diff --git a/docs/toml-schema.md b/docs/toml-schema.md
index b801acd5e..8da8422c0 100644
--- a/docs/toml-schema.md
+++ b/docs/toml-schema.md
@@ -306,4 +306,9 @@ dismiss-stale-review = false
 # This option is only relevant if bors is not used.
 # (optional - default `1`)
 required-approvals = 1
+# Which GitHub teams have access to push/merge to this branch.
+# If unspecified, all teams/contributors with write or higher access
+# can push/merge to the branch.
+# (optional)
+allowed-merge-teams = ["awesome-team"]
 ```
diff --git a/rust_team_data/src/v1.rs b/rust_team_data/src/v1.rs
index 2ca2c063d..d02b73431 100644
--- a/rust_team_data/src/v1.rs
+++ b/rust_team_data/src/v1.rs
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ pub struct BranchProtection {
     pub ci_checks: Vec<String>,
     pub dismiss_stale_review: bool,
     pub required_approvals: u32,
+    pub allowed_merge_teams: Vec<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, PartialEq)]
diff --git a/src/schema.rs b/src/schema.rs
index d6bd70b22..2c9283236 100644
--- a/src/schema.rs
+++ b/src/schema.rs
@@ -782,4 +782,6 @@ pub(crate) struct BranchProtection {
     pub dismiss_stale_review: bool,
     #[serde(default)]
     pub required_approvals: Option<u32>,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub allowed_merge_teams: Vec<String>,
 }
diff --git a/src/static_api.rs b/src/static_api.rs
index 4a49f0cc6..58334d78b 100644
--- a/src/static_api.rs
+++ b/src/static_api.rs
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ impl<'a> Generator<'a> {
                     ci_checks: b.ci_checks.clone(),
                     dismiss_stale_review: b.dismiss_stale_review,
                     required_approvals: b.required_approvals.unwrap_or(1),
+                    allowed_merge_teams: b.allowed_merge_teams.clone(),
                 })
                 .collect();
             let repo = v1::Repo {
diff --git a/src/validate.rs b/src/validate.rs
index 5357e4026..b63b19d22 100644
--- a/src/validate.rs
+++ b/src/validate.rs
@@ -778,16 +778,41 @@ fn validate_repos(data: &Data, errors: &mut Vec<String>) {
 
 /// Validate that branch protections make sense in combination with used bots.
 fn validate_branch_protections(data: &Data, errors: &mut Vec<String>) {
+    let github_teams = data.github_teams();
+
     wrapper(data.repos(), errors, |repo, _| {
         let bors_used = repo.bots.iter().any(|b| matches!(b, Bot::Bors));
         for protection in &repo.branch_protections {
-            if bors_used && protection.required_approvals.is_some() {
-                bail!(
-                    r#"repo '{}' uses bors and its branch protection for {} uses the `required-approvals` attribute;
+            for team in &protection.allowed_merge_teams {
+                let key = (repo.org.clone(), team.clone());
+                if !github_teams.contains(&key) {
+                    bail!(
+                        r#"repo '{}' uses a branch protection for {} that mentions the '{}' github team;
+but that team does not seem to exist"#,
+                        repo.name,
+                        protection.pattern,
+                        team
+                    );
+                }
+            }
+
+            if bors_used {
+                if protection.required_approvals.is_some() {
+                    bail!(
+                        r#"repo '{}' uses bors and its branch protection for {} uses the `required-approvals` attribute;
 please remove the attribute when using bors"#,
-                    repo.name,
-                    protection.pattern,
-                );
+                        repo.name,
+                        protection.pattern,
+                    );
+                }
+                if !protection.allowed_merge_teams.is_empty() {
+                    bail!(
+                        r#"repo '{}' uses bors and its branch protection for {} uses the `allowed-merge-teams` attribute;
+please remove the attribute when using bors"#,
+                        repo.name,
+                        protection.pattern,
+                    );
+                }
             }
         }
         Ok(())
diff --git a/tests/static-api/_expected/v1/repos.json b/tests/static-api/_expected/v1/repos.json
index f8f9e1a01..abc1ddbd4 100644
--- a/tests/static-api/_expected/v1/repos.json
+++ b/tests/static-api/_expected/v1/repos.json
@@ -19,7 +19,10 @@
             "CI"
           ],
           "dismiss_stale_review": false,
-          "required_approvals": 1
+          "required_approvals": 1,
+          "allowed_merge_teams": [
+            "foo"
+          ]
         }
       ]
     }
diff --git a/tests/static-api/_expected/v1/repos/some_repo.json b/tests/static-api/_expected/v1/repos/some_repo.json
index fa8560285..500e01509 100644
--- a/tests/static-api/_expected/v1/repos/some_repo.json
+++ b/tests/static-api/_expected/v1/repos/some_repo.json
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@
         "CI"
       ],
       "dismiss_stale_review": false,
-      "required_approvals": 1
+      "required_approvals": 1,
+      "allowed_merge_teams": [
+        "foo"
+      ]
     }
   ]
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/static-api/repos/test-org/some_repo.toml b/tests/static-api/repos/test-org/some_repo.toml
index 76ca6c169..d74cab8f7 100644
--- a/tests/static-api/repos/test-org/some_repo.toml
+++ b/tests/static-api/repos/test-org/some_repo.toml
@@ -8,4 +8,5 @@ foo = "admin"
 
 [[branch-protections]]
 pattern = "master"
-ci-checks = ["CI"]
\ No newline at end of file
+ci-checks = ["CI"]
+allowed-merge-teams = ["foo"]