diff --git a/Documentation/githooks.txt b/Documentation/githooks.txt
index b9003fed24..d839233dff 100644
--- a/Documentation/githooks.txt
+++ b/Documentation/githooks.txt
@@ -176,6 +176,35 @@ save and restore any form of metadata associated with the working tree
 (eg: permissions/ownership, ACLS, etc).  See contrib/hooks/setgitperms.perl
 for an example of how to do this.
 
+pre-push
+~~~~~~~~
+
+This hook is called by 'git push' and can be used to prevent a push from taking
+place.  The hook is called with two parameters which provide the name and
+location of the destination remote, if a named remote is not being used both
+values will be the same.
+
+Information about what is to be pushed is provided on the hook's standard
+input with lines of the form:
+
+  <local ref> SP <local sha1> SP <remote ref> SP <remote sha1> LF
+
+For instance, if the command +git push origin master:foreign+ were run the
+hook would receive a line like the following:
+
+  refs/heads/master 67890 refs/heads/foreign 12345
+
+although the full, 40-character SHA1s would be supplied.  If the foreign ref
+does not yet exist the `<remote SHA1>` will be 40 `0`.  If a ref is to be
+deleted, the `<local ref>` will be supplied as `(delete)` and the `<local
+SHA1>` will be 40 `0`.  If the local commit was specified by something other
+than a name which could be expanded (such as `HEAD~`, or a SHA1) it will be
+supplied as it was originally given.
+
+If this hook exits with a non-zero status, 'git push' will abort without
+pushing anything.  Information about why the push is rejected may be sent
+to the user by writing to standard error.
+
 [[pre-receive]]
 pre-receive
 ~~~~~~~~~~~
diff --git a/builtin/commit.c b/builtin/commit.c
index 7c2a3d48b4..38b9a9cc0d 100644
--- a/builtin/commit.c
+++ b/builtin/commit.c
@@ -1329,8 +1329,6 @@ static int git_commit_config(const char *k, const char *v, void *cb)
 	return git_status_config(k, v, s);
 }
 
-static const char post_rewrite_hook[] = "hooks/post-rewrite";
-
 static int run_rewrite_hook(const unsigned char *oldsha1,
 			    const unsigned char *newsha1)
 {
@@ -1341,10 +1339,10 @@ static int run_rewrite_hook(const unsigned char *oldsha1,
 	int code;
 	size_t n;
 
-	if (access(git_path(post_rewrite_hook), X_OK) < 0)
+	argv[0] = find_hook("post-rewrite");
+	if (!argv[0])
 		return 0;
 
-	argv[0] = git_path(post_rewrite_hook);
 	argv[1] = "amend";
 	argv[2] = NULL;
 
diff --git a/builtin/push.c b/builtin/push.c
index 8491e431e4..b158028be8 100644
--- a/builtin/push.c
+++ b/builtin/push.c
@@ -407,6 +407,7 @@ int cmd_push(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		OPT_BOOL(0, "progress", &progress, N_("force progress reporting")),
 		OPT_BIT(0, "prune", &flags, N_("prune locally removed refs"),
 			TRANSPORT_PUSH_PRUNE),
+		OPT_BIT(0, "no-verify", &flags, N_("bypass pre-push hook"), TRANSPORT_PUSH_NO_HOOK),
 		OPT_END()
 	};
 
diff --git a/builtin/receive-pack.c b/builtin/receive-pack.c
index ff781febca..e8878de45c 100644
--- a/builtin/receive-pack.c
+++ b/builtin/receive-pack.c
@@ -182,9 +182,6 @@ struct command {
 	char ref_name[FLEX_ARRAY]; /* more */
 };
 
