diff --git a/src/centpkg/utils.py b/src/centpkg/utils.py
index cf98c1c..6d27b0e 100644
--- a/src/centpkg/utils.py
+++ b/src/centpkg/utils.py
@@ -63,6 +63,32 @@ def do_fork(logger, base_url, token, repo_name, namespace, cli_name):
     except Exception:
         pass
 
+    if rv.ok:
+        fork_id = rv.json()['id']
+        try:
+            # Unprotect c9s in fork
+            rv = requests.delete('{0}/projects/{1}/protected_branches/{2}'.format(api_url, fork_id, 'c9s'), headers=header)
+        except ConnectionError as error:
+            error_msg = ('The connection to API failed while trying to unprotect c9s branch'
+                         'in the fork. The error was: {0}'.format(str(error)))
+            raise rpkgError(error_msg)
+
+
+        try:
+            # Reprotect c9s to disable pushes
+            # Only maintainers in gitlab are allowed to push with the following config
+            # In CS, every pkg maintainer is considered as a developer in gitlab
+            data = {'id': fork_id,
+                    'name': 'c9s',
+                    'allowed_to_push': [{'access_level': 40}],
+                    'allowed_to_merge': [{'access_level': 40}],
+                    }
+            rv = requests.post('{0}/projects/{1}/protected_branches'.format(api_url, fork_id), json=data, headers=header)
+        except ConnectionError as error:
+            error_msg = ('The connection to API failed while trying to reprotect c9s branch'
+                         'in the fork fork. The error was: {0}'.format(str(error)))
+            raise rpkgError(error_msg)
+
     base_error_msg = ('The following error occurred while creating a new fork: {0}')
     if not rv.ok:
         # fork was already created