diff --git a/doc/guix.texi b/doc/guix.texi
index 72e8d5d2b57..4a5a570e1d8 100644
--- a/doc/guix.texi
+++ b/doc/guix.texi
@@ -41065,6 +41065,10 @@ For historical reasons, this field defaults to @code{#f}.  The default
 value from gitolite however is @code{1} (written as @code{#t} in this
 configuration).
 
+@item @code{host-name} (default: @code{#f})
+The host name of this gitolite instance.  It is used by the mirroring
+feature.
+
 @item @code{roles} (default: @code{'(("READERS" . 1) ("WRITERS" . ))})
 Set the role names allowed to be used by users running the perms command.
 
diff --git a/gnu/services/version-control.scm b/gnu/services/version-control.scm
index 344538a73e2..2b99e8db861 100644
--- a/gnu/services/version-control.scm
+++ b/gnu/services/version-control.scm
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@
             gitolite-rc-file-unsafe-pattern
             gitolite-rc-file-git-config-keys
             gitolite-rc-file-log-extra
+            gitolite-rc-file-host-name
             gitolite-rc-file-roles
             gitolite-rc-file-enable
 
@@ -255,6 +256,8 @@ access to exported repositories under @file{/srv/git}."
                    (default ""))
   (log-extra       gitolite-rc-file-log-extra
                    (default #f))
+  (host-name       gitolite-rc-file-host-name
+                   (default #f))
   (roles           gitolite-rc-file-roles
                    (default '(("READERS" . 1)
                               ("WRITERS" . 1))))
@@ -273,7 +276,7 @@ access to exported repositories under @file{/srv/git}."
                        (file <gitolite-rc-file>) system target)
   (match-record file <gitolite-rc-file>
                 ( umask local-code unsafe-pattern git-config-keys log-extra
-                  roles enable)
+                  host-name roles enable)
     (apply text-file* "gitolite.rc"
            `("%RC = (\n"
              "    UMASK => " ,(format #f "~4,'0o" umask) ",\n"
@@ -284,6 +287,9 @@ access to exported repositories under @file{/srv/git}."
              ,(if log-extra
                   "    LOG_EXTRA => 1,\n"
                   "")
+             ,(if host-name
+                  (simple-format #f "    HOSTNAME => \"~A\",\n" host-name)
+                  "")
              "    ROLES => {\n"
              ,@(map (match-lambda
                       ((role . value)