diff --git a/completion/bash-completion b/completion/bash-completion
index 2142534e..af9acf00 100644
--- a/completion/bash-completion
+++ b/completion/bash-completion
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ __complete_publish() {
 
 __complete_checkupdates() {
 	opts="-v -q"
-	lopts="--verbose --quiet --auto --autoonly --commit --gplay"
+	lopts="--verbose --quiet --auto --autoonly --commit --gplay --allow-dirty"
 	case "${cur}" in
 		-*)
 			__complete_options
diff --git a/fdroidserver/checkupdates.py b/fdroidserver/checkupdates.py
index 0a4f6e27..54b614ec 100644
--- a/fdroidserver/checkupdates.py
+++ b/fdroidserver/checkupdates.py
@@ -572,6 +572,8 @@ def main():
                         help=_("Only process apps with auto-updates"))
     parser.add_argument("--commit", action="store_true", default=False,
                         help=_("Commit changes"))
+    parser.add_argument("--allow-dirty", action="store_true", default=False,
+                        help=_("Run on git repo that has uncommitted changes"))
     parser.add_argument("--gplay", action="store_true", default=False,
                         help=_("Only print differences with the Play Store"))
     metadata.add_metadata_arguments(parser)
@@ -580,6 +582,12 @@ def main():
 
     config = common.read_config(options)
 
+    if not options.allow_dirty:
+        status = subprocess.check_output(['git', 'status', '--porcelain'])
+        if status:
+            logging.error(_('Build metadata git repo has uncommited changes!'))
+            sys.exit(1)
+
     # Get all apps...
     allapps = metadata.read_metadata()