diff --git a/beetsplug/replaygain.py b/beetsplug/replaygain.py
index 7e1ca4bd7..a7064451a 100644
--- a/beetsplug/replaygain.py
+++ b/beetsplug/replaygain.py
@@ -920,7 +920,7 @@ class ReplayGainPlugin(BeetsPlugin):
 
         self._log.debug(u'applied album gain {0}', album.r128_album_gain)
 
-    def handle_album(self, album, write):
+    def handle_album(self, album, write, force=False):
         """Compute album and track replay gain store it in all of the
         album's items.
 
@@ -928,7 +928,7 @@ class ReplayGainPlugin(BeetsPlugin):
         item. If replay gain information is already present in all
         items, nothing is done.
         """
-        if not self.album_requires_gain(album):
+        if not force and not self.album_requires_gain(album):
             self._log.info(u'Skipping album {0}', album)
             return
 
@@ -971,14 +971,14 @@ class ReplayGainPlugin(BeetsPlugin):
             raise ui.UserError(
                 u"Fatal replay gain error: {0}".format(e))
 
-    def handle_track(self, item, write):
+    def handle_track(self, item, write, force=False):
         """Compute track replay gain and store it in the item.
 
         If ``write`` is truthy then ``item.write()`` is called to write
         the data to disk.  If replay gain information is already present
         in the item, nothing is done.
         """
-        if not self.track_requires_gain(item):
+        if not force and not self.track_requires_gain(item):
             self._log.info(u'Skipping track {0}', item)
             return
 
@@ -1034,17 +1034,28 @@ class ReplayGainPlugin(BeetsPlugin):
         """Return the "replaygain" ui subcommand.
         """
         def func(lib, opts, args):
-            write = ui.should_write()
+            write = ui.should_write(opts.write)
+            force = opts.force
 
             if opts.album:
                 for album in lib.albums(ui.decargs(args)):
-                    self.handle_album(album, write)
+                    self.handle_album(album, write, force)
 
             else:
                 for item in lib.items(ui.decargs(args)):
-                    self.handle_track(item, write)
+                    self.handle_track(item, write, force)
 
         cmd = ui.Subcommand('replaygain', help=u'analyze for ReplayGain')
         cmd.parser.add_album_option()
+        cmd.parser.add_option(
+            "-f", "--force", dest="force", action="store_true", default=False,
+            help=u"analyze all files, including those that "
+            "already have ReplayGain metadata")
+        cmd.parser.add_option(
+            "-w", "--write", default=None, action="store_true",
+            help=u"write new metadata to files' tags")
+        cmd.parser.add_option(
+            "-W", "--nowrite", dest="write", action="store_false",
+            help=u"don't write metadata (opposite of -w)")
         cmd.func = func
         return [cmd]
diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index c7e2d0ff6..b507b67e7 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -6,6 +6,12 @@ Changelog
 
 Changelog goes here!
 
+New features:
+
+* :doc:`/plugins/replaygain`: add ``--force``, ``--write`` and ``--nowrite``
+  options to ``beet replaygain``. :bug:`2778`
+
+
 Fixes:
 
 * Non-audio media (DVD-Video, etc.) are now skipped by the autotagger. :bug:`2688`
diff --git a/docs/plugins/replaygain.rst b/docs/plugins/replaygain.rst
index 07b585d27..7f520c334 100644
--- a/docs/plugins/replaygain.rst
+++ b/docs/plugins/replaygain.rst
@@ -140,11 +140,15 @@ By default, the plugin will analyze all items an albums as they are implemented.
 However, you can also manually analyze files that are already in your library.
 Use the ``beet replaygain`` command::
 
-    $ beet replaygain [-a] [QUERY]
+    $ beet replaygain [-Waf] [QUERY]
 
 The ``-a`` flag analyzes whole albums instead of individual tracks. Provide a
 query (see :doc:`/reference/query`) to indicate which items or albums to
-analyze.
+analyze. Files that already have ReplayGain values are skipped unless ``-f`` is
+supplied. Use ``-w`` (write tags) or ``-W`` (don't write tags) to control
+whether ReplayGain tags are written into the music files, or stored in the
+beets database only (the default is to use :ref:`the importer's configuration
+<config-import-write>`).
 
 ReplayGain analysis is not fast, so you may want to disable it during import.
 Use the ``auto`` config option to control this::