diff --git a/example-conf.yml b/example-conf.yml
index fb5f294..46076f1 100644
--- a/example-conf.yml
+++ b/example-conf.yml
@@ -640,6 +640,14 @@ relay:
     # This block defines various options for the Relay plugin. You don't need this
     # if you aren't using it.
 
+    # Determines whether all opers should be able to create, link, delink, destroy,
+    # and adjust claim settings on relay channels. You can disable this if you want
+    # to configure link permissions in a more fine grained way, e.g. by granting each
+    # network admin their own PyLink account.
+    # This defaults to True if not set, for consistency with older (< 2.0) PyLink versions.
+    # Changing this setting requires a rehash and reload of the Relay plugin to apply.
+    allow_free_oper_links: true
+
     # Determines whether all relay users' nicks will be tagged with their network, instead of only
     # when a nick collision occurs. It is recommended that you either leave this on or maintain a
     # list of nicks in "forcetag_nicks", so that your users don't complain about "nick in use"
diff --git a/plugins/relay.py b/plugins/relay.py
index 2d7c03f..4931849 100644
--- a/plugins/relay.py
+++ b/plugins/relay.py
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@ datastore = structures.PickleDataStore('pylinkrelay', dbname)
 db = datastore.store
 
 default_permissions = {"*!*@*": ['relay.linked'],
-                       "$ircop": ['relay.create', 'relay.linkacl*',
-                                  'relay.destroy', 'relay.link', 'relay.delink',
-                                  'relay.claim']}
+                       "$ircop": ['relay.linkacl*']}
+default_oper_permissions = {"$ircop": ['relay.create', 'relay.destroy', 'relay.link',
+                                       'relay.delink', 'relay.claim']}
 
 ### INTERNAL FUNCTIONS
 
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@ def main(irc=None):
 
     permissions.add_default_permissions(default_permissions)
 
+    if 'relay' in conf.conf and conf.conf['relay'].get('allow_free_oper_links', True):
+        permissions.add_default_permissions(default_oper_permissions)
+
     if irc is not None:
         # irc is defined when the plugin is reloaded. Otherwise, it means that we've just started the
         # server. Iterate over all connected networks and initialize their relay users.
@@ -103,6 +106,7 @@ def die(irc=None):
 
     # 3) Unload our permissions.
     permissions.remove_default_permissions(default_permissions)
+    permissions.remove_default_permissions(default_oper_permissions)
 
     # 4) Save the database.
     datastore.die()