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 8d24990..0b1ecfa 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/emoticons/PutPreference.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/emoticons/PutPreference.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 import static com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.emoticons.GetPreference.KEY_SHOW_EMOTICONS;
 import static com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.emoticons.GetPreference.PREFERENCE;
+import static com.google.gerrit.server.permissions.GlobalPermission.ADMINISTRATE_SERVER;
 
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.annotations.PluginName;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.AuthException;
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.server.account.AccountResource;
 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.project.ProjectCache;
 import com.google.inject.Inject;
 import com.google.inject.Provider;
@@ -42,25 +44,27 @@
   private final ProjectCache projectCache;
   private final MetaDataUpdate.User metaDataUpdateFactory;
   private final String pluginName;
+  private final PermissionBackend permissionBackend;
 
   @Inject
   PutPreference(Provider<IdentifiedUser> self,
       ProjectCache projectCache,
       MetaDataUpdate.User metaDataUpdateFactory,
-      @PluginName String pluginName) {
+      @PluginName String pluginName,
+      PermissionBackend permissionBackend) {
     this.self = self;
     this.projectCache = projectCache;
     this.metaDataUpdateFactory = metaDataUpdateFactory;
     this.pluginName = pluginName;
+    this.permissionBackend = permissionBackend;
   }
 
   @Override
   public Response<String> apply(AccountResource rsrc, Input input)
       throws AuthException, RepositoryNotFoundException, IOException,
       UnprocessableEntityException {
-    if (self.get() != rsrc.getUser()
-        && !self.get().getCapabilities().canAdministrateServer()) {
-      throw new AuthException("not allowed to change preference");
+    if (self.get() != rsrc.getUser()) {
+      permissionBackend.user(self).check(ADMINISTRATE_SERVER);
     }
     if (input == null) {
       input = new Input();