diff --git a/roles/distgit/files/mkbranch_branching b/roles/distgit/files/mkbranch_branching
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..14b0c21aeb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/distgit/files/mkbranch_branching
@@ -0,0 +1,158 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+#
+# Create a new development branch for a module.
+# THIS HAS TO BE RUN ON THE GIT SERVER!
+
+# WARNING:
+# This file is maintained within puppet?
+# All local changes will be lost.
+
+
+# Figure out the environment we're running in
+RUNDIR=$(cd $(dirname $0) && pwd)
+GITROOT=/srv/git/repositories
+
+# check if a moron is driving me
+if [ ! -d $GITROOT ] ; then
+    # we're not on the git server (this check is fragile)
+    echo "ERROR: This script has to be run on the git server."
+    echo "ERROR: Homer sez 'Duh'."
+    exit -9
+fi
+
+# where are the packages kept
+TOPLEVEL=rpms
+
+# Local variables
+VERBOSE=0
+TEST=
+IGNORE=
+BRANCH=""
+PACKAGES=""
+SRC_BRANCH="master"
+AUTHOR="Fedora Release Engineering <rel-eng@lists.fedoraproject.org>"
+
+Usage() {
+    cat <<EOF
+Usage:
+    $0 [ -s <src_branch>] <branch> <package_name>...
+
+    Creates a new branch <branch> for the list of <package_name>s.
+    The /master suffix on branch names is assumed.
+
+Options:
+    -n,--test           Don't do nothing, only test
+    -i,--ignore         Ignore erroneous modules
+    -h,--help           This help message
+    -v,--verbose        Increase verbosity
+EOF
+}
+
+# parse the arguments
+while [ -n "$1" ] ; do
+    case "$1" in
+    -h | --help )
+        Usage
+        exit 0
+        ;;
+
+    -v | --verbose )
+        VERBOSE=$(($VERBOSE + 1))
+        ;;
+
+    -i | --ignore )
+        IGNORE="yes"
+        ;;
+
+    -n | --test )
+        TEST="yes"
+        ;;
+
+
+    -b | --branch )
+        shift
+        BRANCH=$1/master
+        ;;
+
+    * )
+        if [ -z "$BRANCH" ] ; then
+        BRANCH="$1"
+        else
+        PACKAGES="$PACKAGES $1"
+        fi
+        ;;
+    esac
+    shift
+done
+
+# check the arguments
+if [ -z "$BRANCH" -o -z "$PACKAGES" ] ; then
+    Usage
+    exit -1
+fi
+
+
+# Sanity checks before we start doing damage
+NEWP=
+for p in $PACKAGES ; do
+    [ $VERBOSE -gt 1 ] && echo "Checking package $p..."
+    if [ ! -d $GITROOT/$p.git ] ; then
+    echo "ERROR: Package module $p is invalid" >&2
+    [ "$IGNORE" = "yes" ] && continue || exit -1
+    fi
+    $(GIT_DIR=$GITROOT/$p.git git rev-parse -q --verify \
+      $BRANCH >/dev/null) && \
+    (echo "IGNORING: Package module $p already has a branch $BRANCH" >&2; \
+    [ "$IGNORE" = "yes" ] && continue || exit -1)
+    NEWP="$NEWP $p"
+done
+PACKAGES="$(echo $NEWP)"
+if [ -z "$PACKAGES" ] ; then
+    echo "NOOP: no valid packages found to process"
+    exit -1
+fi
+
+if [ -n "$TEST" ] ; then
+    echo "Branch $BRANCH valid for $PACKAGES"
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+# "global" permissions check
+if [ ! -w $GITROOT ] ; then
+    echo "ERROR: You can not write to $GITROOT"
+    echo "ERROR: You can not perform branching operations"
+    exit -1
+fi
+
+# Now start working on creating those branches
+
+# For every module, "create" the branch
+for NAME in $PACKAGES ; do
+    echo
+    echo "Creating new module branch '$BRANCH' for '$NAME'..."
+
+    # permissions checks for this particular module
+    if [ ! -w $GITROOT/$NAME.git/refs/heads/  ] ; then
+        echo "ERROR: You can not write to $d"
+        echo "ERROR: $NAME can not be branched by you"
+        continue
+    fi
+    ####  Replace the above with a gitolite permission check
+    #[ $VERBOSE -gt 0 ] && echo "Creating $BRANCH-split tag for $NAME/$SRC_BRANCH..."
+    # Is the above needed?
+    #cvs -Q rtag -f "$BRANCH-split" $TOPLEVEL/$NAME/$SRC_BRANCH || {
+    #echo "ERROR: Branch split tag for $NAME/$SRC_BRANCH could not be created" >&2
+    #exit -2
+    #}
+    [ $VERBOSE -gt 0 ] && echo "Creating $NAME $BRANCH from $NAME ..."
+    $(pushd $GITROOT/$NAME.git >/dev/null && \
+    git branch --no-track $BRANCH `git rev-list master | head -1` && \
+    popd >/dev/null) || {
+    echo "ERROR: Branch $NAME $BRANCH could not be created" >&2
+        popd >/dev/null
+    exit -2
+    }
+done
+
+echo
+echo "Done."
diff --git a/roles/distgit/tasks/main.yml b/roles/distgit/tasks/main.yml
index 622ebc0333..8e20a18316 100644
--- a/roles/distgit/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/distgit/tasks/main.yml
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@
   with_items:
     - setup_git_package
     - mkbranch
+    - mkbranch_branching
     - pkgdb2-clone
   tags:
   - config