diff --git a/plugins/MessageParser/config.py b/plugins/MessageParser/config.py
index 8a89d8f5f..456feb023 100644
--- a/plugins/MessageParser/config.py
+++ b/plugins/MessageParser/config.py
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ def configure(advanced):
     from supybot.questions import expect, anything, something, yn
     conf.registerPlugin('MessageParser', True)
 
-
 MessageParser = conf.registerPlugin('MessageParser')
 # This is where your configuration variables (if any) should go.  For example:
 # conf.registerGlobalValue(MessageParser, 'someConfigVariableName',
@@ -57,5 +56,13 @@ conf.registerChannelValue(MessageParser, 'rankListLength',
 conf.registerChannelValue(MessageParser, 'requireVacuumCapability',
     registry.String('admin', """Determines the capability required (if any) to 
     vacuum the database."""))
-
+conf.registerChannelValue(MessageParser, 'requireManageCapability',
+    registry.String('admin; channel,op', 
+    """Determines the 
+    capabilities required (if any) to manage the regexp database,
+    including add, remove, lock, unlock. Use 'channel,capab' for 
+    channel-level capabilities.
+    Note that absence of an explicit anticapability means user has 
+    capability."""))
+    
 # vim:set shiftwidth=4 tabstop=4 expandtab textwidth=79:
diff --git a/plugins/MessageParser/plugin.py b/plugins/MessageParser/plugin.py
index b63c1c202..c7e13d19b 100644
--- a/plugins/MessageParser/plugin.py
+++ b/plugins/MessageParser/plugin.py
@@ -117,13 +117,27 @@ class MessageParser(callbacks.Plugin, plugins.ChannelDBHandler):
     
     def _runCommandFunction(self, irc, msg, command):
         """Run a command from message, as if command was sent over IRC."""
-        # need to encode it from unicode, since sqlite stores text as unicode.
         tokens = callbacks.tokenize(command)        
         try:
             self.Proxy(irc.irc, msg, tokens)
         except Exception, e:
             log.exception('Uncaught exception in scheduled function:')
     
+    def _checkManageCapabilities(self, irc, msg, channel):
+        """Check if the user has any of the required capabilities to manage
+        the regexp database."""
+        capabilities = self.registryValue('requireManageCapability')
+        if capabilities:
+            for capability in re.split(r'\s*;\s*', capabilities):
+                if capability.startswith('channel,'):
+                    capability = ircdb.makeChannelCapability(channel, capability[8:])
+                if capability and ircdb.checkCapability(msg.prefix, capability):
+                    #print "has capability:", capability
+                    return True
+            return False
+        else:
+            return True
+        
     def doPrivmsg(self, irc, msg):
         channel = msg.args[0]
         if not irc.isChannel(channel):
@@ -157,6 +171,9 @@ class MessageParser(callbacks.Plugin, plugins.ChannelDBHandler):
         necessary if the message isn't sent on the channel
         itself.  Action is echoed upon regexp match, with variables $1, $2, 
         etc. being interpolated from the regexp match groups."""
+        if not self._checkManageCapabilities(irc, msg, channel):
+            capabilities = self.registryValue('requireManageCapability')
+            irc.errorNoCapability(capabilities, Raise=True)
         db = self.getDb(channel)
         cursor = db.cursor()
         cursor.execute("SELECT id, usage_count, locked FROM triggers WHERE regexp=?", (regexp,))
@@ -194,6 +211,9 @@ class MessageParser(callbacks.Plugin, plugins.ChannelDBHandler):
         the message isn't sent in the channel itself.
         If option --id specified, will retrieve by regexp id, not content.
         """
+        if not self._checkManageCapabilities(irc, msg, channel):
+            capabilities = self.registryValue('requireManageCapability')
+            irc.errorNoCapability(capabilities, Raise=True)
         db = self.getDb(channel)
         cursor = db.cursor()
         target = 'regexp'
@@ -227,6 +247,9 @@ class MessageParser(callbacks.Plugin, plugins.ChannelDBHandler):
         removed or overwritten to.  <channel> is only necessary if the message isn't
         sent in the channel itself.
         """
+        if not self._checkManageCapabilities(irc, msg, channel):
+            capabilities = self.registryValue('requireManageCapability')
+            irc.errorNoCapability(capabilities, Raise=True)
         db = self.getDb(channel)
         cursor = db.cursor()
         cursor.execute("SELECT id FROM triggers WHERE regexp=?", (regexp,))
@@ -246,6 +269,9 @@ class MessageParser(callbacks.Plugin, plugins.ChannelDBHandler):
         removed or overwritten.  <channel> is only necessary if the message isn't
         sent in the channel itself.
         """
+        if not self._checkManageCapabilities(irc, msg, channel):
+            capabilities = self.registryValue('requireManageCapability')
+            irc.errorNoCapability(capabilities, Raise=True)
         db = self.getDb(channel)
         cursor = db.cursor()
         cursor.execute("SELECT id FROM triggers WHERE regexp=?", (regexp,))
diff --git a/plugins/MessageParser/test.py b/plugins/MessageParser/test.py
index 949bedac5..870f83ebd 100644
--- a/plugins/MessageParser/test.py
+++ b/plugins/MessageParser/test.py
@@ -52,6 +52,22 @@ class MessageParserTestCase(ChannelPluginTestCase):
         self.assertNotError('messageparser add "stuff" "echo i saw no stuff"') #overwrite existing regexp
         self.assertRegexp('messageparser show "stuff"', '.*i saw no stuff.*')
         
+        
+        try:
+            world.testing = False
+            origuser = self.prefix
+            self.prefix = 'stuff!stuff@stuff'
+            self.assertNotError('register nottester stuff', private=True)
+            
+            self.assertError('messageparser add "aoeu" "echo vowels are nice"')
+            origconf = conf.supybot.plugins.MessageParser.requireManageCapability()
+            conf.supybot.plugins.MessageParser.requireManageCapability.setValue('')
+            self.assertNotError('messageparser add "aoeu" "echo vowels are nice"')
+        finally:
+            world.testing = True
+            self.prefix = origuser
+            conf.supybot.plugins.MessageParser.requireManageCapability.setValue(origconf)
+        
     def testShow(self):
         self.assertNotError('messageparser add "stuff" "echo i saw some stuff"')
         self.assertRegexp('messageparser show "nostuff"', 'there is no such regexp trigger')