diff --git a/src/Gitolite/Conf/Load.pm b/src/Gitolite/Conf/Load.pm
index 9b38880..3d73ca7 100644
--- a/src/Gitolite/Conf/Load.pm
+++ b/src/Gitolite/Conf/Load.pm
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ sub access {
     trace( 3, scalar(@rules) . " rules found" );
     for my $r (@rules) {
         my $perm  = $r->[1];
-        my $refex = $r->[2];
+        my $refex = $r->[2];    $refex =~ s(/USER/)(/$user/);
         trace( 4, "perm=$perm, refex=$refex" );
 
         # skip 'deny' rules if the ref is not (yet) known
diff --git a/t/personal-branches.t b/t/personal-branches.t
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..04e911f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/personal-branches.t
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+#!/usr/bin/perl
+use strict;
+use warnings;
+
+# this is hardcoded; change it if needed
+use lib "src";
+use Gitolite::Test;
+
+# basic tests
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+try "plan 39";
+
+confreset;confadd '
+    @admins     =   admin dev1
+    repo gitolite-admin
+        RW+     =   admin
+
+    repo testing
+        RW+     =   @all
+
+    @g1 = t1
+    repo @g1
+        R               =   u2
+        RW              =   u3
+        RW+             =   u4
+        RW  a/USER/     =   @all
+        RW+ p/USER/     =   u1 u6
+';
+
+try "ADMIN_PUSH set1; !/FATAL/" or die text();
+
+try "
+
+    gitolite access t1 u1;                              ok;     /refs/heads/p/u1//; !/DENIED/
+    gitolite access t1 u5;                              !ok;    /\\+ any t1 u5 DENIED by fallthru/
+    gitolite access \@g1 u5 W;                          ok;     /refs/heads/a/u5//; !/DENIED/
+
+    gitolite access t1 u1 W refs/heads/a/user1/foo;     !ok;    /W refs/heads/a/user1/foo t1 u1 DENIED by fallthru/
+    gitolite access \@g1 u1 + refs/heads/a/user1/foo;   !ok;    /\\+ refs/heads/a/user1/foo \@g1 u1 DENIED by fallthru/
+    gitolite access t1 u1 W refs/heads/p/user1/foo;     !ok;    /W refs/heads/p/user1/foo t1 u1 DENIED by fallthru/
+    gitolite access \@g1 u1 + refs/heads/p/user1/foo;   !ok;    /\\+ refs/heads/p/user1/foo \@g1 u1 DENIED by fallthru/
+
+    gitolite access \@g1 u1 W refs/heads/a/u1/foo;      ok;     /refs/heads/a/u1//; !/DENIED/
+    gitolite access t1 u1 + refs/heads/a/u1/foo;        !ok;    /\\+ refs/heads/a/u1/foo t1 u1 DENIED by fallthru/
+    gitolite access \@g1 u1 W refs/heads/p/u1/foo;      ok;     /refs/heads/p/u1//; !/DENIED/
+    gitolite access t1 u1 + refs/heads/p/u1/foo;        ok;     /refs/heads/p/u1//; !/DENIED/
+
+    gitolite access \@g1 u1 W refs/heads/p/u2/foo;      !ok;    /W refs/heads/p/u2/foo \@g1 u1 DENIED by fallthru/
+    gitolite access t1 u1 + refs/heads/p/u2/foo;        !ok;    /\\+ refs/heads/p/u2/foo t1 u1 DENIED by fallthru/
+";