diff --git a/bin/is b/bin/is
index 0890c48ab9f8dd52137dcefe7bda7fa5a07fe3fb..e1e0a5826f1148fc9809f1554cd9f3d4f7c6a58b 100755
--- a/bin/is
+++ b/bin/is
@@ -327,11 +327,10 @@ def c_install(args):
     # select image to install
     repoman = load_repositories(args)
     image, repo = next(get_images([args.pattern], repoman, min=1, max=1))
-    if repo:
-        # Print repo MOTD
-        arrow("Repository %s MOTD" % repo.config.name)
-        repo.motd()
-    # Print setup information
+    if repo is not None:
+        arrow("Repository message")
+        out(repo.motd, endl="")
+    # print setup information
     arrow(u"Installing %s v%s" % (image.name, image.version))
     # let's go
     dt = image.run(args.parser, subparser, run_setup=not args.dry_run)
@@ -354,25 +353,23 @@ def c_list(args):
 
 def c_motd(args):
     '''
-    Display (and edit) repository's MOTD
+    Show and set repository's message
     '''
     repoman = load_repositories(args)
-    repo = repoman[args.repository]
-    arrow("Current MOTD for %s:" % repo.config.name)
-    repo.motd()
-    if args.edit:
-        # check local repository
-        if not repo.local:
-            raise ISError(u"Repository must be local")
-        arrow("New MOTD (end with a blank line):")
-        motd = ""
-        # raw_input return bytestring
-        data = raw_input().decode(sys.stdin.encoding)
-        motd += data
-        while data:
-            data = raw_input().decode(sys.stdin.encoding)
-            motd += u"\n%s" % data
-        repo.motd(motd[:-1])
+    if args.file:
+        args.set = open(args.file, "rb").read()
+    elif args.remove:
+        args.set = ""
+    arrowlevel(1)
+    for reponame in repoman.select_repositories(args.repository):
+        arrow(reponame, -1)
+        try:
+            if args.set is not None:
+                repoman[reponame].setmotd(args.set)
+            else:
+                out(repoman[reponame].motd)
+        except IndexError as e:
+            raise ISError(e)
 
 def c_move(args):
     '''
@@ -675,9 +672,11 @@ def arg_parser_init():
     p.set_defaults(func=c_list)
     # motd command parser
     p = subparser.add_parser("motd", help=c_motd.__doc__.lower())
-    p.add_argument("repository", help="repository to display/edit MOTD")
-    p.add_argument("--edit", action="store_true",
-                   help="edit repository's MOTD")
+    g = p.add_mutually_exclusive_group()
+    g.add_argument("-r", "--remove", action="store_true", help="remove the motd")
+    g.add_argument("-s", "--set", help="set the motd from command line")
+    g.add_argument("-f", "--file", help="set the motd from a file")
+    p.add_argument("repository", nargs="*", default=[u"*"], help="image repository")
     p.set_defaults(func=c_motd)
     # move command parser
     p = subparser.add_parser("move", help=c_move.__doc__.lower())
diff --git a/doc/is.1.rst b/doc/is.1.rst
index cd908f6a52e283a43f3ecfcbd3833be18a4c5d20..236a28bf4cf130edde38786491e9c41b055b8c8a 100644
--- a/doc/is.1.rst
+++ b/doc/is.1.rst
@@ -267,11 +267,20 @@ list [-h] [-A] [-d] [-D] [-f] [-j] [-i] [-l] [-m] [-s] [-u] [<remote_image>...]
         display image url
 
 
-motd [-h] [--edit] *repository*
-    Display MOTD of a repository
+motd [-h] [-f] [-r] [-s] *repository*
+    Show or set the message of the day (MOTD) of repository.
+    This message is only displayed during installation of an image from this repository.
 
