diff --git a/src/Gitolite/Conf/Load.pm b/src/Gitolite/Conf/Load.pm
index 752da49..b987662 100644
--- a/src/Gitolite/Conf/Load.pm
+++ b/src/Gitolite/Conf/Load.pm
@@ -5,11 +5,15 @@ package Gitolite::Conf::Load;
 
 @EXPORT = qw(
   load
+
   access
   git_config
+
   option
   repo_missing
+  check_repo_write_enabled
   creator
+
   vrefs
   lister_dispatch
 );
@@ -154,6 +158,15 @@ sub repo_missing {
     return not -d "$rc{GL_REPO_BASE}/$repo.git";
 }
 
+sub check_repo_write_enabled {
+    my ($repo) = shift;
+    for my $f ("$ENV{HOME}/.gitolite.down", "$rc{GL_REPO_BASE}/$repo.git/.gitolite.down") {
+        next unless -f $f;
+        _die slurp($f) if -s $f;
+        _die "sorry, writes are currently disabled (no more info available)";
+    }
+}
+
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 sub load_common {
diff --git a/src/commands/writes b/src/commands/writes
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..d530452
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/commands/writes
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+#!/usr/bin/perl
+use strict;
+use warnings;
+
+use lib $ENV{GL_BINDIR};
+use Gitolite::Rc;
+use Gitolite::Common;
+use Gitolite::Conf::Load;
+
+=for usage
+Usage: gitolite writes on|off <reponame>|@all
+
+'on' enables, 'off' disables, writes (pushes) to the named repo or all repos.
+
+With 'off', any subsequent text is taken to be the message to be shown to
+users when their pushes get rejected.  If it is not supplied, it will take it
+from STDIN; this allows longer messages.
+=cut
+
+usage() if not @ARGV or @ARGV < 2 or $ARGV[0] eq '-h';
+
+usage() if $ARGV[0] ne 'on' and $ARGV[0] ne 'off';
+my $on = ( shift eq 'on' );
+
+my $repo = shift;
+
+my $msg = join( " ", @ARGV );
+# try STDIN only if no msg found in args *and* it's an 'off' command
+if ( not $msg and not $on ) {
+    say2 "...please type the message to be shown to users:";
+    $msg = join( "", <> );
+}
+
+my $sf = ".gitolite.down";
+my $rb = $rc{GL_REPO_BASE};
+
+if ( $repo eq '@all' ) {
+    target( $ENV{HOME} );
+} else {
+    target("$rb/$repo.git");
+}
+
+sub target {
+    my $repodir = shift;
+    if ($on) {
+        unlink "$repodir/$sf";
+    } else {
+        _print( "$repodir/$sf", $msg );
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/gitolite-shell b/src/gitolite-shell
index 99f2cce..2bf6a78 100755
--- a/src/gitolite-shell
+++ b/src/gitolite-shell
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ sub main {
     trigger( 'ACCESS_CHECK', $repo, $user, $aa, 'any', $ret );
     _die $ret if $ret =~ /DENIED/;
 
+    check_repo_write_enabled($repo) if $aa eq 'W';
     trigger( 'PRE_GIT', $repo, $user, $aa, 'any', $verb );
     my $repodir = "'$rc{GL_REPO_BASE}/$repo.git'";
     _system( "git", "shell", "-c", "$verb $repodir" );
diff --git a/t/writes.t b/t/writes.t
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..08a8143
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/writes.t
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+#!/usr/bin/perl
+use strict;
+use warnings;
+
+# this is hardcoded; change it if needed
+use lib "src";
+use Gitolite::Test;
+use Cwd;
+my $workdir = getcwd();
+
+# 'gitolite writes' command
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+my $sf = ".gitolite.down";
+
+try "plan 58";
+try "DEF POK = !/DENIED/; !/failed to push/";
+
+# delete the down file
+unlink "$ENV{HOME}/$sf";
+
+# add foo, bar/..* repos to the config and push
+confreset;confadd '
+    repo foo
+        RW  =   u1
+        R   =   u2
+
+    repo bar/..*
+        C   =   u2 u4 u6
+        RW  =   CREATOR
+';
+
+try "ADMIN_PUSH set1; !/FATAL/" or die text();
+
+try "
+    # clone and push to foo
+    CLONE u1 foo;               ok
+    cd foo;                     ok
+    tc f1;                      ok
+    PUSH u1 master;             ok;     /new branch/
+
+    # auto-clone and push to bar/u2
+    cd ..
+    CLONE u2 bar/u2;            ok;     /appear to have cloned an empty/
+                                        /Initialized empty/
+    cd u2;
+    tc f2
+    PUSH u2 master;             ok;
+
+    # disable site with some message
+    gitolite writes off \@all testing site-wide disable; ok
+
+    # try push foo and see fail + message
+    cd ../foo;                  ok
+    tc f3;                      ok
+    PUSH u1;                    !ok;    /testing site-wide disable/
+    # try push bar/u2 and ...
+    cd ../u2;                   ok
+    tc f4;                      ok
+    PUSH u2;                    !ok;    /testing site-wide disable/
+
+    # try auto-create push bar/u4 and this works!!
+    cd ..
+    CLONE u4 bar/u4;            ok;     /appear to have cloned an empty/
+                                        /Initialized empty/
+                                        !/testing site-wide disable/
+    cd u4;                      ok
+
+    # enable site
+    gitolite writes on \@all; ok
+
+    # try same 3 again
+
+    # try push foo and see fail + message
+    cd ../foo;                  ok
+    tc g3;                      ok
+    PUSH u1;                    ok;    /master -> master/
+    # try push bar/u2 and ...
+    cd ../u2;                   ok
+    tc g4;                      ok
+    PUSH u2;                    ok;    /master -> master/
+
+    # try auto-create push bar/u4 and this works!!
+    cd ..
+    CLONE u6 bar/u6;            ok;     /appear to have cloned an empty/
+                                        /Initialized empty/
+                                        !/testing site-wide disable/
+    cd u6;                      ok
+
+    # disable just foo
+    gitolite writes off foo foo down
+
+    # try push foo and see the message
+    cd ../foo;                  ok
+    tc g3;                      ok
+    PUSH u1;                    !ok;    /foo down/
+                                        !/testing site-wide disable/
+    # push bar/u2 ok
+    cd ../u2
+    tc g4
+    PUSH u2;                    ok;     /master -> master/
+
+    # enable foo, disable bar/u2
+    gitolite writes on foo
+    gitolite writes off bar/u2 the bar is closed
+
+    # try both
+    cd ../foo;                  ok
+    tc h3;                      ok
+    PUSH u1;                    ok;     /master -> master/
+    # push bar/u2 ok
+    cd ../u2
+    tc h4
+    PUSH u2;                    !ok;    /the bar is closed/
+";