diff --git a/README.mkd b/README.mkd
index e1a9616..904d9f3 100644
--- a/README.mkd
+++ b/README.mkd
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ detail [here][gsdiff].
   * config file syntax gets checked upfront, and much more thoroughly
   * if your requirements are still too complex, you can split up the config
     file and delegate authority over parts of it
-  * easier to specify gitweb "description" and gitweb/daemon access
+  * easier to specify gitweb owner, description and gitweb/daemon access
   * easier to sync gitweb (http) authorisation with gitolite's access config
   * more comprehensive logging [aka: management does not think "blame" is just
     a synonym for "annotate" :-)]
diff --git a/conf/example.conf b/conf/example.conf
index 752c279..e00ec25 100644
--- a/conf/example.conf
+++ b/conf/example.conf
@@ -130,13 +130,13 @@ repo    @oss_repos
 repo    linux perl
         R                               =   gitweb
 
-# GITWEB DESCRIPTION LINE
+# REPO OWNER/DESCRIPTION LINE FOR GITWEB
 
-# syntax:
+# syntax, one of:
 #   reponame = "some description string in double quotes"
+#   reponame "owner name" = "some description string in double quotes"
 
 # note: setting a description also gives gitweb access; you do not have to
 # give gitweb access as described above if you're specifying a description
 
-gitolite = "fast, secure, access control for git in a corporate environment"
-
+gitolite "Sitaram Chamarty" = "fast, secure, access control for git in a corporate environment"
diff --git a/doc/2-admin.mkd b/doc/2-admin.mkd
index 7038fb9..d0460ec 100644
--- a/doc/2-admin.mkd
+++ b/doc/2-admin.mkd
@@ -57,13 +57,18 @@ so you may as well use that method and kill two birds with one stone, like so:
 
     gitolite = "fast, secure, access control for git in a corporate environment"
 
+You can also specify an owner for gitweb to show, if you like:
+
+    gitolite "Sitaram Chamarty" = "fast, secure, access control for git in a corporate environment"
+
 Note that gitolite does **not** install or configure gitweb/daemon -- that is
 a one-time setup you must do separately.  All this does is:
 
   * for daemon, create the file `git-daemon-export-ok` in the repository
-  * for gitweb, add the repo to the list of projects to be served by gitweb
-    (see the config file variable `$PROJECTS_LIST`, which should have the same
-    value you specified for `$projects_list` when setting up gitweb)
+  * for gitweb, add the repo (plus owner name, if given) to the list of
+    projects to be served by gitweb (see the config file variable
+    `$PROJECTS_LIST`, which should have the same value you specified for
+    `$projects_list` when setting up gitweb)
   * put the description, if given, in `$repo/description`
 
 The "compile" script will keep these files consistent with the config settings
diff --git a/doc/3-faq-tips-etc.mkd b/doc/3-faq-tips-etc.mkd
index 6147e95..7450994 100644
--- a/doc/3-faq-tips-etc.mkd
+++ b/doc/3-faq-tips-etc.mkd
@@ -204,6 +204,10 @@ file:
 
     reponame = "one line of description"
 
+You can also specify an "owner":
+
+    reponame "owner name" = "one line of description"
+
 To enable access to one or more repos via git daemon, just give "read"
 permissions to the special username `daemon`.
 
diff --git a/src/gl-compile-conf b/src/gl-compile-conf
index 77d340b..6ca9b9b 100755
--- a/src/gl-compile-conf
+++ b/src/gl-compile-conf
@@ -107,8 +107,9 @@ my %rurp_seen = ();
 # catch usernames<->pubkeys mismatches; search for "lint" below
 my %user_list = ();
 
-# gitweb descriptions, plain text, keyed by repo
+# gitweb descriptions and owners; plain text, keyed by "$repo.git"
 my %desc = ();
+my %owner = ();
 
