diff --git a/lib/cli.py b/lib/cli.py
index 73be9307350860df7259e3030fb6c53539419a7d..956be3d1ef5083a66ba9000cb1b57d0a2a71ea2e 100644
--- a/lib/cli.py
+++ b/lib/cli.py
@@ -655,6 +655,9 @@ def FormatError(err):
     obuf.write("Failure: command execution error:\n%s" % msg)
   elif isinstance(err, errors.TagError):
     obuf.write("Failure: invalid tag(s) given:\n%s" % msg)
+  elif isinstance(err, errors.JobQueueDrainError):
+    obuf.write("Failure: the job queue is marked for drain and doesn't"
+               " accept new requests\n")
   elif isinstance(err, errors.GenericError):
     obuf.write("Unhandled Ganeti error: %s" % msg)
   elif isinstance(err, luxi.NoMasterError):
diff --git a/lib/constants.py b/lib/constants.py
index 6dae294629b2492b4d49021e246068f205118d25..9873ca7eb08eb385d00e2a0149004f3a726335aa 100644
--- a/lib/constants.py
+++ b/lib/constants.py
@@ -333,6 +333,7 @@ JOB_QUEUE_LOCK_FILE = QUEUE_DIR + "/lock"
 JOB_QUEUE_VERSION_FILE = QUEUE_DIR + "/version"
 JOB_QUEUE_SERIAL_FILE = QUEUE_DIR + "/serial"
 JOB_QUEUE_ARCHIVE_DIR = QUEUE_DIR + "/archive"
+JOB_QUEUE_DRAIN_FILE = QUEUE_DIR + "/drain"
 
 JOB_ID_TEMPLATE = r"\d+"
 
diff --git a/lib/errors.py b/lib/errors.py
index 006da8e9865ca92550f159b525aa5180ef07824a..6efd9aa052836c38dbcaa3d8da169cec2d7dd2ca 100644
--- a/lib/errors.py
+++ b/lib/errors.py
@@ -243,6 +243,15 @@ class JobQueueError(GenericError):
   """
 
 
+class JobQueueDrainError(JobQueueError):
+  """Job queue is marked for drain error.
+
+  This is raised when a job submission attempt is made but the queue
+  is marked for drain.
+
+  """
+
+
 # errors should be added above
 
 
diff --git a/lib/jqueue.py b/lib/jqueue.py
index 54a3562dcf477f5acb1ad38c7b274a787cb56009..478bd787e71f6c2df430f4a4db793b6e7672fb28 100644
--- a/lib/jqueue.py
+++ b/lib/jqueue.py
@@ -564,6 +564,16 @@ class JobQueue(object):
 
     return [self._LoadJobUnlocked(job_id) for job_id in job_ids]
 
+  @staticmethod
+  def _IsQueueMarkedDrain():
+    """Check if the queue is marked from drain.
+
+    This currently uses the queue drain file, which makes it a
+    per-node flag. In the future this can be moved to the config file.
+
+    """
+    return os.path.exists(constants.JOB_QUEUE_DRAIN_FILE)
+
   @utils.LockedMethod
   @_RequireOpenQueue
   def SubmitJob(self, ops):
@@ -576,6 +586,8 @@ class JobQueue(object):
     @param ops: The list of OpCodes that will become the new job.
 
     """
+    if self._IsQueueMarkedDrain():
+      raise errors.JobQueueDrainError()
     # Get job identifier
     job_id = self._NewSerialUnlocked()
     job = _QueuedJob(self, job_id, ops)