diff --git a/config/dates.php b/config/dates.php
index dfae213..78ffd19 100644
--- a/config/dates.php
+++ b/config/dates.php
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@
             ,"important_dates"
 			);
 
+$q=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM dates WHERE year='-1'");
+while($r=mysql_fetch_object($q)) {
+	$defaultdates[$r->name]=$r;
+}
+
 ?>
 <script type="text/javascript">
 $(document).ready(function() {
@@ -68,6 +73,7 @@ $dates  = array('fairdate' => array() ,
 		'postwinners' => array(), 
 		'judgeregopen' => array(), 
 		'judgeregclose' => array(), 
+		'judgescheduleavailable' => array(), 
 		'specawardregopen' => array(),
 		'specawardregclose' => array());
 
@@ -87,7 +93,6 @@ $dates  = array('fairdate' => array() ,
 	}
  }
 
-
 function chkafter($d1, $d2) 
 {	
 	global $dates;
@@ -115,7 +120,20 @@ chkafter('specawardregopen','specawardregclose');
 chkafter('fairdate','postwinners');
 
  /* And print the table with all the info in the correct order */
-foreach($dates as $d) {
+foreach($dates as $dn=>$d) {
+	if(!$d['id']) {
+		$def=$defaultdates[$dn];
+		//hmm if we dont have a record for this date this year, INSERT the sql from the default
+		mysql_query("INSERT INTO dates (date,name,description,year) VALUES (
+			'".mysql_real_escape_string($def->date)."',
+			'".mysql_real_escape_string($dn)."',
+			'".mysql_real_escape_string($def->description)."',
+			'".$config['FAIRYEAR']."'
+			)");
+		$d['id']=mysql_insert_id();
+		$d['description']=$def->description;
+		$d['date']=$def->date;
+	}
 	$e = '';
 	if($error_ids[$d['id']]) {
 		$e = "<span style=\"color: red;\">*</span> ".$error_ids[$d['id']]."</font>";
diff --git a/db/db.code.version.txt b/db/db.code.version.txt
index 2cd1cfa..b34c321 100644
--- a/db/db.code.version.txt
+++ b/db/db.code.version.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-170
+171
diff --git a/db/db.update.171.sql b/db/db.update.171.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ad03dde
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/db.update.171.sql
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+INSERT INTO `dates` (`id`, `date`, `name`, `description`, `year`) VALUES (NULL, '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'judgescheduleavailable', 'Judge assignments and schedule are available to judges', '-1');
diff --git a/judge_main.php b/judge_main.php
index 7837e24..6fe35ea 100644
--- a/judge_main.php
+++ b/judge_main.php
@@ -47,17 +47,29 @@
  }
  echo "<br />";
 
- /* Check for any judging team assignment this year for this judge, 
-  * if there is one, print the judge scheule link in an obvious place, 
-  * it's less obvious below */
- $q = mysql_query("SELECT id FROM judges_teams_link WHERE
- 			users_id='{$u['id']}' AND year='{$config['FAIRYEAR']}'");
- if(mysql_num_rows($q) > 0) {
- 	echo '<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">';
- 	echo i18n("You have been assigned to a judging team.  %1Click here%2 to view the judging schedule",
-		array("<a href=\"judge_schedule.php\">","</a>"));
-	echo '</span>';
-	echo '<br/><br/>';
+ $scheduleok=false;
+ if($config['dates']['judgescheduleavailable'] && $config['dates']['judgescheduleavailable']!="0000-00-00 00:00:00") {
+	$q=mysql_query("SELECT (NOW()>'".$config['dates']['judgescheduleavailable']."') AS test");
+	$r=mysql_fetch_object($q);
+	$scheduleok=$r->test;
+ }
+ else {
+	 $scheduleok=true;
+ }
+
+ if($scheduleok) {
+	 /* Check for any judging team assignment this year for this judge, 
+	  * if there is one, print the judge scheule link in an obvious place, 
+	  * it's less obvious below */
+	 $q = mysql_query("SELECT id FROM judges_teams_link WHERE
+				users_id='{$u['id']}' AND year='{$config['FAIRYEAR']}'");
+	 if(mysql_num_rows($q) > 0) {
+		echo '<span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">';
+		echo i18n("You have been assigned to a judging team.  %1Click here%2 to view the judging schedule",
+			array("<a href=\"judge_schedule.php\">","</a>"));
+		echo '</span>';
+		echo '<br/><br/>';
+	 }
  }
 
 
diff --git a/judge_schedule.php b/judge_schedule.php
index cc31032..d11bf13 100644
--- a/judge_schedule.php
+++ b/judge_schedule.php
@@ -52,6 +52,24 @@ $u = user_load($eid);
             "judge_schedule"
                         );
 
+ $scheduleok=false;
+ if($config['dates']['judgescheduleavailable'] && $config['dates']['judgescheduleavailable']!="0000-00-00 00:00:00") {
+	$q=mysql_query("SELECT (NOW()>'".$config['dates']['judgescheduleavailable']."') AS test");
+	$r=mysql_fetch_object($q);
+	$scheduleok=$r->test;
+ }
+ else {
+	 $scheduleok=true;
+ }
+
+
+if(!$scheduleok) {
+	echo i18n("Your judging assignments and schedule will be available on %1",array(format_datetime($config['dates']['judgescheduleavailable'])));
+	send_footer();
+	if($_SESSION['embed'] != true) send_footer();
+	exit;
+}
+
 
 /* Find all judging teams this judge is on */
 $q = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM judges_teams_link
@@ -149,11 +167,5 @@ if(count($teams) == 0) {
 //echo "<pre>";
 //print_R($teams);
 
-send_footer();
-
-?>
-
-
-<?
 if($_SESSION['embed'] != true) send_footer();
 ?>