diff --git a/bin/README.md b/bin/README.md
index aeeedb2e2..dd509bdd0 100644
--- a/bin/README.md
+++ b/bin/README.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # bin
 
 The directory holds [bin](README.md) directory
-holds tools that builds files, such as HTML content, for the
+holds tools that build files, such as HTML content, for the
 [official IOCCC web site](https://www.ioccc.org).
 
 For HTML content, the [bin](README.md) directory tools
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@ Output winning author(s) Related HTML.
 Output the inventory in HTML form for a winner index.html page.
 
 
+### [ioccc-status.sh](ioccc-status)
+
+Updates the [status.json](/status.json) file.
+
+
 ### [manifest.winner.json.awk](manifest.winner.json.awk)
 
 Output manifest table from a winner .winner.json file.
diff --git a/bin/ioccc-status.sh b/bin/ioccc-status.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..fd5949d96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/ioccc-status.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,239 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# 
+# ioccc_status.sh - quickly update status.json file
+#
+# Written by Cody Boone Ferguson in 2023:
+#
+#	@xexyl
+#	https://xexyl.net		Cody Boone Ferguson
+#	https://ioccc.xexyl.net
+#
+# If -s option is used, the status field is updated, providing that the status
+# arg is either "closed" or "open".
+#
+# If the -d or -n flags are used then it will update the status_date or
+# latest_news fields, respectively.
+# 
+# If the -i status_ver option is used the IOCCC_status_version field will be
+# updated.
+#
+# The -N option is a dry-run: it will just show what would have been changed
+# without the option.
+#
+# The -S option lets one set the path to sed(1).
+#
+# The -G option lets one set the path to grep(1).
+#
+export IOCCC_STATUS_SCRIPT_VERSION="0.0.3-0 2024-01-15" # major.minor.release-patch YYYY-MM-DD
+
+SED="$(type -P sed)"
+GREP="$(type -P grep)"
+
+USAGE="usage: $(basename "$0") [-h] [-V] [-v level] [-s status] [-d] [-n] [-i status_ver] [-N] [-S] [-G] status.json
+
+    -h			    print help and exit
+    -V			    print version and exit
+    -v level		    set verbosity level
+    -s status		    set contest status to open or closed
+
+				NOTE: status must be one of \"open\" or \"closed\"
+
+    -d			    update status_date
+    -n			    update latest_news date
+    -i status_ver	    update IOCCC_status_version
+
+				NOTE: version must match the regexp: ^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+ [0-9]{4}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{2}$
+
+    -N			    set dry-run mode: just show what would be changed (def: make changes)
+    -S sed		    set path to sed(1) (def: $SED)
+    -G grep		    set path to grep(1) (def: $GREP)
+
+    status.json		    the file to update
+
+status version: $IOCCC_STATUS_SCRIPT_VERSION"
+
+export UPDATE_DATE=""
+export UPDATE_NEWS=""
+export UPDATE_IOCCC_STATUS_VERSION=""
+export IOCCC_STATUS_VERSION=""
+export VERBOSITY=0
+export STATUS_JSON_FILE=""
+export STATUS_FLAG=""
+export STATUS="closed" # default closed
+export DRY_RUN_MODE=""
+export SED # already found default
+export GREP # already found default
+
+# parse args
+#
+while getopts :hVv:s:dni:NS:G: flag; do
+    case "$flag" in
+    h)	echo "$USAGE" 1>&2
+	exit 2
+	;;
+    V)	echo "$IOCCC_STATUS_SCRIPT_VERSION" 1>&2
+	exit 2
+	;;
+    v)	VERBOSITY="$OPTARG";
+	;;
+    s)	STATUS_FLAG="-s"
+	STATUS="$OPTARG";
+	;;
+    d)	UPDATE_DATE="-d"
+	;;
+    n)	UPDATE_NEWS="-n"
+	;;
+    i)  UPDATE_IOCCC_STATUS_VERSION="-i"
+	IOCCC_STATUS_VERSION="$OPTARG"
+	;;
+    N)	DRY_RUN_MODE="-N"
+	;;
+    S)	SED="$OPTARG"
+	;;
+    G)	GREP="$OPTARG"
+	;;
+    :)	echo "$0: ERROR: option -$OPTARG requires an argument" 1>&2
+	echo 1>&2
+	echo "$USAGE" 1>&2
+	exit 3
+	;;
+   *)
+	;;
+    esac
+done
+
+
+# remove the options
+#
+shift $(( OPTIND - 1 ));
+
+# verify arg count
+#
+if [[ $# -gt 1 ]]; then
+    echo "$0: ERROR: expected no more than 1 arg, found: $#" 1>&2
+    echo "$USAGE" 1>&2
+    exit 3
+fi
+
+# parse args
+#
+if [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; then
+    export STATUS_JSON_FILE="$1"
+fi
+
+# firewall STATUS_JSON_FILE must be a readable file
