diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f5d6ce37..406bc0b4 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -107,8 +107,9 @@ publish-version: release-commit release-tag
 publish-finished: clean
 
 pre-publish: clean .branch .version deps-project tests-ci build
-
-publish: pre-publish publish-version publish-finished
+check-working-tree:
+	@sh ./scripts/repo_status
+publish: check-working-tree pre-publish publish-version publish-finished
 
 init-docs-repo:
 	@mkdir _book
diff --git a/scripts/repo_status b/scripts/repo_status
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5cd17c83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/repo_status
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+if [ ! -z "`git status -s`" ]; then
+    echo "Working tree is not clean"
+    git status -s
+    read -p "Proceed? [Y/n] " OK
+    if [[ "$OK" -eq "n" || "$OK" -eq "N" || -z "$OK" ]]; then
+	echo "Stopping publish"
+	exit 1
+    fi
+fi