diff --git a/recipes/static_checks.expected/do-not-submit.dry.json b/recipes/static_checks.expected/do-not-submit.dry.json
index a612234..48d7dd8 100644
--- a/recipes/static_checks.expected/do-not-submit.dry.json
+++ b/recipes/static_checks.expected/do-not-submit.dry.json
@@ -268,6 +268,45 @@
     "name": "check dns"
   },
   {
+    "cmd": [
+      "[START_DIR]/cipd_tool/infra/tools/luci/gerrit/0e548aa33f8113a45a5b3b62201e114e98e63d00f97296912380138f44597b07/gerrit",
+      "wip",
+      "-host",
+      "https://chromium-review.googlesource.com",
+      "-input",
+      "{\"change_id\": \"1234\", \"input\": {}}",
+      "-output",
+      "/path/to/tmp/json"
+    ],
+    "infra_step": true,
+    "luci_context": {
+      "realm": {
+        "name": "project:try"
+      },
+      "resultdb": {
+        "current_invocation": {
+          "name": "invocations/build:8945511751514863184",
+          "update_token": "token"
+        },
+        "hostname": "rdbhost"
+      }
+    },
+    "name": "check dns.wip",
+    "timeout": 600,
+    "~followup_annotations": [
+      "@@@STEP_NEST_LEVEL@1@@@",
+      "@@@STEP_LOG_END@json.output (invalid)@@@",
+      "@@@STEP_LOG_LINE@json.output (exception)@No JSON object could be decoded@@@",
+      "@@@STEP_LOG_END@json.output (exception)@@@",
+      "@@@STEP_LOG_LINE@json.input@{@@@",
+      "@@@STEP_LOG_LINE@json.input@  \"change_id\": \"1234\",@@@",
+      "@@@STEP_LOG_LINE@json.input@  \"input\": {}@@@",
+      "@@@STEP_LOG_LINE@json.input@}@@@",
+      "@@@STEP_LOG_END@json.input@@@",
+      "@@@STEP_LINK@gerrit link@https://chromium-review.googlesource.com/q/1234@@@"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
     "name": "$result"
   }
 ]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/recipes/static_checks.py b/recipes/static_checks.py
index ee820ed..f872fcc 100644
--- a/recipes/static_checks.py
+++ b/recipes/static_checks.py
@@ -122,12 +122,13 @@
 
 
 @nest_step
-def _check_dns(api, details):
+def _check_dns(api, details, *, dry_run):
     """Check that the commit message doesn't contain "do not submit"."""
 
     regexes = [
         re.compile(r'do.not.(submit|com+it|merge)', re.IGNORECASE),
         re.compile(r'\bWIP\b', re.IGNORECASE),
+        re.compile(r'\bwork.in.progres+\b', re.IGNORECASE),
     ]
 
     match: re.Pattern | None = None
@@ -137,11 +138,20 @@
     else:
         return
 
+    # We only get here if the current change has matched "work in progress",
+    # "do not commit", or similar.
+
     if api.cv.run_mode == api.cv.FULL_RUN:
         raise api.step.StepFailure(
             f'found "{match.group(0)}" in commit message'
         )
 
+    if not details.get('work_in_progress', False):
+        if dry_run:  # pragma: no cover
+            api.step.empty('would mark change as wip, but in dry run')
+        else:
+            api.gerrit.wip('wip', details['_number'])
+
 
 @nest_step
 def _check_tested(api, details):
@@ -249,7 +259,7 @@
             str(props.commit_message_regexp_failure_message),
         )
 
-    _check_dns(api, details)
+    _check_dns(api, details, dry_run=props.dry_run)
 
     for readability in props.readability:
         _check_readability(api, details, comments, readability)