+#
+if [[ ! -e $STATUS_JSON_FILE ]]; then
+    echo "$0: ERROR: status.json does not exist: $STATUS_JSON_FILE" 1>&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+if [[ ! -f $STATUS_JSON_FILE ]]; then
+    echo "$0: ERROR: status.json not a file: $STATUS_JSON_FILE" 1>&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+if [[ ! -r $STATUS_JSON_FILE ]]; then
+    echo "$0: ERROR: status.json not a readable file: $STATUS_JSON_FILE" 1>&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# check that $SED is an executable file
+if [[ ! -x "$SED" ]]; then
+    echo "$0: sed not an executable file: $SED" 1>&2
+    exit 3
+fi
+# check that $GREP is an executable file
+if [[ ! -x "$GREP" ]]; then
+    echo "$0: grep not an executable file: $GREP" 1>&2
+    exit 3
+fi
+
+# check that if -s ($STATUS_FLAG) used that the status ($STATUS) is either 'open' or 'closed'
+#
+if [[ -n "$STATUS_FLAG" ]]; then
+    if [[ "$STATUS" != "open" && "$STATUS" != "closed" ]]; then
+	echo "$0: ERROR: status must be 'open' or 'closed'" 1>&2
+	exit 3
+    fi
+fi
+
+# check format of IOCCC_status_version if set (-i used, $UPDATE_IOCCC_STATUS_VERSION)
+#
+if [[ -n "$UPDATE_IOCCC_STATUS_VERSION" ]]; then
+    echo "$IOCCC_STATUS_VERSION" | "$GREP" -qE '^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+ [0-9]{4}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{2}$'
+    if [[ "${PIPESTATUS[1]}" -ne 0 ]]; then
+	echo "$0: ERROR: IOCCC_status_version must match the regexp: '^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+ [0-9]{4}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{2}$'" 1>&2
+	exit 3
+    fi
+fi
+
+# get date for options that update the date
+DATE="$(date)"
+# if verbosity is >= 1 or dry-run specified show what would/will be updated
+if [[ "$VERBOSITY" -ge 1 ]]; then
+    echo "$0: status.json file: $STATUS_JSON_FILE" 1>&2
+    if [[ -n "$STATUS_FLAG" ]]; then
+	echo "$0: will update contest status to: \"$STATUS\"" 1>&2
+    fi
+    if [[ -n "$UPDATE_DATE" ]]; then
+	echo "$0: will update status_date to: \"$DATE\"" 1>&2
+    fi
+    if [[ -n "$UPDATE_NEWS" ]]; then
+	echo "$0: will update latest_news to: \"$DATE\"" 1>&2
+    fi
+    if [[ -n "$UPDATE_IOCCC_STATUS_VERSION" ]]; then
+	echo "$0: will update IOCCC_status_version to: \"$IOCCC_STATUS_VERSION\"" 1>&2
+    fi
+elif [[ -n "$DRY_RUN_MODE" ]]; then
+    echo "$0: status.json file: $STATUS_JSON_FILE" 1>&2
+    if [[ -n "$STATUS_FLAG" ]]; then
+	echo "$0: would update contest status to: \"$STATUS\"" 1>&2
+    fi
+    if [[ -n "$UPDATE_DATE" ]]; then
+	echo "$0: would update status_date to: \"$DATE\"" 1>&2
+    fi
+    if [[ -n "$UPDATE_NEWS" ]]; then
+	echo "$0: would update latest_news to: \"$DATE\"" 1>&2
+    fi
+    if [[ -n "$UPDATE_IOCCC_STATUS_VERSION" ]]; then
+	echo "$0: would update IOCCC_status_version to: \"$IOCCC_STATUS_VERSION\"" 1>&2
+    fi
+
+    # nothing to do, exit success
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+# first status_date if requested and not dry-run
+if [[ -n "$UPDATE_DATE" ]]; then
+    "$SED" -i'' "s|\"status_date\" : \".*[^\"]\"|\"status_date\" : \"$DATE\"|g" "$STATUS_JSON_FILE"
+
+    if [[ "$VERBOSITY" -gt 1 ]]; then
+	echo "$0: updated status_date to: \"$DATE\"" 1>&2
+    fi
+fi
+
+# then update latest_news date if requested
+if [[ -n "$UPDATE_NEWS" ]]; then
+    "$SED" -i'' "s|\"latest_news\" : \".*[^\"]\"|\"latest_news\" : \"$DATE\"|g" "$STATUS_JSON_FILE"
+
+    if [[ "$VERBOSITY" -gt 1 ]]; then
+	echo "$0: updated latest_news to: \"$DATE\"" 1>&2
+    fi
+fi
+
+# then update IOCCC_STATUS_VERSION if requested
+if [[ -n "$UPDATE_IOCCC_STATUS_VERSION" ]]; then
+    "$SED" -i'' "s|\"IOCCC_status_version\" : \".*[^\"]\"|\"IOCCC_status_version\" : \"$IOCCC_STATUS_VERSION\"|g" "$STATUS_JSON_FILE"
+
+    if [[ "$VERBOSITY" -gt 1 ]]; then
+	echo "$0: updated IOCCC_status_version to: \"$IOCCC_STATUS_VERSION\"" 1>&2
+    fi
+fi
+
+# finally if we need to change the status of the contest do so
+if [[ -n "$STATUS_FLAG" ]]; then
+    "$SED" -i'' "s|\"contest\" : \".*[^\"]\"|\"contest\" : \"$STATUS\"|g" "$STATUS_JSON_FILE"
+
+    if [[ "$VERBOSITY" -gt 1 ]]; then
+	echo "$0: updated contest status to: \"$STATUS\"" 1>&2
+    fi
+fi