diff --git a/appview/state/pull.go b/appview/state/pull.go
index eae4b477..6610f944 100644
--- a/appview/state/pull.go
+++ b/appview/state/pull.go
@@ -563,6 +563,20 @@ func (s *State) NewPull(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			return
 		}
 
+		us, err := NewUnsignedClient(f.Knot, s.config.Dev)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Println("failed to create unsigned client to %s: %v", f.Knot, err)
+			s.pages.Notice(w, "pull", "Failed to create a pull request. Try again later.")
+			return
+		}
+
+		caps, err := us.Capabilities()
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Println("error fetching knot caps", f.Knot, err)
+			s.pages.Notice(w, "pull", "Failed to create a pull request. Try again later.")
+			return
+		}
+
 		// Determine PR type based on input parameters
 		isPushAllowed := f.RepoInfo(s, user).Roles.IsPushAllowed()
 		isBranchBased := isPushAllowed && sourceBranch != "" && fromFork == ""
@@ -583,10 +597,22 @@ func (s *State) NewPull(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 		// Handle the PR creation based on the type
 		if isBranchBased {
+			if !caps.PullRequests.BranchSubmissions {
+				s.pages.Notice(w, "pull", "This knot doesn't support branch-based pull requests. Try another way?")
+				return
+			}
 			s.handleBranchBasedPull(w, r, f, user, title, body, targetBranch, sourceBranch)
 		} else if isForkBased {
+			if !caps.PullRequests.ForkSubmissions {
+				s.pages.Notice(w, "pull", "This knot doesn't support fork-based pull requests. Try another way?")
+				return
+			}
 			s.handleForkBasedPull(w, r, f, user, fromFork, title, body, targetBranch, sourceBranch)
 		} else if isPatchBased {
+			if !caps.PullRequests.PatchSubmissions {
+				s.pages.Notice(w, "pull", "This knot doesn't support patch-based pull requests. Send your patch over email.")
+				return
+			}
 			s.handlePatchBasedPull(w, r, f, user, title, body, targetBranch, patch)
 		}
 		return
diff --git a/appview/state/signer.go b/appview/state/signer.go
index 497df8ae..806015fb 100644
--- a/appview/state/signer.go
+++ b/appview/state/signer.go
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ func (us *UnsignedClient) DefaultBranch(ownerDid, repoName string) (*http.Respon
 	return us.client.Do(req)
 }
 
-func (us *UnsignedClient) Capabilities(ownerDid, repoName string) (*http.Response, error) {
+func (us *UnsignedClient) Capabilities() (*types.Capabilities, error) {
 	const (
 		Method   = "GET"
 		Endpoint = "/capabilities"
@@ -362,7 +362,18 @@ func (us *UnsignedClient) Capabilities(ownerDid, repoName string) (*http.Respons
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return us.client.Do(req)
+	resp, err := us.client.Do(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+
+	var capabilities types.Capabilities
+	if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&capabilities); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return &capabilities, nil
 }
 
 func (us *UnsignedClient) Compare(ownerDid, repoName, rev1, rev2 string) (*http.Response, error) {
diff --git a/types/capabilities.go b/types/capabilities.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2e81670d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/types/capabilities.go
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+package types
+
+type Capabilities struct {
+	PullRequests struct {
+		PatchSubmissions  bool `json:"patch_submissions"`
+		BranchSubmissions bool `json:"branch_submissions"`
+		ForkSubmissions   bool `json:"fork_submissions"`
+	} `json:"pull_requests"`
+}