diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/utils/FormatUtil.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/utils/FormatUtil.java
index bc9f916c753..d6f1f281154 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/utils/FormatUtil.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/utils/FormatUtil.java
@@ -111,6 +111,11 @@ public static String formatString(final IUser user, final String permBase, Strin
         if (user.isAuthorized(permBase + ".format")) {
             supported.addAll(FORMATS);
         }
+        for (ChatColor chatColor : ChatColor.values()) {
+            if (user.isAuthorized(permBase + "." + chatColor.getChar())) {
+                supported.add(chatColor);
+            }
+        }
         EnumSet<ChatColor> strip = EnumSet.complementOf(supported);
 
         if (!supported.isEmpty()) {
diff --git a/Essentials/test/com/earth2me/essentials/utils/FormatUtilTest.java b/Essentials/test/com/earth2me/essentials/utils/FormatUtilTest.java
index a6377b67b3a..fc053c29855 100644
--- a/Essentials/test/com/earth2me/essentials/utils/FormatUtilTest.java
+++ b/Essentials/test/com/earth2me/essentials/utils/FormatUtilTest.java
@@ -44,6 +44,20 @@ public void testFormatCategoryPerms() {
         checkFormatPerms("§f§ltest", "§f§ltest", "color", "format");
     }
 
+    public void testFormatCodePerms() {
+        checkFormatPerms("&1Te&2st", "&1Te&2st");
+        checkFormatPerms("§1Te§2st", "Test");
+
+        checkFormatPerms("&1Te&2st", "§1Te&2st", "code.1");
+        checkFormatPerms("§1Te§2st", "§1Test", "code.1");
+
+        checkFormatPerms("&1Te&2st", "&1Te§2st", "code.2");
+        checkFormatPerms("§1Te§2st", "Te§2st", "code.2");
+
+        checkFormatPerms("&1Te&2st", "§1Te§2st", "code.1", "code.2");
+        checkFormatPerms("§1Te§2st", "§1Te§2st", "code.1", "code.2");
+    }
+
     private void checkFormatPerms(String input, String expectedOutput, String... perms) {
         IUser user = mock(IUser.class);
         for (String perm : perms) {