diff --git a/airtime_mvc/application/Bootstrap.php b/airtime_mvc/application/Bootstrap.php
index 74c1cd69e..fc9f6c7e4 100644
--- a/airtime_mvc/application/Bootstrap.php
+++ b/airtime_mvc/application/Bootstrap.php
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ require_once "Database.php";
 require_once "Timezone.php";
 require_once __DIR__.'/forms/helpers/ValidationTypes.php';
 require_once __DIR__.'/controllers/plugins/RabbitMqPlugin.php';
+require_once __DIR__.'/controllers/plugins/Maintenance.php';
 
 require_once (APPLICATION_PATH."/logging/Logging.php");
 Logging::setLogPath('/var/log/airtime/zendphp.log');
@@ -198,5 +199,11 @@ class Bootstrap extends Zend_Application_Bootstrap_Bootstrap
                 'action' => 'password-change',
             )));
     }
+
+    public function _initPlugins()
+    {
+        $front = Zend_Controller_Front::getInstance();
+        $front->registerPlugin(new Zend_Controller_Plugin_Maintenance());
+    }
 }
 
diff --git a/airtime_mvc/application/controllers/IndexController.php b/airtime_mvc/application/controllers/IndexController.php
index 8dcdb3a64..232623bc9 100644
--- a/airtime_mvc/application/controllers/IndexController.php
+++ b/airtime_mvc/application/controllers/IndexController.php
@@ -18,4 +18,9 @@ class IndexController extends Zend_Controller_Action
         $this->_helper->layout->setLayout('layout');
     }
 
+    public function maintenanceAction()
+    {
+        $this->getResponse()->setHttpResponseCode(503);
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/airtime_mvc/application/controllers/UpgradeController.php b/airtime_mvc/application/controllers/UpgradeController.php
index 28b1abc87..c09d58953 100644
--- a/airtime_mvc/application/controllers/UpgradeController.php
+++ b/airtime_mvc/application/controllers/UpgradeController.php
@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@ class UpgradeController extends Zend_Controller_Action
             return;
         }
         
+        //Disable Airtime UI
+        //create a temporary maintenance notification file
+        $maintenanceFile = '/tmp/maintenance.txt';
+        $file = fopen($maintenanceFile, 'w');
+        fclose($file);
+        
         //Begin upgrade
         $filename = isset($_SERVER['AIRTIME_CONF']) ? $_SERVER['AIRTIME_CONF'] : "/etc/airtime/airtime.conf";
         $values = parse_ini_file($filename, true);
@@ -75,6 +81,8 @@ class UpgradeController extends Zend_Controller_Action
         $file = new SplFileObject($iniFile, "w");
         $file->fwrite($beginning."\n".$newLines.$end);
 
+        unlink($maintenanceFile);
+
         $this->getResponse()
             ->setHttpResponseCode(200)
             ->appendBody("Upgrade to Airtime 2.5.3 OK");
diff --git a/airtime_mvc/application/controllers/plugins/Maintenance.php b/airtime_mvc/application/controllers/plugins/Maintenance.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..46937f582
--- /dev/null
+++ b/airtime_mvc/application/controllers/plugins/Maintenance.php
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+<?php
+
+class Zend_Controller_Plugin_Maintenance extends Zend_Controller_Plugin_Abstract
+{
+    protected $maintenanceFile = '/tmp/maintenance.txt';
+
+    public function preDispatch(Zend_Controller_Request_Abstract $request) {
+        if (file_exists($this->maintenanceFile)) {
+            $request->setModuleName('default')
+                    ->setControllerName('index')
+                    ->setActionName('maintenance')
+                    ->setDispatched(true);
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/airtime_mvc/application/views/scripts/index/maintenance.phtml b/airtime_mvc/application/views/scripts/index/maintenance.phtml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5a2277989
--- /dev/null
+++ b/airtime_mvc/application/views/scripts/index/maintenance.phtml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Airtime is down for maintenance. We'll be back soon!