-static const char pre_receive_hook[] = "hooks/pre-receive";
-static const char post_receive_hook[] = "hooks/post-receive";
-
 static void rp_error(const char *err, ...) __attribute__((format (printf, 1, 2)));
 static void rp_warning(const char *err, ...) __attribute__((format (printf, 1, 2)));
 
@@ -242,10 +239,10 @@ static int run_and_feed_hook(const char *hook_name, feed_fn feed, void *feed_sta
 	const char *argv[2];
 	int code;
 
-	if (access(hook_name, X_OK) < 0)
+	argv[0] = find_hook(hook_name);
+	if (!argv[0])
 		return 0;
 
-	argv[0] = hook_name;
 	argv[1] = NULL;
 
 	memset(&proc, 0, sizeof(proc));
@@ -331,15 +328,14 @@ static int run_receive_hook(struct command *commands, const char *hook_name,
 
 static int run_update_hook(struct command *cmd)
 {
-	static const char update_hook[] = "hooks/update";
 	const char *argv[5];
 	struct child_process proc;
 	int code;
 
-	if (access(update_hook, X_OK) < 0)
+	argv[0] = find_hook("update");
+	if (!argv[0])
 		return 0;
 
-	argv[0] = update_hook;
 	argv[1] = cmd->ref_name;
 	argv[2] = sha1_to_hex(cmd->old_sha1);
 	argv[3] = sha1_to_hex(cmd->new_sha1);
@@ -532,24 +528,25 @@ static const char *update(struct command *cmd)
 	}
 }
 
-static char update_post_hook[] = "hooks/post-update";
-
 static void run_update_post_hook(struct command *commands)
 {
 	struct command *cmd;
 	int argc;
 	const char **argv;
 	struct child_process proc;
+	char *hook;
 
+	hook = find_hook("post-update");
 	for (argc = 0, cmd = commands; cmd; cmd = cmd->next) {
 		if (cmd->error_string || cmd->did_not_exist)
 			continue;
 		argc++;
 	}
-	if (!argc || access(update_post_hook, X_OK) < 0)
+	if (!argc || !hook)
 		return;
+
 	argv = xmalloc(sizeof(*argv) * (2 + argc));
-	argv[0] = update_post_hook;
+	argv[0] = hook;
 
 	for (argc = 1, cmd = commands; cmd; cmd = cmd->next) {
 		char *p;
@@ -704,7 +701,7 @@ static void execute_commands(struct command *commands, const char *unpacker_erro
 				       0, &cmd))
 		set_connectivity_errors(commands);
 
-	if (run_receive_hook(commands, pre_receive_hook, 0)) {
+	if (run_receive_hook(commands, "pre-receive", 0)) {
 		for (cmd = commands; cmd; cmd = cmd->next) {
 			if (!cmd->error_string)
 				cmd->error_string = "pre-receive hook declined";
@@ -994,7 +991,7 @@ int cmd_receive_pack(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			unlink_or_warn(pack_lockfile);
 		if (report_status)
 			report(commands, unpack_status);
-		run_receive_hook(commands, post_receive_hook, 1);
+		run_receive_hook(commands, "post-receive", 1);
 		run_update_post_hook(commands);
 		if (auto_gc) {
 			const char *argv_gc_auto[] = {
diff --git a/run-command.c b/run-command.c
index 04712191e8..12d4ddb552 100644
--- a/run-command.c
+++ b/run-command.c
@@ -735,6 +735,15 @@ int finish_async(struct async *async)
 #endif
 }
 
+char *find_hook(const char *name)
+{
+	char *path = git_path("hooks/%s", name);
+	if (access(path, X_OK) < 0)
+		path = NULL;
+
+	return path;
+}
+
 int run_hook(const char *index_file, const char *name, ...)
 {
 	struct child_process hook;
@@ -744,11 +753,13 @@ int run_hook(const char *index_file, const char *name, ...)
