diff --git a/app/models/project.rb b/app/models/project.rb
index 58254eb1bc9b66036fc67b1b7f48fcfdf82a0788..8b60e38fb57dddc3344962850bf60f20b45fbbfb 100644
--- a/app/models/project.rb
+++ b/app/models/project.rb
@@ -1838,7 +1838,7 @@ class Project < ActiveRecord::Base
   # Set repository as writable again
   def set_repository_writable!
     with_lock do
-      update_column(repository_read_only, false)
+      update_column(:repository_read_only, false)
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/jc-fix-set-project-writable.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/jc-fix-set-project-writable.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..0bfd90c3967fce36f3831785f0869ff64695adb2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/jc-fix-set-project-writable.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Fix method to mark a project repository as writable
+merge_request: 25546
+author:
+type: fixed
diff --git a/spec/models/project_spec.rb b/spec/models/project_spec.rb
index bcbe687f4a2656904009b208c81b5ac3b4853d27..65cf04de13c3b4a3878a578f9327ad6dece2c72d 100644
--- a/spec/models/project_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/project_spec.rb
@@ -2511,6 +2511,16 @@ describe Project do
     end
   end
 
+  describe '#set_repository_writable!' do
+    it 'sets repository_read_only to false' do
+      project = create(:project, :read_only)
+
+      expect { project.set_repository_writable! }
+        .to change(project, :repository_read_only)
+        .from(true).to(false)
+    end
+  end
+
   describe '#pushes_since_gc' do
     let(:project) { create(:project) }