diff --git a/gitlab/manage_projects.py b/gitlab/manage_projects.py
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gitlab/manage_projects.py
@@ -0,0 +1,181 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import json
+import logging
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Any, Dict, Iterable, Tuple
+
+import click
+import yaml
+
+import gitlab
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+Config = Dict[str, Any]
+
+
+def get_gitlab(gitlab_instance):
+    gl = gitlab.Gitlab.from_config(gitlab_instance)
+    gl.auth()
+
+    return gl
+
+
+def update_project(
+    project,
+    global_settings: Dict[str, Any],
+    namespace_settings: Dict[str, Any],
+    project_settings: Dict[str, Any],
+) -> Tuple:
+    """Given a project and settings configuration dicts, update the project.
+
+    Returns:
+        Tuple (updated, updated_project). If updated is a dict, then updated_project is
+        the project with its attributes updated according to the configuration dicts.
+        Otherwise, updated_project is the same instance as 'project' input parameter.
+
+    """
+    # override from generic to specific in that order: global -> namespace -> project
+    config: Dict[str, Any] = {
+        **global_settings,
+        **namespace_settings,
+        **project_settings,
+    }
+    logger.debug(
+        "Project <%s>: merged configuration: %s", project.path_with_namespace, config
+    )
+
+    updated = {}
+    # Iterate over the new settings to apply
+    for attribute, value in config.items():
+        existing_value = getattr(project, attribute)
+        # If any changes is detected
+        if existing_value != value:
+            # New settings is applied
+            setattr(project, attribute, value)
+            new_value = getattr(project, attribute)
+            logger.debug(
+                "Update attribute <%s> with value '%s' to value '%s'",
+                attribute,
+                existing_value,
+                new_value,
+            )
+            updated[attribute] = dict(old=existing_value, new=new_value)
+
+    return updated, project
+
+
+def load_projects_configuration(projects_file: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    """Load the configuration yaml file as Dict."""
+    with open(projects_file, "r") as f:
+        return yaml.safe_load(f)
+
+
+def namespaces_from_path(path_with_namespace: str) -> Iterable[str]:
+    """Given a path, computes the hierarchic namespaces from generic to specific."""
+    namespaces = []
+    # FIXME: make that a reduce call!?
+    for part in Path(path_with_namespace).parts[:-1]:
+        if namespaces:
+            last_part = namespaces[-1]
+            ns = f"{last_part}/{part}"
+        else:
+            ns = part
+        namespaces.append(ns)
+
+    return namespaces
+
+
+@click.command()
+@click.option(
+    "--gitlab",
+    "-g",
+    "gitlab_instance",
+    help="Which GitLab instance to use, as configured in the python-gitlab config",
+)
+@click.option(
+    "--do-it", "do_it", is_flag=True, help="Actually perform the operations",
+)
+@click.argument("projects_file")
+def cli(gitlab_instance: str, do_it: bool, projects_file: str,) -> None:
+    gl = get_gitlab(gitlab_instance)
+
+    configuration = load_projects_configuration(projects_file)
+
+    # Global configuration for all projects
+    global_settings: Dict[str, Any] = configuration["global_settings"]
+
+    # Namespace project configuration (with possible override on the global config)
+    namespace_settings: Dict[str, Any] = configuration["namespace_settings"]
+
+    # List of projects that the script should act upon (other projects are skipped)
+    managed_project_namespaces = configuration["managed_project_namespaces"]
+
+    # Local specific project configuration (with possible override on the global config)
+    project_settings: Dict[str, Any] = configuration["project_settings"]
+
+    # TODO: Determine whether we want to iterate over all gitlab projects or over the
+    # configured projects in the configuration files. For now, this iterates over the
+    # gitlab projects and skips non-configured ones. That way, we could discover
+    # projects we forgot to configure (by processing the logs afterwards).
+
+    projects: Dict = {}
+    project_updated_count = 0
+    summary_updates = {}
+    # Configure the project according to global settings (with potential specific
+    # project override)
+    for project in gl.projects.list(iterator=True):
+        path_with_namespace = project.path_with_namespace
+        # For the last print statement to explain how many got updated
+        projects[path_with_namespace] = project
+
+        project_namespaces = namespaces_from_path(path_with_namespace)
+        if project_namespaces[0] not in managed_project_namespaces:
+            logger.debug("Skipped non-managed project <%s>", path_with_namespace)
+            continue
+
+        namespace_config = {}
+        # Merge configuration from generic namespace to specific
+        for ns in project_namespaces:
+            namespace_config.update(namespace_settings.get(ns, {}))
+
+        project_config = project_settings.get(path_with_namespace, {})
+
+        logger.debug("Project <%s> %s", path_with_namespace, project.id)
+        updates, project = update_project(
+            project, global_settings, namespace_config, project_config
+        )
+
+        if updates and do_it:
+            project.save()
+            project_updated_count += 1
+
+        if updates:
+            summary_updates[path_with_namespace] = updates
+
+    dry_run = not do_it
+    prefix_msg = "(**DRY RUN**) " if dry_run else ""
+    full_summary = {
+        "nb_projects": len(projects),
+        "nb_updated_projects": project_updated_count,
+        "actions": summary_updates,
+    }
+    if dry_run:
+        full_summary["dry_run"] = dry_run
+
+    logger.debug(
+        "%sNumber of projects updated: %s / %s",
+        prefix_msg,
+        project_updated_count,
+        len(projects),
+    )
+
+    print(json.dumps(full_summary))
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    logging.basicConfig(
+        level=logging.INFO, format="%(asctime)s %(name)s:%(levelname)s %(message)s"
+    )
+    cli(auto_envvar_prefix="SWH")
diff --git a/gitlab/projects.yml b/gitlab/projects.yml
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gitlab/projects.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,190 @@
+# [1] https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/projects.html#edit-project
+
+# List of namespaces managed by the script (It should be the first level of the
+# project namespace). Other unmanaged projects will be skipped during the script
+# execution.
