diff --git a/src/Gitolite/Hooks/Update.pm b/src/Gitolite/Hooks/Update.pm
index 9d4b44e..d772c2a 100644
--- a/src/Gitolite/Hooks/Update.pm
+++ b/src/Gitolite/Hooks/Update.pm
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ use strict;
 use warnings;
 
 BEGIN {
-    exit 0 if $ENV{GL_BYPASS_UPDATE_HOOK};
+    exit 0 if $ENV{GL_BYPASS_ACCESS_CHECKS};
     die "GL_BINDIR not set; aborting\n" unless $ENV{GL_BINDIR};
 }
 use lib $ENV{GL_BINDIR};
diff --git a/src/VREF/partial-copy b/src/VREF/partial-copy
index 4cb4440..efb73bf 100755
--- a/src/VREF/partial-copy
+++ b/src/VREF/partial-copy
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ main=`git config --file $GL_REPO_BASE/$repo.git/config --get gitolite.partialCop
 [ -z "$main" ] && exit 0
 
 rand=$RANDOM
-export GL_BYPASS_UPDATE_HOOK=1
+export GL_BYPASS_ACCESS_CHECKS=1
 
 git push -f $GL_REPO_BASE/$main.git $new:refs/heads/br-$rand || die "FATAL: failed to send $new"
 
diff --git a/src/gitolite-shell b/src/gitolite-shell
index 1706c48..c3381da 100755
--- a/src/gitolite-shell
+++ b/src/gitolite-shell
@@ -88,11 +88,13 @@ sub main {
     # yet know the ref that will be eventually pushed (and even that won't
     # apply if it's a read operation).  See the matching code in access() for
     # more information.
-    my $ret = access( $repo, $user, $aa, 'any' );
-    trace( 1, "access($repo, $user, $aa, 'any')", "-> $ret" );
-    gl_log( 'check1', $repo, $user, $aa, 'any', '->', $ret );
-    trigger( 'ACCESS_1', $repo, $user, $aa, 'any', $ret );
-    _die $ret . "\n(or you mis-spelled the reponame)" if $ret =~ /DENIED/;
+    unless ($ENV{GL_BYPASS_ACCESS_CHECKS}) {
+        my $ret = access( $repo, $user, $aa, 'any' );
+        trace( 1, "access($repo, $user, $aa, 'any')", "-> $ret" );
+        gl_log( 'check1', $repo, $user, $aa, 'any', '->', $ret );
+        trigger( 'ACCESS_1', $repo, $user, $aa, 'any', $ret );
+        _die $ret . "\n(or you mis-spelled the reponame)" if $ret =~ /DENIED/;
+    }
 
     trigger( 'PRE_GIT', $repo, $user, $aa, 'any', $verb );
     my $repodir = "'$rc{GL_REPO_BASE}/$repo.git'";