diff --git a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/emoticons/GetPreference.java b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/emoticons/GetPreference.java
index 2e26bfe..82d6c1b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/emoticons/GetPreference.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/emoticons/GetPreference.java
@@ -14,12 +14,16 @@
 
 package com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.emoticons;
 
+import static com.google.gerrit.server.permissions.GlobalPermission.ADMINISTRATE_SERVER;
+
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.annotations.PluginName;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.AuthException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.RestReadView;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.IdentifiedUser;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.account.AccountResource;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.config.ConfigResource;
+import com.google.gerrit.server.permissions.PermissionBackend;
+import com.google.gerrit.server.permissions.PermissionBackendException;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.project.ProjectCache;
 import com.google.inject.Inject;
 import com.google.inject.Provider;
@@ -36,23 +40,25 @@
   private final ProjectCache projectCache;
   private final String pluginName;
   private final Provider<GetConfig> getConfig;
+  private final PermissionBackend permissionBackend;
 
   @Inject
   GetPreference(Provider<IdentifiedUser> self,
       ProjectCache projectCache,
       @PluginName String pluginName,
-      Provider<GetConfig> getConfig) {
+      Provider<GetConfig> getConfig,
+      PermissionBackend permissionBackend) {
     this.self = self;
     this.projectCache = projectCache;
     this.pluginName = pluginName;
     this.getConfig = getConfig;
+    this.permissionBackend = permissionBackend;
   }
 
   @Override
-  public ConfigInfo apply(AccountResource rsrc) throws AuthException {
-    if (self.get() != rsrc.getUser()
-        && !self.get().getCapabilities().canAdministrateServer()) {
-      throw new AuthException("not allowed to get preference");
+  public ConfigInfo apply(AccountResource rsrc) throws AuthException, PermissionBackendException {
+    if (self.get() != rsrc.getUser()) {
+      permissionBackend.user(self).check(ADMINISTRATE_SERVER);
     }
 
     ConfigInfo globalCfg = getConfig.get().apply(new ConfigResource());
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/emoticons/PutPreference.java b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/emoticons/PutPreference.java
index 0b1ecfa..e78e85a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/emoticons/PutPreference.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/emoticons/PutPreference.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.server.git.MetaDataUpdate;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.git.ProjectLevelConfig;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.permissions.PermissionBackend;
+import com.google.gerrit.server.permissions.PermissionBackendException;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.project.ProjectCache;
 import com.google.inject.Inject;
 import com.google.inject.Provider;
@@ -62,7 +63,7 @@
   @Override
   public Response<String> apply(AccountResource rsrc, Input input)
       throws AuthException, RepositoryNotFoundException, IOException,
-      UnprocessableEntityException {
+      UnprocessableEntityException, PermissionBackendException {
     if (self.get() != rsrc.getUser()) {
       permissionBackend.user(self).check(ADMINISTRATE_SERVER);
     }