-    --edit
-        edit the MOTD of the repository
+    -f, --file *FILE*
+        set the repository MOTD from file *FILE*.
+
+    -s, --set *MESSAGE*
+        set the repository MOTD from command line argument *MESSAGE*.
+
+    -r, --remove
+        remove the repository MOTD.
+
+    MOTD are supported by repository version >= 2.0.
 
 
 move [-h] [-f] <local_image>... *repository*
diff --git a/installsystems/repository.py b/installsystems/repository.py
index e5970c0d699133a281444e3297750264b20441c2..e9b2da3db0a2bbcfdd2a50872cd78417dcc46dbc 100644
--- a/installsystems/repository.py
+++ b/installsystems/repository.py
@@ -586,25 +586,24 @@ class Repository(object):
             finally:
                 # Remove dummy repository
                 shutil.rmtree(tmpdir)
+    @property
+    def motd(self):
+        '''
+        Return repository message of the day
+        '''
+        motd = self.db.ask("SELECT motd FROM repository").fetchone()[0]
+        return None if len(motd) == 0 else motd
 
-    def motd(self, new_motd=None):
+    def setmotd(self, value=""):
         '''
-        Display and edit repository motd
+        Set repository message of the day
         '''
-        if new_motd is None:
-            try:
-                motd = self.db.ask("SELECT motd FROM repository").fetchone()
-            except:
-                motd = None
-            if motd is None:
-                raise ISError("Unable to retrieve %s's MOTD" % self.config.name)
-            out(motd[0])
-        else:
-            # check local repository
-            if not self.local:
-                raise ISError(u"Repository must be local")
-            self.db.ask("UPDATE repository SET motd = ?", (new_motd,))
-            self.update_last()
+        # check local repository
+        if not self.local:
+            raise ISError(u"Repository must be local")
+        arrow("Updating motd")
+        self.db.ask("UPDATE repository SET motd = ?", (value,))
+        self.update_last()
 
 
 class Repository_v1(Repository):
@@ -671,14 +670,21 @@ class Repository_v1(Repository):
             images.append(d)
         return images
 
-    def motd(self, new_motd=None):
+    @property
+    def motd(self):
         '''
-        Display and edit repository motd
+        Return repository message of the day.
+        Repository v1 don't have message of day
         '''
-        out('')
-        if new_motd:
-            warn("[%s] repository v1, unable to edit MOTD." % self.config.name)
+        return None
 
+    def setmotd(self, value=""):
+        '''
+        Don't set repository message of the day. Not supported by v1.
+        '''
+        # check local repository
+        warn(u"Repository v1 doesn't support motd. Unable to set")
+        return
 
 class RepositoryManager(object):
     '''
diff --git a/misc/bash-completion b/misc/bash-completion
index 70cda20c6ab8af9440bde6e791f68c452c38de8a..1dd07853c8ec063ad376951a7866c71164cde2f1 100644
--- a/misc/bash-completion
+++ b/misc/bash-completion
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ _is() {
          _remote_image
       ;;
       motd)
-         [[ "$cur" == -* ]] && _opt '-h --help --edit' && return 0
+         [[ "$cur" == -* ]] && _opt '-h --help -r --remove -f --files -s --set' && return 0
          _repo
       ;;
       move)
diff --git a/misc/zsh-completion b/misc/zsh-completion
index 968470127c19b225f4648ceb1e02b4064d12386f..d0fc472e749c39d2e6ae485e70ef5bce6597e487 100644
--- a/misc/zsh-completion
+++ b/misc/zsh-completion
@@ -264,8 +264,10 @@ _is() {
                         ;;
                      (motd)
                         args+=(
-                        '1:repository:_installsystems_repo'
-                        "--edit[edit repository's MOTD]"
+                        '(-f --files)'{-f,--files}'[set the motd from a file]: motd:_files'
+                        '(-s --set)'{-s,--set}'[set the motd from command line]'
+                        '(-r --remove)'{-r,--remove}'[remove the motd]'
+                        '*:repository:_installsystems_local_repo'
                         )
                         ;;
                     (move)