+managed_project_namespaces:
+  - infra
+
+namespace_settings:
+  # Dict[str, Any] of key the project namespace, and value a dict of any of the global
+  # settings keys above and value, whatever we want to set.
+  infra/puppet/3rdparty:
+    issues_access_level: disabled
+  infra/ci-cd/debs:
+    issues_access_level: disabled
+
+# Dict[str, Any] of key the project with its path namespace, and value a dict of any of
+# the global settings keys above (e.g. visibility) and value, whatever we want to set
+# (e.g. assuming the key 'visibility', some credentials repositories, we want to set it
+# 'private').
+project_settings:
+  infra/ci-cd/k8s-swh-private-data:
+    visibility: private
+  infra/puppet/puppet-swh-private-data:
+    visibility: private
+
+# Dict[str, Any] of key the setting to change (e.g. 'merge_method') and as value
+# whatever we want to set (e.g. assuming the 'merge_method', 'ff' as in fast-forward).
+# The keys were determined out of the gitlab api documentation [1]. Some were not
+# supported. Those are located after the 'unsupported' comment.
+global_settings:
+  # string (optional): See project visibility level.
+  visibility: public
+  # string (optional): Set the merge method used.
+  merge_method: ff
+  # boolean (optional): Enable Delete source branch option by default for all new merge
+  # requests.
+  remove_source_branch_after_merge: true
+  # string (optional): One of disabled, private, or enabled.
+  # releases_access_level: enabled
+  # boolean: Set whether or not merge requests can be merged with skipped jobs.
+  # allow_merge_on_skipped_pipeline: false
+  # string: One of disabled, private or enabled
+  # analytics_access_level: enabled
+  # boolean: Enable Auto DevOps for this project.
+  # auto_devops_enabled: false
+  # boolean: Set whether auto-closing referenced issues on default branch.
+  # autoclose_referenced_issues: true
+  # string (optional): The Git strategy. Defaults to fetch.
+  # build_git_strategy: fetch
+  # integer (optional): The maximum amount of time, in seconds, that a job can run.
+  # build_timeout: 3600
+  # string (optional): One of disabled, private, or enabled.
+  # builds_access_level: enabled
+  # string (optional): The path to CI configuration file.
+  # ci_config_path: ""
+  # integer (optional): Default number of revisions for shallow cloning.
+  # ci_default_git_depth: 20
+  # boolean (optional): Enable or disable prevent outdated deployment jobs.
+  # ci_forward_deployment_enabled: true
+  # boolean (optional): Enable or disable running pipelines in the parent project for
+  # merge requests from forks. (Introduced in GitLab 15.3.)
+  # ci_allow_fork_pipelines_to_run_in_parent_project: true
+  # boolean (optional): Set whether or not caches should be separated by branch
+  # protection status.
+  # ci_separated_caches: true
+  # string (optional): Set visibility of container registry, for this project, to one of
+  # disabled, private or enabled.
+  # container_registry_access_level: disabled
+  # string (optional): The default branch name.
+  # default_branch: master
+  # string (optional): Short project description.
+  # description: ""
+  # boolean (optional): Disable email notifications.
+  # emails_disabled: true
+  # boolean (optional): Enforce auth checks on uploads.
+  # enforce_auth_checks_on_uploads: true
+  # string (optional): One of disabled, private, or enabled.
+  # forking_access_level: enabled
+  # string (optional): One of disabled, private, or enabled.
+  # issues_access_level: enabled
+  # boolean (optional): Disable or enable the ability to keep the latest artifact for
+  # this project.
+  # keep_latest_artifact: True
+  # boolean (optional): Enable LFS.
+  # lfs_enabled: True
+  # string (optional): Template used to create merge commit message in merge requests.
+  # (Introduced in GitLab 14.5.)
+  # merge_commit_template: ""
+  # string (optional): One of disabled, private, or enabled.
+  # merge_requests_access_level: enabled
+  # boolean (optional): Set whether merge requests can only be merged when all the
+  # discussions are resolved.
