diff --git a/tools/accept.py b/tools/accept.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..aa9e6f89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/accept.py
@@ -0,0 +1,203 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+import pathlib
+import re
+import shutil
+import sys
+
+import xml.etree.ElementTree as etree
+
+from datetime import datetime, timedelta
+
+from xeplib import load_xepinfos, Status, choose
+
+
+DEFAULT_XEPLIST_PATH = "./build/xeplist.xml"
+XEP_FILENAME_RE = re.compile(r"xep-(\d+)\.xml")
+
+
+def get_deferred(accepted):
+    now = datetime.utcnow().replace(hour=0, minute=0, second=0, microsecond=0)
+    threshold = now.replace(year=now.year - 1)
+
+    for number, info in sorted(accepted.items()):
+        if info["status"] == Status.EXPERIMENTAL and "last_revision" in info:
+            last_update = info["last_revision"]["date"]
+            if last_update <= threshold:
+                yield info
+
+
+BLANK_NUMBER = re.compile("<number>[xX]{4}</number>")
+PROTOXEP_STATUS = "<status>ProtoXEP</status>"
+EXPERIMENTAL_STATUS = "<status>Experimental</status>"
+REVISION_RE = re.compile(r"\s+<revision>")
+REVISION_TEMPLATE = """
+  <revision>
+    <version>{version}</version>
+    <date>{now:%Y-%m-%d}</date>
+    <initials>XEP Editor ({initials})</initials>
+    <remark>Accepted by vote of {approving_body} on {date}.</remark>
+  </revision>"""
+
+
+def accept_xep(number, last_version,
+               initials,
+               approving_body,
+               votedate):
+    filename = "xep-{:04d}.xml".format(number)
+    with open(filename, "r") as f:
+        xep_text = f.read()
+
+    if PROTOXEP_STATUS not in xep_text:
+        raise ValueError("cannot find experimental status in XEP text")
+
+    # this is so incredibly evil ...
+    xep_text = xep_text.replace(PROTOXEP_STATUS, EXPERIMENTAL_STATUS, 1)
+    xep_text, n = BLANK_NUMBER.subn("<number>{:04d}</number>".format(number),
+                                    xep_text,
+                                    1)
+    if n == 0:
+        raise ValueError("cannot find number placeholder in XEP text")
+    revision_match = REVISION_RE.search(xep_text)
+
+    version = last_version.split(".")
+    if len(version) == 1:
+        version.append("1")
+    else:
+        version[1] = str(int(version[1]) + 1)
+        del version[2:]
+
+    xep_text = (
+        xep_text[:revision_match.start()] +
+        REVISION_TEMPLATE.format(
+            now=datetime.utcnow(),
+            version=".".join(version),
+            initials=initials,
+            date=votedate,
+            approving_body=approving_body,
+        ) + xep_text[revision_match.start():]
+    )
+
+    with open(filename, "w") as f:
+        f.write(xep_text)
+        f.flush()
+
+
+def isodate(s):
+    return datetime.strptime(s, "%Y-%m-%d")
+
+
+def get_next_xep_number(accepted):
+    return max(accepted.keys()) + 1
+
+
+def main():
+    import argparse
+
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        description="Accept an inbox XEP."
+    )
+
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-l", "--xeplist",
+        type=argparse.FileType("rb"),
+        default=None,
+        help="XEP list to use (defaults to {})".format(DEFAULT_XEPLIST_PATH)
+    )
+
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-y", "--yes",
+        dest="ask",
+        action="store_false",
+        help="Assume default answer to all questions.",
+        default=True,
+    )
+
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-f", "--force",
+        dest="force",
+        action="store_true",
+        default=False,
+        help="Force acceptance even if suspicious.",
+    )
+
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "item",
+        help="Inbox name"
+    )
+
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "votedate",
+        type=isodate,
+        help="The date of the vote, in ISO format (%Y-%m-%d)."
+    )
+
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "initials",
+        help="Your editor initials"
+    )
+
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    if args.item.endswith(".xml"):
+        # strip the path
+        p = pathlib.Path(args.item)
+        args.item = p.parts[-1].rsplit(".")[0]
+
+    if args.xeplist is None:
+        args.xeplist = open(DEFAULT_XEPLIST_PATH, "rb")
+
+    if args.xeplist is not None:
+        with args.xeplist as f:
+            tree = etree.parse(f)
+        accepted, inbox = load_xepinfos(tree)
+
+    try:
+        xepinfo = inbox[args.item]
+    except KeyError:
+        print("no such inbox xep: {!r}".format(args.item), file=sys.stderr)
+        print("maybe run make build/xeplist.xml first?", file=sys.stderr)
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    new_number = get_next_xep_number(accepted)
+
+    new_filename = pathlib.Path(".") / "xep-{:04d}.xml".format(new_number)
+    inbox_path = pathlib.Path("inbox") / "{}.xml".format(args.item)
+    if new_filename.exists():
+        raise FileExistsError(
+            "Internal error: XEP file does already exist! ({})".format(
+                new_filename
+            )
+        )
+    if not inbox_path.exists():
+        print("inbox file does not exist or is not readable: {}".format(
+            inbox_path
+        ))
+
+    if args.ask:
+        print("I am going to accept:")
+        print()
+        print("  Title: {!r}".format(xepinfo["title"]))
+        print("  Abstract: {!r}".format(xepinfo["abstract"]))
+        print("  Last Revision: {} ({})".format(
+            xepinfo["last_revision"]["date"].date(),
+            xepinfo["last_revision"]["version"],
+        ))
+        print()
+        print("as new XEP-{:04d}.".format(new_number))
+        print()
+        choice = choose("Is this correct? [y]es, [n]o: ", "yn", eof="n")
+        if choice != "y":
+            print("aborted at user request")
+            sys.exit(2)
+
+    shutil.copy(str(inbox_path), str(new_filename))
+
+    accept_xep(new_number,
+               xepinfo["last_revision"]["version"],
+               args.initials,
+               xepinfo["approver"],
+               args.votedate.date())
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/tools/send-updates.py b/tools/send-updates.py
index 63ead127..bcacbf4f 100755
--- a/tools/send-updates.py
+++ b/tools/send-updates.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ from datetime import datetime
 
