEMON_NO_GITWEB = 0;
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 #                   SECURITY SENSITIVE SETTINGS
diff --git a/doc/big-config.mkd b/doc/big-config.mkd
index a1fe0ad..5ff551f 100644
--- a/doc/big-config.mkd
+++ b/doc/big-config.mkd
@@ -4,14 +4,15 @@ In this document:
 
   * when/why do we need it?
   * how do we use it?
+  * summary of settings in RC file
   * what are the downsides?
   * (extra coolness) usergroups and LDAP/similar tools
 
 ### when/why do we need it?
 
-A "big config" is anything that has more than a few thousand users and a few
-thousand repos, organised into groups that are much smaller in number (like
-maybe a few hundreds of repogroups and a few dozens of usergroups).
+A "big config" is anything that has a few thousand users and a few thousand
+repos, organised into groups that are much smaller in number (like maybe a few
+hundreds of repogroups and a few dozens of usergroups).
 
 So let's say you have
 
@@ -137,6 +138,24 @@ configuration, the compiled file looks like this:
 That's a lot smaller, and allows orders of magintude more repos and groups to
 be supported.
 
+### summary of settings in RC file
+
+The default RC file contains the following lines:
+
+    $GL_BIG_CONFIG = 0;
+    $GL_NO_DAEMON_NO_GITWEB = 0;
+
+The first setting means that by default, big-config is off; you can change it
+to 1 to enable it.
+
+The second is a very useful optimisation that you *must* enable if you *do*
+have a large number of repositories, and do *not* use gitolite's support for
+gitweb or git-daemon access (see "[easier to specify gitweb description and
+gitweb/daemon access][gw]" for details).  This will save a lot of time when
+you push the gitolite-admin repo with changes.
+
+[gw]: http://github.com/sitaramc/gitolite/blob/pu/doc/3-faq-tips-etc.mkd#gitweb
+
 ### what are the downsides?
 
 There are a few minor issues.
diff --git a/src/gl-compile-conf b/src/gl-compile-conf
index 5c02160..e6d1268 100755
--- a/src/gl-compile-conf
+++ b/src/gl-compile-conf
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ $Data::Dumper::Sortkeys = 1;
 open STDOUT, ">", "/dev/null" if (@ARGV and shift eq '-q');
 
 # these are set by the "rc" file
-our ($GL_ADMINDIR, $GL_CONF, $GL_KEYDIR, $GL_CONF_COMPILED, $REPO_BASE, $REPO_UMASK, $PROJECTS_LIST, $GIT_PATH, $GL_WILDREPOS, $GL_GITCONFIG_KEYS, $GL_PACKAGE_HOOKS, $GL_SETPERMS_OVERRIDES_CONFIG, $GL_BIG_CONFIG);
+our ($GL_ADMINDIR, $GL_CONF, $GL_KEYDIR, $GL_CONF_COMPILED, $REPO_BASE, $REPO_UMASK, $PROJECTS_LIST, $GIT_PATH, $GL_WILDREPOS, $GL_GITCONFIG_KEYS, $GL_PACKAGE_HOOKS, $GL_SETPERMS_OVERRIDES_CONFIG, $GL_BIG_CONFIG, $GL_NO_DAEMON_NO_GITWEB);
 # and these are set by gitolite.pm
 our ($REPONAME_PATT, $REPOPATT_PATT, $USERNAME_PATT, $AUTH_COMMAND, $AUTH_OPTIONS, $ABRT, $WARN);
 
@@ -470,58 +470,60 @@ for my $repo (keys %repo_config) {
 
 wrap_chdir("$repo_base_abs");
 
