diff --git a/core/user.class.php b/core/user.class.php
index 85d90df5..653a6929 100644
--- a/core/user.class.php
+++ b/core/user.class.php
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ function _new_user($row) {
 	return new User($row);
 }
 
+$_perm_map = array(
+	"override_config" => "admin",
+);
+
+
 /**
  * An object representing a row in the "users" table.
  *
@@ -90,6 +95,15 @@ class User {
 	/*
 	 * useful user object functions start here
 	 */
+	public function can($ability) {
+		global $_perm_map;
+		$needed = $_perm_map[$ability];
+		if($needed == "admin" && $this->is_admin()) return true;
+		if($needed == "user" && $this->is_logged_in()) return true;
+		if($needed == "anon") return true;
+		return false;
+	}
+
 
 	/**
 	 * Test if this user is anonymous (not logged in)
diff --git a/core/util.inc.php b/core/util.inc.php
index 882c8560..3529fb87 100644
--- a/core/util.inc.php
+++ b/core/util.inc.php
@@ -879,7 +879,7 @@ function get_debug_info() {
 // print_obj ($object, $title, $return)
 function print_obj($object,$title="Object Information", $return=false) {
 	global $user;
-	if(DEBUG && isset($_GET['debug']) && $user->is_admin()) {
+	if(DEBUG && isset($_GET['DEBUG']) && $user->can("override_config")) {
 		$pr = print_r($object,true);
 		$count = substr_count($pr,"\n")<=25?substr_count($pr,"\n"):25;
 		$pr = "<textarea rows='".$count."' cols='80'>$pr</textarea>";