diff --git a/conf/example.conf b/conf/example.conf
index 84ccff2..6204c91 100644
--- a/conf/example.conf
+++ b/conf/example.conf
@@ -101,6 +101,13 @@ repo    gitolite
 repo    @oss_repos
         R                               =   @all
 
+                # set permissions to all already defined repos
+                # (a repository is defined if it has permission rules
+                # associated, empty "repo" stanza or "@group=..." line is
+                # not enough)
+repo    @all
+        RW+                             =   @admins
+
 # ADVANCED PERMISSIONS USING REFEXES
 
 #     - refexes are specified in perl regex syntax
diff --git a/src/gl-compile-conf b/src/gl-compile-conf
index b8e8a1c..4c34d1d 100755
--- a/src/gl-compile-conf
+++ b/src/gl-compile-conf
@@ -185,7 +185,11 @@ sub parse_conf_file
         {
             # grab the list and expand any @stuff in it
             @repos = split ' ', $1;
-            @repos = expand_list ( @repos );
+            if (@repos == 1 and $repos[0] eq '@all') {
+                @repos = keys %repos;
+            } else {
+                @repos = expand_list ( @repos );
+            }
         }
         # actual permission line
         elsif (/^(-|R|RW|RW\+) (.* )?= (.+)/)