diff --git a/src/lib/Gitolite/Easy.pm b/src/lib/Gitolite/Easy.pm
index 280a924..9231d00 100644
--- a/src/lib/Gitolite/Easy.pm
+++ b/src/lib/Gitolite/Easy.pm
@@ -112,14 +112,18 @@ sub can_read {
 }
 
 # can_write()
-# return true if $ENV{GL_USER} is set and can write to the given repo
+# return true if $ENV{GL_USER} is set and can write to the given repo.
+# Optional second argument can be '+' to check that instead of 'W'.  Optional
+# third argument can be a full ref name instead of 'any'.
 
 # shell equivalent
 #   if gitolite access -q $REPONAME $GL_USER W; then ...
 sub can_write {
     valid_user();
-    my $r = shift;
-    return not( access( $r, $user, 'W', 'any' ) =~ /DENIED/ );
+    my ($r, $aa, $ref) = @_;
+    $aa ||= 'W';
+    $ref ||= 'any';
+    return not( access( $r, $user, $aa, $ref ) =~ /DENIED/ );
 }
 
 # config()
diff --git a/t/easy.t b/t/easy.t
index c626602..dcd6c1a 100755
--- a/t/easy.t
+++ b/t/easy.t
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ sub ok { (+shift) ? print "ok\n" : print "not ok\n"; }
 sub nok { (+shift) ? print "not ok\n" : print "ok\n"; }
 sub msg { return unless $ENV{D}; print STDERR "#" . +shift . "\n"; }
 
-try "plan 90";
+try "plan 98";
 
 try "
     cat $ENV{HOME}/.gitolite.rc
@@ -117,6 +117,11 @@ $ENV{GL_USER} = "u2"; ok(can_write("aa"));
 $ENV{GL_USER} = "u3"; nok(can_write("aa"));
 $ENV{GL_USER} = "u4"; nok(can_write("aa"));
 
+$ENV{GL_USER} = "u1"; ok(can_write("aa", "+"));
+$ENV{GL_USER} = "u2"; nok(can_write("aa", "+"));
+$ENV{GL_USER} = "u3"; nok(can_write("aa", "+"));
+$ENV{GL_USER} = "u4"; nok(can_write("aa", "+"));
+
 $ENV{GL_USER} = "u1"; nok(can_write("bb"));
 $ENV{GL_USER} = "u2"; nok(can_write("bb"));
 $ENV{GL_USER} = "u3"; nok(can_write("bb"));
@@ -132,6 +137,11 @@ $ENV{GL_USER} = "u4"; ok(can_write("cc/u4"));
 $ENV{GL_USER} = "u5"; ok(can_write("cc/u4"));
 $ENV{GL_USER} = "u6"; nok(can_write("cc/u4"));
 
+$ENV{GL_USER} = "u3"; nok(can_write("cc/u4", "+"));
+$ENV{GL_USER} = "u4"; ok(can_write("cc/u4", "+"));
+$ENV{GL_USER} = "u5"; ok(can_write("cc/u4", "+"));
+$ENV{GL_USER} = "u6"; nok(can_write("cc/u4", "+"));
+
 # config
 try("glt ls-remote u4 cc/sub/one; /Initialized empty.*cc/sub/one/");
 try("glt ls-remote u4 cc/two; /Initialized empty.*cc/two/");