 import xml.etree.ElementTree as etree
 
-from xeplib import Status, Action, load_xepinfos
+from xeplib import Status, Action, load_xepinfos, choose
 
 
 DESCRIPTION = """\
@@ -279,30 +279,6 @@ def interactively_extend_smtp_config(config):
     config.set("smtp", "from", from_)
 
 
-def choose(prompt, options, *,
-           eof=EOFError,
-           keyboard_interrupt=KeyboardInterrupt):
-    while True:
-        try:
-            choice = input(prompt).strip()
-        except EOFError:
-            if eof is EOFError:
-                raise
-            return eof
-        except KeyboardInterrupt:
-            if keyboard_interrupt is KeyboardInterrupt:
-                raise
-            return keyboard_interrupt
-
-        if choice not in options:
-            print("invalid choice. please enter one of: {}".format(
-                ", ".join(map(str, options))
-            ))
-            continue
-
-        return choice
-
-
 def make_smtpconn(config):
     host = config.get("smtp", "host")
     port = config.getint("smtp", "port")
diff --git a/tools/xeplib.py b/tools/xeplib.py
index b7c11244..dc1612ac 100644
--- a/tools/xeplib.py
+++ b/tools/xeplib.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ class Action(enum.Enum):
     UPDATE = "UPDATED"
     DEPRECATE = "DEPRECATED"
     LAST_CALL = "LAST CALL"
+    REJECT = "REJECT"
 
     @classmethod
     def fromstatus(cls, status):
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ class Action(enum.Enum):
             Status.DEPRECATED: cls.DEPRECATE,
             Status.DEFERRED: cls.DEFER,
             Status.PROPOSED: cls.LAST_CALL,
+            Status.REJECTED: cls.REJECT,
         }[status]
 
 
@@ -143,3 +145,27 @@ def minidom_children(elem):
         child for child in elem.childNodes
         if isinstance(child, (xml.dom.minidom.Element))
     ]
+
+
+def choose(prompt, options, *,
+           eof=EOFError,
+           keyboard_interrupt=KeyboardInterrupt):
+    while True:
+        try:
+            choice = input(prompt).strip()
+        except EOFError:
+            if eof is EOFError:
+                raise
+            return eof
+        except KeyboardInterrupt:
+            if keyboard_interrupt is KeyboardInterrupt:
+                raise
+            return keyboard_interrupt
+
+        if choice not in options:
+            print("invalid choice. please enter one of: {}".format(
+                ", ".join(map(str, options))
+            ))
+            continue
+
+        return choice