diff --git a/conf/example.conf b/conf/example.conf
index 8f018ee..86fdeca 100644
--- a/conf/example.conf
+++ b/conf/example.conf
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #     - everything in this is space-separated; no commas, semicolons, etc
 #     - comments in the normal shell-ish style; no surprises there
 #     - there are no continuation lines of any kind
+#     - user/repo names as simple as possible
 
 # objectives, over and above gitosis:
 #     - simpler syntax
@@ -12,17 +13,19 @@
 #     - allows branch level control
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# USERS and GROUPS
+# LISTS
 
 # syntax:
-#   @groupname = username [...]
+#   @listname = name [...]
+# lists can be used as shorthand for usernames as well as reponames
 
-# usernames and groupnames should be as simple as possible
-
-# too many users in one group?  just add more such lines
-# (they accumulate, like squid ACLs)
+# a list is equivalent to typing out all the right hand side names, so why do
+# we need lists at all?  (1) to be able to reuse the same set of usernames in
+# the paras for different repos, (2) to keep the lines short, because lists
+# accumulate, like squid ACLs, so you can say:
 @cust_A = cust1 cust2
 @cust_A = cust99
+# and this is the same as listing all three on the same line
 
 # you can nest groups, but not recursively of course!
 @interns = indy james
@@ -31,11 +34,15 @@
 @staff = me alice
 @secret_staff = bruce whitfield martin
 
+@pubrepos = linux git
+
+@privrepos = supersecretrepo anothersecretrepo
+
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # REPOS, REFS, and PERMISSIONS
 
 # syntax:
-#   repo [one or more reponames]
+#   repo [one or more repos]
 #   (R|RW|RW+) [zero or more refnames] = [one or more users]
 
 # notes:
@@ -51,8 +58,9 @@
 #         - prefixed by "refs/heads/" if it doesn't start with "refs/"
 #           (i.e., tags have to be explicitly named as refs/tags/pattern)
 
-#     - the list of users can inlude any group name defined earlier
-#     - "@all" is a special, predefined, groupname
+#     - the list of users or repos can inlude any group name defined earlier
+#     - "@all" is a special, predefined, groupname that means "all users"
+#       (there is no corresponding shortcut for all repos)
 
 # anyone can play in the sandbox, including making non-fastforward commits
 # (that's what the "+" means)
@@ -72,7 +80,7 @@ repo cust_A_repo
 
 # idea for the tags syntax shamelessly copied from git.git
 # Documentation/howto/update-hook-example.txt :)
-repo secret
+repo @privrepos thirdsecretrepo
     RW+ pu                  = bruce
     RW master next          = bruce
     RW refs/tags/v[0-9].*   = bruce
diff --git a/doc/0-UPGRADE.mkd b/doc/0-UPGRADE.mkd
index 4d55ac0..9b0d9a5 100644
--- a/doc/0-UPGRADE.mkd
+++ b/doc/0-UPGRADE.mkd
@@ -37,6 +37,13 @@ And you're done.
 If any extra steps beyond the generic ones above are needed, they will be
 listed here, newest first.
 
+#### upgrading from 5758f69
+
+Between 5758f69 and this version, gitolite learnt to allow "groupnames" for
+repos as well.  The `conf/example.conf` has been recommented to explain the
+syntax but it's really a no-brainer: what you could previously do only for
+usernames, you can now do for reponames also.
+
 #### upgrading from abb4580
 
 Two new features (personal branches, and customisable logfile names/locations)
diff --git a/src/gl-compile-conf b/src/gl-compile-conf
index 69bbb75..d8a583b 100755
--- a/src/gl-compile-conf
+++ b/src/gl-compile-conf
@@ -58,8 +58,11 @@ die "$ATTN parse $glrc failed: " . ($! or $@) unless do $glrc;
 # command and options for authorized_keys
 my $AUTH_COMMAND="$GL_ADMINDIR/src/gl-auth-command";
 my $AUTH_OPTIONS="no-port-forwarding,no-X11-forwarding,no-agent-forwarding,no-pty";
-my $USERNAME_PATT=qr(^\@?[0-9a-zA-Z][0-9a-zA-Z._-]*$);     # very simple pattern
+# note that REPONAME_PATT allows a "/" also, which USERNAME_PATT doesn't
+my $REPONAME_PATT=qr(^\@?[0-9a-zA-Z][0-9a-zA-Z._/-]*$);     # very simple pattern
+my $USERNAME_PATT=qr(^\@?[0-9a-zA-Z][0-9a-zA-Z._-]*$);      # very simple pattern
 
+# groups can now represent user groups or repo groups
 my %groups = ();
 my %repos = ();
 
@@ -80,14 +83,16 @@ sub wrap_open {
     return $fh;
 }
 
-sub expand_userlist
+sub expand_list
 {
     my @list = @_;
     my @new_list = ();
 
     for my $item (@list)
     {
-        die "$ATTN bad user $item\n" unless $item =~ $USERNAME_PATT;
+        # we test with the slightly more relaxed pattern here; we'll catch the
+        # "/" in user name thing later; it doesn't affect security anyway
+        die "$ATTN bad user or repo name $item\n" unless $item =~ $REPONAME_PATT;
         if ($item =~ /^@/)      # nested group
         {
             die "$ATTN undefined group $item\n" unless $groups{$item};
@@ -124,16 +129,19 @@ while (<$conf_fh>)
     # and blank lines
     next unless /\S/;
 
-    # user groups
+    # user or repo groups
     if (/^(@\S+) = (.*)/)
     {
-        push @{ $groups{$1} }, expand_userlist( split(' ', $2) );
-        die "$ATTN bad group $1\n" unless $1 =~ $USERNAME_PATT;
+        push @{ $groups{$1} }, expand_list( split(' ', $2) );
+        # again, we take the more "relaxed" pattern
+        die "$ATTN bad group $1\n" unless $1 =~ $REPONAME_PATT;
     }
     # repo(s)
     elsif (/^repo (.*)/)
     {
-        @repos = split(' ', $1);
+        # grab the list and expand any @stuff in it
+        @repos = split ' ', $1;
+        @repos = expand_list ( @repos );
     }
     # actual permission line
     elsif (/^(R|RW|RW\+) (.* )?= (.+)/)
@@ -150,8 +158,9 @@ while (<$conf_fh>)
         @refs = map { m(^refs/) or s(^)(refs/heads/); $_ } @refs;
 
         # expand the user list, unless it is just "@all"
-        @users = expand_userlist ( @users )
+        @users = expand_list ( @users )
             unless (@users == 1 and $users[0] eq '@all');
+        do  { die "$ATTN bad username $_\n" unless $_ =~ $USERNAME_PATT } for @users;
 
         # ok, we can finally populate the %repos hash
         for my $repo (@repos)       # each repo in the current stanza