diff --git a/client/modules/users/components/EditUser.js b/client/modules/users/components/EditUser.js
index 3af0e78d..bf8699b5 100644
--- a/client/modules/users/components/EditUser.js
+++ b/client/modules/users/components/EditUser.js
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 import React from 'react'
 import { connect } from 'react-redux'
 import { Col, Row } from 'react-bootstrap'
+import { includes } from 'lodash'
 
+import { ADMIN_ROLE } from '../../../../common/constants'
 import selectors from '../../../store/selectors'
 import { editUser, getUserById } from '../userReducer'
 
@@ -10,13 +12,17 @@ import Box from '../../../components/box/Box'
 import BoxHeader from '../../../components/box/BoxHeader'
 import BoxBody from '../../../components/box/BoxBody'
 
+const isAdmin = user => includes(user.roles, ADMIN_ROLE)
+
 class EditUser extends React.Component {
   constructor(props) {
     super(props)
+    const { user } = props
     this.state = {
-      firstName: this.props.user ? this.props.user.firstName : "",
-      lastName: this.props.user ? this.props.user.lastName : "",
-      email: this.props.user ? this.props.user.email : "",
+      firstName: user ? props.user.firstName : "",
+      lastName: user ? user.lastName : "",
+      email: user ? user.email : "",
+      isAdmin: user ? isAdmin(user) : false,
       showSaveSuccessMessage: false
     }
   }
@@ -30,7 +36,12 @@ class EditUser extends React.Component {
   componentWillReceiveProps = nextProps => {
     if (!this.props.user && nextProps.user) {
       // The user info has just been received from the api call
-      this.setState({ firstName: nextProps.user.firstName, lastName: nextProps.user.lastName, email: nextProps.user.email })
+      this.setState({
+        firstName: nextProps.user.firstName,
+        lastName: nextProps.user.lastName,
+        email: nextProps.user.email,
+        isAdmin: isAdmin(nextProps.user)
+      })
     }
 
     if (this.props.saving && !nextProps.saving && !nextProps.saveError) {
@@ -45,6 +56,11 @@ class EditUser extends React.Component {
     this.setState({ [name]: value, showSaveSuccessMessage: false })
   }
 
+  onCheckboxChange = e => {
+    const { name, checked } = e.target
+    this.setState({ [name]: checked, showSaveSuccessMessage: false })
+  }
+
   onSubmit = e => {
     e.preventDefault()
     this.setState({ showSaveSuccessMessage: false })
@@ -53,6 +69,7 @@ class EditUser extends React.Component {
       firstName: this.state.firstName,
       lastName: this.state.lastName,
       email: this.state.email,
+      isAdmin: this.state.isAdmin
     })
   }
 
@@ -84,6 +101,13 @@ class EditUser extends React.Component {
         {(this.props.user && (this.props.user.provider === "google")) &&
           "Changing email addresses for users who signed up with google is not yet implemented"
         }
+        <FieldGroup
+          name="isAdmin"
+          options="Admin"
+          onChange={this.onCheckboxChange}
+          checked={this.state.isAdmin}
+          type="checkbox"
+        />
         <div className="text-center form-group">
           <button
             onClick={this.onSubmit}
diff --git a/client/modules/users/userReducer.js b/client/modules/users/userReducer.js
index 3cb00c7b..c8e984f1 100644
--- a/client/modules/users/userReducer.js
+++ b/client/modules/users/userReducer.js
@@ -34,6 +34,24 @@ export const editUser = user => ({
   }
 })
 
+export const demoteUser = userId => ({
+  [CALL_API]: {
+    endpoint: `admin/users/${userId}/demote`,
+    method: 'PUT',
+    schema: userSchema,
+    types: [actions.SAVE_REQUEST, actions.SAVE_SUCCESS, actions.SAVE_FAILURE]
+  }
+})
+
+export const promoteUser = userId => ({
+  [CALL_API]: {
+    endpoint: `admin/users/${userId}/promote`,
+    method: 'PUT',
+    schema: userSchema,
+    types: [actions.SAVE_REQUEST, actions.SAVE_SUCCESS, actions.SAVE_FAILURE]
+  }
+})
+
 export default crudReducer('user')
 
 export const createSelectors = path => {
diff --git a/server/controllers/users/profile.js b/server/controllers/users/profile.js
index 53754b14..eba6de3d 100644
--- a/server/controllers/users/profile.js
+++ b/server/controllers/users/profile.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-import {extend} from 'lodash'
+import {extend, includes} from 'lodash'
 
+import {ADMIN_ROLE} from '../../../common/constants'
 import {BadRequestError} from '../../lib/errors'
 import User from '../../models/user'
 
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ export const getById = async function(req, res) {
 export const update = async function(req, res) {
   let user = req.user
   if (user._id !== req.body._id)
-    user = await User.findById(req.body._id).lean()
+    user = await User.findById(req.body._id)
 
   // For security measurement we remove the roles from the req.body object
   delete req.body.roles
@@ -50,6 +51,17 @@ export const update = async function(req, res) {
   if (sameEmail && sameEmail._id !== req.user._id)
     throw new BadRequestError('Email address is taken')
 
+  // Update admin status
+  const alreadyAdmin = includes(user.roles, ADMIN_ROLE)
+  if (user.isAdmin && !alreadyAdmin) {
+    user.roles.push(ADMIN_ROLE)
+  } else if (!user.isAdmin && alreadyAdmin) {
+    if (parseInt(req.params.userId, 10) === req.user._id)
+      throw new BadRequestError('You are not allowed to demote yourself')
+    user.roles.splice(user.roles.indexOf(ADMIN_ROLE), 1)
+  }
+  delete user.isAdmin
+
   await user.save()
   res.json(user)
 }