diff --git a/ietf/submit/forms.py b/ietf/submit/forms.py
index 06c1ae997..2f6df30cc 100644
--- a/ietf/submit/forms.py
+++ b/ietf/submit/forms.py
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@ from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse as urlreverse
 
 import debug                            # pyflakes:ignore
 
-from ietf.group.models import Group
 from ietf.doc.models import Document
+from ietf.group.models import Group
+from ietf.ietfauth.utils import has_role
 from ietf.meeting.models import Meeting
 from ietf.submit.models import Submission, Preapproval
 from ietf.submit.utils import validate_submission_rev, validate_submission_document_date
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ class UploadForm(forms.Form):
 
         self.remote_ip = request.META.get('REMOTE_ADDR', None)
 
+        self.request = request
         self.in_first_cut_off = False
         self.cutoff_warning = ""
         self.shutdown = False
@@ -104,7 +106,7 @@ class UploadForm(forms.Form):
         return self.clean_file("xml", XMLParser)
 
     def clean(self):
-        if self.shutdown:
+        if self.shutdown and not has_role(self.request.user, "Secretariat"):
             raise forms.ValidationError('The tool is shut down')
 
         # sanity check that paths exist (for development servers)
diff --git a/ietf/submit/tests.py b/ietf/submit/tests.py
index e1a845a79..d73e76725 100644
--- a/ietf/submit/tests.py
+++ b/ietf/submit/tests.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ from ietf.utils.test_utils import login_testing_unauthorized
 from ietf.utils.test_data import make_test_data
 from ietf.utils.mail import outbox
 from ietf.utils.test_utils import TestCase
+from ietf.meeting.models import Meeting
 from ietf.submit.utils import expirable_submissions, expire_submission, ensure_person_email_info_exists
 from ietf.person.models import Person
 from ietf.group.models import Group
@@ -608,6 +609,29 @@ class SubmitTests(TestCase):
         r = self.client.get(urlreverse("submit_tool_instructions"))
         self.assertEquals(r.status_code, 200)
         
+    def test_blackout_access(self):
+        make_test_data()
+        
+        # get
+        url = urlreverse('submit_upload_submission')
+        # set meeting to today so we're in blackout period
+        meeting = Meeting.get_current_meeting()
+        meeting.date = datetime.datetime.today()
+        meeting.save()
+        
+        # regular user, no access
+        r = self.client.get(url)
+        self.assertEqual(r.status_code, 200)
+        q = PyQuery(r.content)
+        self.assertEqual(len(q('input[type=file][name=txt]')), 0)
+        
+        # Secretariat has access
+        self.client.login(username="secretary", password="secretary+password")
+        r = self.client.get(url)
+        self.assertEqual(r.status_code, 200)
+        q = PyQuery(r.content)
+        self.assertEqual(len(q('input[type=file][name=txt]')), 1)
+
 class ApprovalsTestCase(TestCase):
     def test_approvals(self):
         make_test_data()
diff --git a/ietf/templates/submit/upload_submission.html b/ietf/templates/submit/upload_submission.html
index bfdff00ba..3fd3f6daf 100644
--- a/ietf/templates/submit/upload_submission.html
+++ b/ietf/templates/submit/upload_submission.html
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {% extends "submit/submit_base.html" %}
 {# Copyright The IETF Trust 2015, All Rights Reserved #}
 {% load origin %}
-
+{% load ietf_filters %}
 {% load bootstrap3 %}
 
 {% block title %}Upload{% endblock %}
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@
   {% origin %}
   {% bootstrap_messages %}
 
+  {% if form.shutdown and user|has_role:"Secretariat" %}
+  <p class="bg-warning">WARNING: currently in draft submission blackout period</p>
+  {% endif %}
+  
   {% if form.cutoff_warning %}
     <div class="cutoff-warning">
       {{ form.cutoff_warning|safe }}
@@ -28,7 +32,7 @@
     six months. They may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other
     documents at any time.</p>
 
-  {% if not form.shutdown %}
+  {% if not form.shutdown or user|has_role:"Secretariat" %}
     <p>If you run into problems when submitting an Internet-Draft
       using this and the following pages, you may alternatively submit
       your draft by email to