diff --git a/aptly_api/base.py b/aptly_api/base.py
index 41cb8eb..e4097c8 100644
--- a/aptly_api/base.py
+++ b/aptly_api/base.py
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ def do_get(self, urlpath: str, params: Optional[Dict[str, str]] = None) -> reque
         resp = requests.get(self._make_url(urlpath), params=params, verify=self.ssl_verify,
                             cert=self.ssl_cert, auth=self.http_auth, timeout=self.timeout)
 
-        if resp.status_code < 200 or resp.status_code >= 300:
+        if resp.status_code < 200 or resp.status_code >= 300 and resp.status_code != 503:
             raise AptlyAPIException(self._error_from_response(resp), status_code=resp.status_code)
 
         return resp
diff --git a/aptly_api/parts/misc.py b/aptly_api/parts/misc.py
index a1f21b1..e718be9 100644
--- a/aptly_api/parts/misc.py
+++ b/aptly_api/parts/misc.py
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 # file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
 from typing import cast
 
+import requests
+
 from aptly_api.base import AptlyAPIException, BaseAPIClient
 
 
@@ -18,3 +20,23 @@ def version(self) -> str:
             return cast(str, resp.json()["Version"])
         else:
             raise AptlyAPIException("Aptly server didn't return a valid response object:\n%s" % resp.text)
+
+    def _do_get_clear_404(self) -> requests.Response:
+        try:
+            return self.do_get("api/ready")
+        except AptlyAPIException as error:
+            # This is needed to hide the exception masking the 404 error
+            if error.status_code == 404:
+                raise NotImplementedError("The Ready API is not yet supported") from error
+            # 503 is needed by api/ready for returning its unready condition
+            if error.status_code not in {200, 503}:
+                raise AptlyAPIException("Aptly server returned an unexpected status_code " + str(error.status_code)) from error
+            raise
+
+    def ready(self) -> str:
+        resp = self._do_get_clear_404()
+
+        if "Status" not in resp.json():
+            raise AptlyAPIException("Aptly server didn't return a valid response object:\n%s" % resp.text)
+
+        return cast(str, resp.json()["Status"])
diff --git a/aptly_api/tests/test_client.py b/aptly_api/tests/test_client.py
index 016f0bc..d48c55a 100644
--- a/aptly_api/tests/test_client.py
+++ b/aptly_api/tests/test_client.py
@@ -95,6 +95,12 @@ def test_error_get(self, *, rmock: requests_mock.Mocker) -> None:
         with self.assertRaises(AptlyAPIException):
             self.client.files.do_get("mock://test/api")
 
+    @requests_mock.Mocker(kw='rmock')
+    def test_error_get_api_ready_503_code(self, *, rmock: requests_mock.Mocker) -> None:
+        rmock.register_uri("GET", "mock://test/api/ready", status_code=503, text='{"Status":"Aptly is unavailable"}')
+        self.assertEqual(self.client.files.do_get("mock://test/api/ready").status_code, 503)
+        self.assertEqual(self.client.files.do_get("mock://test/api/ready").json()["Status"], "Aptly is unavailable")
+
     @requests_mock.Mocker(kw='rmock')
     def test_error_post(self, *, rmock: requests_mock.Mocker) -> None:
         rmock.register_uri("POST", "mock://test/api", status_code=400, text='[{"error": "error", "meta": "meta"}]',
diff --git a/aptly_api/tests/test_misc.py b/aptly_api/tests/test_misc.py
index 18040a2..abf2609 100644
--- a/aptly_api/tests/test_misc.py
+++ b/aptly_api/tests/test_misc.py
@@ -30,3 +30,26 @@ def test_version_error(self, *, rmock: requests_mock.Mocker) -> None:
         rmock.get("http://test/api/version", text='{"droenk": "blah"}')
         with self.assertRaises(AptlyAPIException):
             self.mapi.version()
+
+    def test_ready(self, *, rmock: requests_mock.Mocker) -> None:
+        rmock.get("http://test/api/ready", text='{"Status":"Aptly is ready"}')
+        self.assertEqual(self.mapi.ready(), "Aptly is ready")
+
+    def test_ready_not_ready(self, *, rmock: requests_mock.Mocker) -> None:
+        rmock.register_uri("GET", "http://test/api/ready", status_code=503, text='{"Status":"Aptly is unavailable"}')
+        self.assertEqual(self.mapi.ready(), "Aptly is unavailable")
+
+    def test_ready_error(self, *, rmock: requests_mock.Mocker) -> None:
+        rmock.get("http://test/api/ready", text='{"droenk": "blah"}')
+        with self.assertRaises(AptlyAPIException):
+            self.mapi.ready()
+
+    def test_ready_error_bad_status_code(self, *, rmock: requests_mock.Mocker) -> None:
+        rmock.register_uri("GET", "http://test/api/ready", status_code=999, text='{"Status":"Aptly is ready"}')
+        with self.assertRaises(AptlyAPIException):
+            self.mapi.ready()
+
+    def test_ready_aptly_to_old(self, *, rmock: requests_mock.Mocker) -> None:
+        rmock.register_uri("GET", "http://test/api/ready", status_code=404, text="Not Found")
+        with self.assertRaises(NotImplementedError):
+            self.mapi.ready()