diff --git a/etc/ngcp-config/ngcpcfg.cfg b/etc/ngcp-config/ngcpcfg.cfg
index 15abe48b..ae8350d6 100644
--- a/etc/ngcp-config/ngcpcfg.cfg
+++ b/etc/ngcp-config/ngcpcfg.cfg
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ SERVICES_POOL="${SERVICES_POOL_BASE}/etc"
 # timestamp format for console output
 TIME_FORMAT="+%F %T"
 
+# directory holding files for internal state of ngcpcfg
+TIMESTAMP_DIR='/var/lib/ngcpcfg/timestamps/'
+
 # validate configs using kwalify schema
 VALIDATE_SCHEMA="false"
 ## END OF FILE #################################################################
diff --git a/functions/main b/functions/main
index 81c33764..ff3fbc02 100644
--- a/functions/main
+++ b/functions/main
@@ -125,6 +125,11 @@ if ! [ -d "$TEMPLATE_POOL_BASE" ] ; then
   exit 1
 fi
 
+if [ -z "${TIMESTAMP_DIR:-}" ] ; then
+  log_error "No timestamp directory setting [TIMESTAMP_DIR] found - exiting."
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 if [ -d "${EXTRA_CONFIG_DIR:-}" ] && ls ${EXTRA_CONFIG_DIR}/*.yml &>/dev/null ; then
   log_debug "EXTRA_CONFIG_DIR is configured and *.yml files are present, setting EXTRA_CONFIG_FILES"
   EXTRA_CONFIG_FILES=${EXTRA_CONFIG_DIR}/*.yml
@@ -245,6 +250,11 @@ generate_template_list() {
 
   unset filelist_prepared filelist_final
 }
+
+timestamp_action() {
+  mkdir -p "${TIMESTAMP_DIR}"
+  touch "${TIMESTAMP_DIR}/${1}"
+}
 ## }}}
 
 ## END OF FILE #################################################################
diff --git a/sbin/ngcpcfg b/sbin/ngcpcfg
index 6c74ae15..d6cb5e4e 100755
--- a/sbin/ngcpcfg
+++ b/sbin/ngcpcfg
@@ -36,66 +36,79 @@ fi
 initialise() {
   log_debug "${SCRIPTS}/initialise $*"
   "${SCRIPTS}"/initialise $*
+  timestamp_action "initialise"
 }
 
 build() {
   log_debug "${SCRIPTS}/build $*"
   "${SCRIPTS}"/build $*
+  timestamp_action "build"
 }
 
 services() {
   log_debug "${SCRIPTS}/services $*"
   "${SCRIPTS}"/services $*
+  timestamp_action "services"
 }
 
 encrypt() {
   log_debug "${SCRIPTS}/encrypt $*"
   "${SCRIPTS}"/encrypt $*
+  timestamp_action "encrypt"
 }
 
 decrypt() {
   log_debug "${SCRIPTS}/decrypt $*"
   "${SCRIPTS}"/decrypt $*
+  timestamp_action "decrypt"
 }
 
 diff() {
   log_debug "${SCRIPTS}/diff $*"
   "${SCRIPTS}"/diff $*
+  timestamp_action "diff"
 }
 
 etckeeper() {
   log_debug "${SCRIPTS}/etckeeper $*"
   "${SCRIPTS}"/etckeeper $*
+  timestamp_action "etckeeper"
 }
 
 commit() {
   log_debug "${SCRIPTS}/commit $*"
   "${SCRIPTS}"/commit $*
+  timestamp_action "commit"
 }
 
 status() {
   log_debug "${SCRIPTS}/status $*"
   "${SCRIPTS}"/status $*
+  timestamp_action "status"
 }
 
 check() {
   log_debug "${SCRIPTS}/check $*"
   "${SCRIPTS}"/check $*
+  timestamp_action "check"
 }
 
 values() {
   log_debug "${SCRIPTS}/values $*"
   "${SCRIPTS}"/values $*
+  timestamp_action "values"
 }
 
 log() {
   log_debug "${SCRIPTS}/log $*"
   "${SCRIPTS}"/log $*
+  timestamp_action "log"
 }
 
 show() {
   log_debug "${SCRIPTS}/show $*"
   "${SCRIPTS}"/show $*
+  timestamp_action "show"
 }
 
 apply() {
diff --git a/scripts/apply b/scripts/apply
index aa1b986e..a865b9ae 100755
--- a/scripts/apply
+++ b/scripts/apply
@@ -38,6 +38,19 @@ if check_for_outstanding_commits && [ -z "${1:-}" ] ; then
   exit 1
 fi
 
-"${SCRIPTS}"/check && "${SCRIPTS}"/build && "${SCRIPTS}"/services && "${SCRIPTS}"/commit "$*" && "${SCRIPTS}"/etckeeper
+"${SCRIPTS}"/check
+timestamp_action "check"
+
+"${SCRIPTS}"/build
+timestamp_action "build"
+
+"${SCRIPTS}"/services
+timestamp_action "services"
+
+"${SCRIPTS}"/commit "$*"
+timestamp_action "commit"
+
+"${SCRIPTS}"/etckeeper
+timestamp_action "etckeeper"
 
 ## END OF FILE #################################################################
diff --git a/scripts/status b/scripts/status
index 08d83116..bdf51d34 100755
--- a/scripts/status
+++ b/scripts/status
@@ -116,11 +116,42 @@ check_remote() {
   fi
 }
 
+check_pending_actions() {
+  log_debug "check_pending_actions"
+
+  log_debug "cd $NGCPCTL_MAIN"
+  cd "$NGCPCTL_MAIN"
+
+  log_info "Checking state of pending builds:"
+
+  local timestamp_commit=$(git log --format='%ct' -1)
+  log_debug "timestamp_commit = $timestamp_commit"
+  if ! [ -f "${TIMESTAMP_DIR}/build" ] ; then
+    log_debug "File ${TIMESTAMP_DIR}/build doesn't exist."
+    log_info  "OK:       no build/apply executed yet, nothing to do"
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  local timestamp_build=$(stat --format='%Y' "${TIMESTAMP_DIR}/build")
+  log_debug "timestamp_build = $timestamp_build"
+
+  if [ -n "$timestamp_commit" ] && [ -n "$timestamp_build" ] ; then
+    local timediff=$(( timestamp_commit - timestamp_build ))
+    log_debug "timediff = $timediff"
+    if [ -n "$timediff" ] && [ "$timediff" -le 0 ] ; then
+      log_info "OK:     nothing to build"
+    else
+      log_info "ACTION_NEEDED: commits without according build identified"
+      log_info "-> execute either 'ngcpcfg build' or 'ngcpcfg apply'"
+    fi
+  fi
+}
 
 if [ -z "${1:-}" ] ; then
   check_local_state
   check_push
   check_etc_state
+  check_pending_actions
   check_shared_storage "$@"
 fi