diff --git a/lib/thumbs/pull_request_worker.rb b/lib/thumbs/pull_request_worker.rb
index d4be905..b3a0285 100644
--- a/lib/thumbs/pull_request_worker.rb
+++ b/lib/thumbs/pull_request_worker.rb
@@ -344,6 +344,11 @@ def valid_for_merge?
         return false
       end
 
+      if wait_lock?
+        debug_message "wait_lock? thumbot wait set. delete comment to release lock"
+        return false
+      end
+
       unless thumb_config['merge'] == true
         debug_message "thumb_config['merge'] != 'true' || thumbs config says: merge: #{thumb_config['merge'].inspect}"
         return false
@@ -584,6 +589,14 @@ def merge
         return status
       end
 
+      if wait_lock?
+        debug_message "wait_lock? thumbot wait enabled."
+        status[:result]=:error
+        status[:message]="wait_lock? thumbot wait enabled."
+        status[:ended_at]=DateTime.now
+        return status
+      end
+
       begin
         debug_message("Starting github API merge request")
         commit_message = 'Thumbs Git Robot Merge. '
@@ -960,6 +973,10 @@ def forked_repo_branch_pr?
       pr.base.repo.full_name != pr.head.repo.full_name ? true : false
     end
 
+    def wait_lock?
+      all_comments.any? {|comment| comment[:body] =~  /^thumbot wait/ }
+    end
+
     private
 
     def render_template(template)
diff --git a/test/test_build_steps.rb b/test/test_build_steps.rb
index a1a8c5c..0dbe005 100644
--- a/test/test_build_steps.rb
+++ b/test/test_build_steps.rb
@@ -131,22 +131,24 @@
       cassette(:get_events_unmergable) do
 
         UNMERGABLEPRW.build_steps = ["make", "make test", "make UNKNOWN_OPTION"]
+        cassette(:get_state, :record => :new_episodes) do
 
-        cassette(:get_open) do
-          assert_equal true, UNMERGABLEPRW.open?
-          UNMERGABLEPRW.reset_build_status
-          UNMERGABLEPRW.unpersist_build_status
-          UNMERGABLEPRW.try_merge
-          UNMERGABLEPRW.run_build_steps
-          assert_equal :error, UNMERGABLEPRW.aggregate_build_status_result, UNMERGABLEPRW.build_status
-          step, status = UNMERGABLEPRW.build_status[:steps].collect { |step_name, status| [step_name, status] if status[:result] != :ok }.compact.shift
-          assert_equal :merge, step
-
-          assert status[:result]==:error
-          assert status[:exit_code]!=0
-
-          cassette(:get_new_comments, :record => :new_episodes) do
-            assert_equal false, UNMERGABLEPRW.valid_for_merge?
+          cassette(:get_open) do
+            assert_equal true, UNMERGABLEPRW.open?
+            UNMERGABLEPRW.reset_build_status
+            UNMERGABLEPRW.unpersist_build_status
+            UNMERGABLEPRW.try_merge
+            UNMERGABLEPRW.run_build_steps
+            assert_equal :error, UNMERGABLEPRW.aggregate_build_status_result, UNMERGABLEPRW.build_status
+            step, status = UNMERGABLEPRW.build_status[:steps].collect { |step_name, status| [step_name, status] if status[:result] != :ok }.compact.shift
+            assert_equal :merge, step
+
+            assert status[:result]==:error
+            assert status[:exit_code]!=0
+
+            cassette(:get_new_comments, :record => :new_episodes) do
+              assert_equal false, UNMERGABLEPRW.valid_for_merge?
+            end
           end
         end
 
@@ -257,6 +259,36 @@
   end
 
 
+  test "should not merge if wait_lock?" do
+    cassette(:get_wait_lock_pr, :record => :new_episodes) do
+      prw = Thumbs::PullRequestWorker.new(repo: 'davidx/prtester', pr: 323)
+      prw.validate
+      prw.thumb_config['merge'] = true
+      prw.thumb_config['minimum_reviewers'] = 0
+      client2 = Octokit::Client.new(:netrc => true,
+                                    :netrc_file => ".netrc.davidpuddy1")
+      # client2.add_comment(prw.repo, prw.pr.number, "+1", options = {})
+      wait_lock_comments=prw.all_comments.collect { |comment| comment if comment[:body] =~ /^thumbot wait/ }.compact
+      wait_lock_comments.each do |comment|
+        client2.delete_comment(prw.repo, comment[:id])
+      end
+      cassette(:get_updated_comments, :record => :new_episodes) do
+        assert_equal true, prw.valid_for_merge?
+        cassette(:get_valid_for_merge_update, :record => :all) do
+          comment=client2.add_comment(prw.repo, prw.pr.number, "thumbot wait", options = {})
+          sleep 1
+          cassette(:get_valid_for_merge_update_refresh, :record => :all) do
+            assert_equal false, prw.valid_for_merge?
+            cassette(:get_valid_for_merge_update_clean, :record => :all) do
+              client2.delete_comment(prw.repo, comment[:id])
+            end
+          end
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+
   test "should identify org comments" do
     default_vcr_state do
       assert ORGPRW.respond_to?(:org_member_comments)
diff --git a/test/test_common.rb b/test/test_common.rb
index 73aafe2..43a18bf 100644
--- a/test/test_common.rb
+++ b/test/test_common.rb
@@ -100,13 +100,13 @@
     end
   end
 
- test "can determine org_member" do
-   default_vcr_state do
-     ORGPRW.respond_to?(:org_member?)
-     assert_false ORGPRW.org_member?('bob')
-     assert_true ORGPRW.org_member?('thumbot')
-   end
- end
+  test "can determine org_member" do
+    default_vcr_state do
+      ORGPRW.respond_to?(:org_member?)
+      assert_false ORGPRW.org_member?('bob')
+      assert_true ORGPRW.org_member?('thumbot')
+    end
+  end
 
   test "can detect forked repo branch pr" do
     default_vcr_state do
@@ -116,6 +116,34 @@
       assert_false PRW.forked_repo_branch_pr?
     end
   end
+
+  test "should be able to detect wait lock" do
+    cassette(:prmain, :record => :new_episodes) do
+      prw = Thumbs::PullRequestWorker.new(repo: 'davidx/prtester', pr: 323)
+      assert prw.respond_to?(:wait_lock?)
+
+      client2 = Octokit::Client.new(:netrc => true,
+                                    :netrc_file => ".netrc.davidpuddy1")
+      cassette(:pr, :record => :new_episodes, :record => :all) do
+
+        comment=client2.add_comment(prw.repo, prw.pr.number, "thumbot wait", options = {})
+        sleep 2
+        cassette(:refresh, :record => :all) do
+
+          cassette(:get_new_comments, :record => :all) do
+            comments=client2.issue_comments(prw.repo, prw.pr.number, per_page: 100)
+            assert_true comments.any? { |comment| comment[:body] =~ /^thumbot wait/ }
+            assert_true prw.wait_lock?
+            assert_equal prw.all_comments.any? { |comment| comment[:body] =~ /^thumbot wait/ }, prw.wait_lock?
+            assert_false PRW.wait_lock?
+            client2.delete_comment(prw.repo, comment[:id])
+          end
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+  end
 end
 
 
+