 	va_list args;
 	int ret;
 
-	if (access(git_path("hooks/%s", name), X_OK) < 0)
+	p = find_hook(name);
+	if (!p)
 		return 0;
 
+	argv_array_push(&argv, p);
+
 	va_start(args, name);
-	argv_array_push(&argv, git_path("hooks/%s", name));
 	while ((p = va_arg(args, const char *)))
 		argv_array_push(&argv, p);
 	va_end(args);
diff --git a/run-command.h b/run-command.h
index 850c638f19..221ce33140 100644
--- a/run-command.h
+++ b/run-command.h
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ int start_command(struct child_process *);
 int finish_command(struct child_process *);
 int run_command(struct child_process *);
 
+extern char *find_hook(const char *name);
 extern int run_hook(const char *index_file, const char *name, ...);
 
 #define RUN_COMMAND_NO_STDIN 1
diff --git a/t/t5571-pre-push-hook.sh b/t/t5571-pre-push-hook.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..6f9916a390
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t5571-pre-push-hook.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description='check pre-push hooks'
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+# Setup hook that always succeeds
+HOOKDIR="$(git rev-parse --git-dir)/hooks"
+HOOK="$HOOKDIR/pre-push"
+mkdir -p "$HOOKDIR"
+write_script "$HOOK" <<EOF
+cat >/dev/null
+exit 0
+EOF
+
+test_expect_success 'setup' '
+	git config push.default upstream &&
+	git init --bare repo1 &&
+	git remote add parent1 repo1 &&
+	test_commit one &&
+	git push parent1 HEAD:foreign
+'
+write_script "$HOOK" <<EOF
+cat >/dev/null
+exit 1
+EOF
+
+COMMIT1="$(git rev-parse HEAD)"
+export COMMIT1
+
+test_expect_success 'push with failing hook' '
+	test_commit two &&
+	test_must_fail git push parent1 HEAD
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--no-verify bypasses hook' '
+	git push --no-verify parent1 HEAD
+'
+
+COMMIT2="$(git rev-parse HEAD)"
+export COMMIT2
+
+write_script "$HOOK" <<'EOF'
+echo "$1" >actual
+echo "$2" >>actual
+cat >>actual
+EOF
+
+cat >expected <<EOF
+parent1
+repo1
+refs/heads/master $COMMIT2 refs/heads/foreign $COMMIT1
+EOF
+
+test_expect_success 'push with hook' '
+	git push parent1 master:foreign &&
+	diff expected actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'add a branch' '
+	git checkout -b other parent1/foreign &&
+	test_commit three
+'
+
+COMMIT3="$(git rev-parse HEAD)"
+export COMMIT3
+
+cat >expected <<EOF
+parent1
+repo1
+refs/heads/other $COMMIT3 refs/heads/foreign $COMMIT2
+EOF
+
+test_expect_success 'push to default' '
+	git push &&
+	diff expected actual
+'
+
+cat >expected <<EOF
+parent1
+repo1
+refs/tags/one $COMMIT1 refs/tags/tag1 $_z40
+HEAD~ $COMMIT2 refs/heads/prev $_z40
+EOF
+
+test_expect_success 'push non-branches' '
+	git push parent1 one:tag1 HEAD~:refs/heads/prev &&
+	diff expected actual
+'
+
+cat >expected <<EOF
+parent1
+repo1
+(delete) $_z40 refs/heads/prev $COMMIT2
+EOF
+
+test_expect_success 'push delete' '
+	git push parent1 :prev &&
+	diff expected actual
+'
+
+cat >expected <<EOF
+repo1
+repo1
+HEAD $COMMIT3 refs/heads/other $_z40
+EOF
+
+test_expect_success 'push to URL' '
+	git push repo1 HEAD &&
+	diff expected actual
+'
+
+# Test that filling pipe buffers doesn't cause failure
+# Too slow to leave enabled for general use
+if false
+then
+	printf 'parent1\nrepo1\n' >expected
+	nr=1000
+	while test $nr -lt 2000
+	do
+		nr=$(( $nr + 1 ))
+		git branch b/$nr $COMMIT3
+		echo "refs/heads/b/$nr $COMMIT3 refs/heads/b/$nr $_z40" >>expected
+	done
+
+	test_expect_success 'push many refs' '
+		git push parent1 "refs/heads/b/*:refs/heads/b/*" &&
+		diff expected actual
+	'
+fi
+
+test_done
diff --git a/templates/hooks--pre-push.sample b/templates/hooks--pre-push.sample
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..15ab6d8e7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/hooks--pre-push.sample
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# An example hook script to verify what is about to be pushed.  Called by "git
+# push" after it has checked the remote status, but before anything has been
+# pushed.  If this script exits with a non-zero status nothing will be pushed.
+#
+# This hook is called with the following parameters:
+#
+# $1 -- Name of the remote to which the push is being done
+# $2 -- URL to which the push is being done
+#
+# If pushing without using a named remote those arguments will be equal.