+  # only_allow_merge_if_all_discussions_are_resolved: False
+  # boolean (optional): Set whether merge requests can only be merged with successful
+  # jobs.
+  # only_allow_merge_if_pipeline_succeeds: False
+  # string (optional): One of disabled, private, or enabled.
+  # operations_access_level: disabled
+  # boolean (optional): Enable or disable packages repository feature.
+  # packages_enabled: False
+  # string (optional): One of disabled, private, enabled, or public.
+  # pages_access_level: disabled
+  # boolean (optional): Show link to create/view merge request when pushing from the
+  # command line.
+  # printing_merge_request_link_enabled: true
+  # string (optional): One of disabled, private, or enabled.
+  # repository_access_level: enabled
+  # string (optional): Which storage shard the repository is on. (administrators only)
+  # repository_storage: default
+  # boolean (optional): Allow users to request member access.
+  # request_access_enabled: true
+  # boolean (optional): Automatically resolve merge request diffs discussions on lines
+  # changed with a push.
+  # resolve_outdated_diff_discussions: false
+  # boolean (optional): Allow only users with the Maintainer role to pass user-defined
+  # variables when triggering a pipeline. For example when the pipeline is triggered in
+  # the UI, with the API, or by a trigger token.
+  # restrict_user_defined_variables: false
+  # string (optional): (GitLab 14.9 and later) Security and compliance access level. One
+  # of disabled, private, or enabled.
+  # security_and_compliance_access_level: private
+  # boolean (optional): Enable or disable Service Desk feature.
+  # service_desk_enabled: false
+  # boolean (optional): Enable shared runners for this project.
+  # shared_runners_enabled: true
+  # string (optional): One of disabled, private, or enabled.
+  # snippets_access_level: enabled
+  # string (optional): Template used to create squash commit message in merge requests.
+  # (Introduced in GitLab 14.6.)
+  # squash_commit_template: ""
+  # string (optional): One of never, always, default_on, or default_off.
+  # squash_option: default_on
+  # string (optional): The commit message used to apply merge request suggestions.
+  # suggestion_commit_message: ""
+  # string (optional): One of disabled, private, or enabled.
+  # wiki_access_level: enabled
+  # -------------------------------------------------------
+  # Following keys are documented but somehow not supported
+  # -------------------------------------------------------
+  # boolean: Indicates that merges of merge requests should be blocked unless all status
+  # checks have passed. Defaults to false. Introduced in GitLab 15.5 with feature flag
+  # only_allow_merge_if_all_status_checks_passed disabled by default.
+  # only_allow_merge_if_all_status_checks_passed: ?
+  # integer: How many approvers should approve merge request by default. To configure
+  # approval rules, see Merge request approvals API.
+  # approvals_before_merge: ?
+  # string: Auto-cancel pending pipelines. This isn’t a boolean, but enabled/disabled.
+  # auto_cancel_pending_auto: ?
+  # string: Auto Deploy strategy (continuous, manual, or timed_incremental).
+  # pipelines_devops_deploy_strategy: ?
+  # mixed (optional): Image file for avatar of the project.
+  # avatar: ?
+  # hash (optional): Update the image cleanup policy for this project. Accepts: cadence
+  # (string), keep_n (integer), older_than (string), name_regex (string),
+  # name_regex_delete (string), name_regex_keep (string), enabled (boolean).
+  # container_expiration_policy_attributes: ?
+  # string (optional): The classification label for the project.
+  # external_authorization_classification_label: ?
+  # string (optional): Default description for Issues. Description is parsed with GitLab
+  # Flavored Markdown. See Templates for issues and merge requests.
+  # issues_template: ?
+  # boolean (optional): Enable or disable merge pipelines.
+  # merge_pipelines_enabled: ?
+  # string (optional): Default description for merge requests. Description is parsed
+  # with GitLab Flavored Markdown. See Templates for issues and merge requests.
+  # merge_requests_template: ?
+  # boolean (optional): Enable or disable merge trains.
+  # merge_trains_enabled: ?
+  # boolean (optional): Pull mirror overwrites diverged branches.
+  # mirror_overwrites_diverged_branches: ?
+  # boolean (optional): Pull mirroring triggers builds.
+  # mirror_trigger_builds: ?
+  # integer (optional): User responsible for all the activity surrounding a pull mirror
+  # event. (administrators only)
+  # mirror_user_id: ?
+  # boolean (optional): Enables pull mirroring in a project.
+  # mirror: ?
+  # boolean (optional): For forked projects, target merge requests to this project. If
+  # false, the target will be the upstream project.
+  # mr_default_target_self: ?
+  # boolean (optional): Only mirror protected branches.
+  # only_mirror_protected_branches: ?
+  # boolean (optional): If true, jobs can be viewed by non-project members.
+  # public_builds: ?
+  # string (optional): One of disabled, private, enabled or public
+  # requirements_access_level: ?
+  # string (optional): Template used to suggest names for branches created from issues.
+  # (Introduced in GitLab 15.6.)
+  # issue_branch_template: ?