diff --git a/src/gitolite.pm b/src/gitolite.pm
index 14b7cf3..5d51978 100644
--- a/src/gitolite.pm
+++ b/src/gitolite.pm
@@ -123,7 +123,10 @@ sub new_repo
         # erm, note that's "and die" not "or die" as is normal in perl
     wrap_chdir("$repo.git");
     system("git --bare init >&2");
-    system("echo $creater > gl-creater") if $creater;
+    if ($creater) {
+        system("echo $creater > gl-creater");
+        system("git", "config", "gitweb.owner", $creater);
+    }
     # propagate our own, plus any local admin-defined, hooks
     system("cp $hooks_dir/* hooks/");
     chmod 0755, "hooks/update";
@@ -177,6 +180,26 @@ sub get_set_perms
     }
 }
 
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#       getdesc and setdesc
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+sub get_set_desc
+{
+    my($repo_base_abs, $repo, $verb, $user) = @_;
+    my ($creater, $dummy, $dummy2) = &repo_rights($repo_base_abs, $repo, "");
+    die "$repo doesnt exist or is not yours\n" unless $user eq $creater;
+    wrap_chdir("$repo_base_abs");
+    wrap_chdir("$repo.git");
+    if ($verb eq 'getdesc') {
+        system("cat", "description") if -f "description";
+    } else {
+        system("cat > description");
+        print "New description is:\n";
+        system("cat", "description");
+    }
+}
+
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #       parse the compiled acl
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/gl-auth-command b/src/gl-auth-command
index dab635a..dc6aca5 100755
--- a/src/gl-auth-command
+++ b/src/gl-auth-command
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ unless ($ENV{SSH_ORIGINAL_COMMAND}) {
 #       get and set perms for actual repo created by wildcard-autoviv
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-my $CUSTOM_COMMANDS=qr/^\s*(expand|getperms|setperms)\s/;
+my $CUSTOM_COMMANDS=qr/^\s*(expand|(get|set)(perms|desc))\s/;
 
 # note that all the subs called here chdir somewhere else and do not come
 # back; they all blithely take advantage of the fact that processing custom
@@ -116,6 +116,10 @@ if ($ENV{SSH_ORIGINAL_COMMAND} =~ $CUSTOM_COMMANDS) {
         # with an actual reponame, you can "getperms" or "setperms"
         get_set_perms($repo_base_abs, $repo, $verb, $user);
     }
+    elsif ($repo =~ $REPONAME_PATT and $verb =~ /(get|set)desc/) {
+        # with an actual reponame, you can "getdesc" or "setdesc"
+        get_set_desc($repo_base_abs, $repo, $verb, $user);
+    }
     elsif ($verb eq 'expand') {
         # with a wildcard, you can "expand" it to see what repos actually match
         die "$repo has invalid characters" unless "x$repo" =~ $REPOPATT_PATT;