+#
+# Information about the commits which are being pushed is supplied as lines to
+# the standard input in the form:
+#
+#   <local ref> <local sha1> <remote ref> <remote sha1>
+#
+# This sample shows how to prevent push of commits where the log message starts
+# with "WIP" (work in progress).
+
+remote="$1"
+url="$2"
+
+z40=0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
+
+IFS=' '
+while read local_ref local_sha remote_ref remote_sha
+do
+	if [ "$local_sha" = $z40 ]
+	then
+		# Handle delete
+	else
+		if [ "$remote_sha" = $z40 ]
+		then
+			# New branch, examine all commits
+			range="$local_sha"
+		else
+			# Update to existing branch, examine new commits
+			range="$remote_sha..$local_sha"
+		fi
+
+		# Check for WIP commit
+		commit=`git rev-list -n 1 --grep '^WIP' "$range"`
+		if [ -n "$commit" ]
+		then
+			echo "Found WIP commit in $local_ref, not pushing"
+			exit 1
+		fi
+	fi
+done
+
+exit 0
diff --git a/transport.c b/transport.c
index 2673d273ff..0750a5fbbe 100644
--- a/transport.c
+++ b/transport.c
@@ -1034,6 +1034,62 @@ static void die_with_unpushed_submodules(struct string_list *needs_pushing)
 	die("Aborting.");
 }
 
+static int run_pre_push_hook(struct transport *transport,
+			     struct ref *remote_refs)
+{
+	int ret = 0, x;
+	struct ref *r;
+	struct child_process proc;
+	struct strbuf buf;
+	const char *argv[4];
+
+	if (!(argv[0] = find_hook("pre-push")))
+		return 0;
+
+	argv[1] = transport->remote->name;
+	argv[2] = transport->url;
+	argv[3] = NULL;
+
+	memset(&proc, 0, sizeof(proc));
+	proc.argv = argv;
+	proc.in = -1;
+
+	if (start_command(&proc)) {
+		finish_command(&proc);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	strbuf_init(&buf, 256);
+
+	for (r = remote_refs; r; r = r->next) {
+		if (!r->peer_ref) continue;
+		if (r->status == REF_STATUS_REJECT_NONFASTFORWARD) continue;
+		if (r->status == REF_STATUS_UPTODATE) continue;
+
+		strbuf_reset(&buf);
+		strbuf_addf( &buf, "%s %s %s %s\n",
+			 r->peer_ref->name, sha1_to_hex(r->new_sha1),
+			 r->name, sha1_to_hex(r->old_sha1));
+
+		if (write_in_full(proc.in, buf.buf, buf.len) != buf.len) {
+			ret = -1;
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+
+	strbuf_release(&buf);
+
+	x = close(proc.in);
+	if (!ret)
+		ret = x;
+
+	x = finish_command(&proc);
+	if (!ret)
+		ret = x;
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 int transport_push(struct transport *transport,
 		   int refspec_nr, const char **refspec, int flags,
 		   unsigned int *reject_reasons)
@@ -1074,6 +1130,10 @@ int transport_push(struct transport *transport,
 			flags & TRANSPORT_PUSH_MIRROR,
 			flags & TRANSPORT_PUSH_FORCE);
 
+		if (!(flags & TRANSPORT_PUSH_NO_HOOK))
+			if (run_pre_push_hook(transport, remote_refs))
+				return -1;
+
 		if ((flags & TRANSPORT_RECURSE_SUBMODULES_ON_DEMAND) && !is_bare_repository()) {
 			struct ref *ref = remote_refs;
 			for (; ref; ref = ref->next)
diff --git a/transport.h b/transport.h
index bfd2df5823..ac5a9f57d1 100644
--- a/transport.h
+++ b/transport.h
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ struct transport {
 #define TRANSPORT_RECURSE_SUBMODULES_CHECK 64
 #define TRANSPORT_PUSH_PRUNE 128
 #define TRANSPORT_RECURSE_SUBMODULES_ON_DEMAND 256
+#define TRANSPORT_PUSH_NO_HOOK 512
 
 #define TRANSPORT_SUMMARY_WIDTH (2 * DEFAULT_ABBREV + 3)
 #define TRANSPORT_SUMMARY(x) (int)(TRANSPORT_SUMMARY_WIDTH + strlen(x) - gettext_width(x)), (x)