diff --git a/Documentation/access-control.txt b/Documentation/access-control.txt
index b9fb8b337f..ad20cb3921 100644
--- a/Documentation/access-control.txt
+++ b/Documentation/access-control.txt
@@ -444,6 +444,14 @@ have false-negatives that shouldn't block the change.
 A restart is required after making database changes.
 See <<restart_changes,below>>.
 
+[[category_abandon]]
+Abandon
+~~~~
+
+This category controls whether users are allowed to abandon changes
+to projects in Gerrit. It can give permission to abandon a specific
+change to a given ref.
+
 [[category_create]]
 Create reference
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
diff --git a/gerrit-common/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/common/data/Permission.java b/gerrit-common/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/common/data/Permission.java
index 20261de496..4067349802 100644
--- a/gerrit-common/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/common/data/Permission.java
+++ b/gerrit-common/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/common/data/Permission.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import java.util.List;
 
 /** A single permission within an {@link AccessSection} of a project. */
 public class Permission implements Comparable<Permission> {
+  public static final String ABANDON = "abandon";
   public static final String CREATE = "create";
   public static final String FORGE_AUTHOR = "forgeAuthor";
   public static final String FORGE_COMMITTER = "forgeCommitter";
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ public class Permission implements Comparable<Permission> {
     NAMES_LC = new ArrayList<String>();
     NAMES_LC.add(OWNER.toLowerCase());
     NAMES_LC.add(READ.toLowerCase());
+    NAMES_LC.add(ABANDON.toLowerCase());
     NAMES_LC.add(CREATE.toLowerCase());
     NAMES_LC.add(FORGE_AUTHOR.toLowerCase());
     NAMES_LC.add(FORGE_COMMITTER.toLowerCase());
diff --git a/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/admin/AdminConstants.properties b/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/admin/AdminConstants.properties
index 3b3d0bb4cf..89fc195b25 100644
--- a/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/admin/AdminConstants.properties
+++ b/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/admin/AdminConstants.properties
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ addPermission = Add Permission ...
 
 # Permission Names
 permissionNames = \
+	abandon, \
 	create, \
 	forgeAuthor, \
 	forgeCommitter, \
@@ -109,6 +110,7 @@ permissionNames = \
 	read, \
 	rebase, \
 	submit
+abandon = Abandon
 create = Create Reference
 forgeAuthor = Forge Author Identity
 forgeCommitter = Forge Committer Identity
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/project/ChangeControl.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/project/ChangeControl.java
index 64f7d979b9..7387fd1b1c 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/project/ChangeControl.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/project/ChangeControl.java
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ public class ChangeControl {
         || getRefControl().isOwner() // branch owner can abandon
         || getProjectControl().isOwner() // project owner can abandon
         || getCurrentUser().getCapabilities().canAdministrateServer() // site administers are god
+        || getRefControl().canAbandon() // user can abandon a specific ref
     ;
   }
 
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/project/RefControl.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/project/RefControl.java
index 82c3a6d84b..2f992719aa 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/project/RefControl.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/project/RefControl.java
@@ -310,6 +310,11 @@ public class RefControl {
     return canPerform(Permission.FORGE_SERVER);
   }
 
+  /** @return true if this user can abandon a change for this ref */
+  public boolean canAbandon() {
+    return canPerform(Permission.ABANDON);
+  }
+
   /** All value ranges of any allowed label permission. */
   public List<PermissionRange> getLabelRanges() {
     List<PermissionRange> r = new ArrayList<PermissionRange>();