-# daemons first...
-for my $repo (sort keys %repos) {
-    next unless $repo =~ $REPONAME_PATT;
-    next if $repo =~ m(^\@|EXTCMD/);    # these are not real repos
-    my $export_ok = "$repo.git/git-daemon-export-ok";
-    if ($repos{$repo}{'R'}{'daemon'}) {
-        system("touch $export_ok");
-    } else {
-        unlink($export_ok);
-    }
-}
-
-my %projlist = ();
-# ...then gitwebs
-for my $repo (sort keys %repos) {
-    next unless $repo =~ $REPONAME_PATT;
-    next if $repo =~ m(^\@|EXTCMD/);    # these are not real repos
-    my $desc_file = "$repo.git/description";
-    # note: having a description also counts as enabling gitweb
-    if ($repos{$repo}{'R'}{'gitweb'} or $desc{"$repo.git"}) {
-        $projlist{"$repo.git"} = 1;
-        # add the description file; no messages to user or error checking :)
-        $desc{"$repo.git"} and open(DESC, ">", $desc_file) and print DESC $desc{"$repo.git"} . "\n" and close DESC;
-        if ($owner{"$repo.git"}) {
-            # set the repository owner
-            system("git", "--git-dir=$repo.git", "config", "gitweb.owner", $owner{"$repo.git"});
+unless ($GL_NO_DAEMON_NO_GITWEB) {
+    # daemons first...
+    for my $repo (sort keys %repos) {
+        next unless $repo =~ $REPONAME_PATT;
+        next if $repo =~ m(^\@|EXTCMD/);    # these are not real repos
+        my $export_ok = "$repo.git/git-daemon-export-ok";
+        if ($repos{$repo}{'R'}{'daemon'}) {
+            system("touch $export_ok");
         } else {
+            unlink($export_ok);
+        }
+    }
+
+    my %projlist = ();
+    # ...then gitwebs
+    for my $repo (sort keys %repos) {
+        next unless $repo =~ $REPONAME_PATT;
+        next if $repo =~ m(^\@|EXTCMD/);    # these are not real repos
+        my $desc_file = "$repo.git/description";
+        # note: having a description also counts as enabling gitweb
+        if ($repos{$repo}{'R'}{'gitweb'} or $desc{"$repo.git"}) {
+            $projlist{"$repo.git"} = 1;
+            # add the description file; no messages to user or error checking :)
+            $desc{"$repo.git"} and open(DESC, ">", $desc_file) and print DESC $desc{"$repo.git"} . "\n" and close DESC;
+            if ($owner{"$repo.git"}) {
+                # set the repository owner
+                system("git", "--git-dir=$repo.git", "config", "gitweb.owner", $owner{"$repo.git"});
+            } else {
+                # remove the repository owner setting
+                system("git --git-dir=$repo.git config --unset-all gitweb.owner 2>/dev/null");
+            }
+        } else {
+            # delete the description file; no messages to user or error checking :)
+            unlink $desc_file;
             # remove the repository owner setting
             system("git --git-dir=$repo.git config --unset-all gitweb.owner 2>/dev/null");
         }
-    } else {
-        # delete the description file; no messages to user or error checking :)
-        unlink $desc_file;
-        # remove the repository owner setting
-        system("git --git-dir=$repo.git config --unset-all gitweb.owner 2>/dev/null");
+
+        # unless there are other gitweb.* keys set, remove the section to keep the
+        # config file clean
+        my $keys = `git --git-dir=$repo.git config --get-regexp '^gitweb\\.' 2>/dev/null`;
+        if (length($keys) == 0) {
+            system("git --git-dir=$repo.git config --remove-section gitweb 2>/dev/null");
+        }
     }
 
-    # unless there are other gitweb.* keys set, remove the section to keep the
-    # config file clean
-    my $keys = `git --git-dir=$repo.git config --get-regexp '^gitweb\\.' 2>/dev/null`;
-    if (length($keys) == 0) {
-        system("git --git-dir=$repo.git config --remove-section gitweb 2>/dev/null");
+    # update the project list
+    my $projlist_fh = wrap_open( ">", $PROJECTS_LIST);
+    for my $proj (sort keys %projlist) {
+        print $projlist_fh "$proj\n";
     }
+    close $projlist_fh;
 }
 
-# update the project list
-my $projlist_fh = wrap_open( ">", $PROJECTS_LIST);
-for my $proj (sort keys %projlist) {
-    print $projlist_fh "$proj\n";
-}
-close $projlist_fh;
-
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #       "compile" ssh authorized_keys
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------