 # set the umask before creating any files
 umask($REPO_UMASK);
@@ -253,14 +254,18 @@ sub parse_conf_file
                 }
             }
         }
-        # very simple syntax for the gitweb description of repo
-        elsif (/^(\S+) = "(.*)"$/)
+        # very simple syntax for the gitweb description of repo; one of:
+        #       reponame = "some description string"
+        #       reponame "owner name" = "some description string"
+        elsif (/^(\S+)(?: "(.*?)")? = "(.*)"$/)
         {
-            my ($repo, $desc) = ($1, $2);
+            my ($repo, $owner, $desc) = ($1, $2, $3);
             die "$ABRT bad repo name $repo\n" unless $repo =~ $REPONAME_PATT;
             die "$WARN $fragment attempting to set description for $repo\n" if
                 $fragment ne 'master' and $fragment ne $repo and ($groups{"\@$fragment"}{$repo} || '') ne 'master';
-            $desc{$repo} = $desc;
+            $desc{"$repo.git"} = $desc;
+            $owner =~ s/ /+/g if $owner;    # gitweb/INSTALL wants more, but meh...!
+            $owner{"$repo.git"} = $owner || '';
         }
         else
         {
@@ -360,67 +365,37 @@ warn "\n\t\t***** WARNING *****\n" .
 
 wrap_chdir("$repo_base_abs");
 
-# get the current project list; note that the file may not yet exist if no
-# gitweb access has been specified so far
-my %projlist = ();
-if (-f $PROJECTS_LIST) {
-    my $projlist_fh = wrap_open( "<", $PROJECTS_LIST);
-    while(<$projlist_fh>) {
-        chomp;
-        $projlist{$_} = 1;
-    }
-    close $projlist_fh;
-}
-my $projlist_changed = 0;
-
 # daemons first...
 for my $repo (sort keys %repos) {
     my $export_ok = "$repo.git/git-daemon-export-ok";
     if ($repos{$repo}{'R'}{'daemon'}) {
-        unless (-f $export_ok) {
-            system("touch $export_ok");
-            print "daemon add $repo.git\n";
-        }
+        system("touch $export_ok");
     } else {
-        if (-f $export_ok) {
-            unlink($export_ok);
-            print "daemon del $repo.git\n";
-        }
+        unlink($export_ok);
     }
 }
 
+my %projlist = ();
 # ...then gitwebs
 for my $repo (sort keys %repos) {
     my $desc_file = "$repo.git/description";
     # note: having a description also counts as enabling gitweb
-    if ($repos{$repo}{'R'}{'gitweb'} or $desc{$repo}) {
-        unless ($projlist{"$repo.git"}) {
-            # not in the old list; add it to the new one
-            $projlist{"$repo.git"} = 1;
-            $projlist_changed = 1;
-            print "gitweb add $repo.git\n";
-        }
+    if ($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} and open(DESC, ">", $desc_file) and print DESC "$desc{$repo}\n" and close DESC;
+        $desc{"$repo.git"} and open(DESC, ">", $desc_file) and print DESC $desc{"$repo.git"} . "\n" and close DESC;
     } else {
-        if ($projlist{"$repo.git"}) {
-            # delete it from new list
-            delete $projlist{"$repo.git"};
-            $projlist_changed = 1;
-            print "gitweb del $repo.git\n";
-        }
         # delete the description file; no messages to user or error checking :)
         unlink $desc_file;
     }
 }
 
-# has there been a change in the gitweb projects list?
-if ($projlist_changed) {
-    print "updating gitweb project list $PROJECTS_LIST\n";
-    my $projlist_fh = wrap_open( ">", $PROJECTS_LIST);
-    print $projlist_fh join("\n", sort keys %projlist), "\n" if %projlist;
-    close $projlist_fh;
+# update the project list
+my $projlist_fh = wrap_open( ">", $PROJECTS_LIST);
+for my $proj (sort keys %projlist) {
+    print $projlist_fh "$proj" . ( $owner{$proj} ? " $owner{$proj}" : "" ) . "\n";
 }
+close $projlist_fh;
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #       "compile" ssh authorized_keys