diff --git a/WORKSPACE b/WORKSPACE
index e68b3ba..0baff8e 100644
--- a/WORKSPACE
+++ b/WORKSPACE
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 load("//:bazlets.bzl", "load_bazlets")
 
 load_bazlets(
-    commit = "39310fb43f4eaaad2e338b3bcbf393a2f4e11293",
+    commit = "8386b3fbf80e375f0a10c8386c0a8dfe260c5c1b",
     #local_path = "/home/<user>/projects/bazlets",
 )
 
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 93f594b..edc2a12 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;
@@ -34,23 +38,26 @@
   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 db0d804..d3bcd91 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/emoticons/PutPreference.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/emoticons/PutPreference.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 package com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.emoticons;
 
+import static com.google.gerrit.server.permissions.GlobalPermission.ADMINISTRATE_SERVER;
 import static com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.emoticons.GetPreference.KEY_SHOW_EMOTICONS;
 import static com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.emoticons.GetPreference.PREFERENCE;
 
@@ -26,6 +27,8 @@
 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.permissions.PermissionBackendException;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.project.ProjectCache;
 import com.google.inject.Inject;
 import com.google.inject.Provider;
@@ -39,24 +42,28 @@
   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");
+      throws AuthException, RepositoryNotFoundException, IOException, UnprocessableEntityException,
+          PermissionBackendException {
+    if (self.get() != rsrc.getUser()) {
+      permissionBackend.user(self).check(ADMINISTRATE_SERVER);
     }
     if (input == null) {
       input = new Input();