Female flies targeted by courting males integrate sensory information provided in the form of courtship 'cues' by male flies with an evaluation of their own reproductive status before deciding whether to accept or reject these advances. Three papers now shed light on the populations of central neurons involved in this process. Feng et al. find that a specific population of abdominal ganglion neurons are the direct synaptic targets of sensory neurons in the reproductive tract that signal whether the female has recently mated and have a crucial role in regulating female receptivity to male courtship. Zhou et al. reveal two clusters of central neurons — pCd and pC1 neurons — that respond to male-specific pheromones and courtship songs, and act together to promote female receptivity. Finally, Bussell et al. show that a subset of neurons expressing the transcription factor Abdominal B regulate 'pausing', a key behavioural indicator of female receptivity that facilitates copulation. These studies provide new insights into the circuits controlling female reproductive behaviour.