diff --git a/modules/user/user.admin.inc b/modules/user/user.admin.inc
index 6ca330b013..7df93f2164 100644
--- a/modules/user/user.admin.inc
+++ b/modules/user/user.admin.inc
@@ -312,6 +312,18 @@ function user_admin_settings() {
     '#description' => t('This role will be automatically assigned new permissions whenever a module is enabled. Changing this setting will not affect existing permissions.'),
   );
 
+  // Settings for separating the administer users and edit user settings.
+  $form['permission_settings'] = array(
+    '#type' => 'fieldset',
+    '#title' => t('Separate administer account settings permission'),
+  );
+  $form['permission_settings']['user_enable_separate_account_settings'] = array(
+    '#type' => 'checkbox',
+    '#title' => t('Separate administer account settings permission'),
+    '#default_value' => variable_get('user_enable_separate_account_settings', FALSE),
+    '#description' => t('With this option you can have seperate permissions for editing this page and for administering users.'),
+  );
+
   // User registration settings.
   $form['registration_cancellation'] = array(
     '#type' => 'fieldset',
@@ -658,11 +670,29 @@ function user_admin_settings() {
     '#default_value' => _user_mail_text('status_canceled_body', NULL, array(), FALSE),
     '#rows' => 3,
   );
+  $form['#submit'][] = 'user_admin_settings_submit';
 
   return system_settings_form($form);
 }
 
 /**
+ * Form submit handler for the user_admin_settings() form.
+ */
+function user_admin_settings_submit($form, $form_state) {
+  // If we are changing the settings for separating the administer users and
+  // account settings we have to clear the menu cache to make the new access
+  // arguments take effect.
+  if ((bool) $form_state['values']['user_enable_separate_account_settings'] != (bool) variable_get('user_enable_separate_account_settings', FALSE)) {
+    // Since the actual saving of the variable will happen in the form submit
+    // provided by system_settings_form, we just override the $conf value for
+    // now, so the hook_menu implementation knows what to do.
+    $GLOBALS['conf'] ['user_enable_separate_account_settings'] = $form_state['values']['user_enable_separate_account_settings'];
+    entity_info_cache_clear();
+    menu_rebuild();
+  }
+}
+
+/**
  * Menu callback: administer permissions.
  *
  * @ingroup forms
diff --git a/modules/user/user.module b/modules/user/user.module
index b818d79ab5..028f5b7e38 100644
--- a/modules/user/user.module
+++ b/modules/user/user.module
@@ -183,6 +183,9 @@ function user_entity_info() {
       ),
     ),
   );
+  if (variable_get('user_enable_separate_account_settings', FALSE)) {
+    $return['user']['bundles']['user']['admin']['access arguments'] = array('administer account settings');
+  }
   return $return;
 }
 
@@ -870,7 +873,7 @@ function user_has_role($rid, $account = NULL) {
  * Implements hook_permission().
  */
 function user_permission() {
-  return array(
+  $perms = array(
     'administer permissions' =>  array(
       'title' => t('Administer permissions'),
       'restrict access' => TRUE,
@@ -894,6 +897,16 @@ function user_permission() {
       'restrict access' => TRUE,
     ),
   );
+  // If the option for separating the account settings and administering users
+  // is enabled, then we must include another permission for this.
+  if (variable_get('user_enable_separate_account_settings', FALSE)) {
+    $perms['administer account settings'] = array(
+      'title' => t('Administer account settings'),
+      'description' => t('Manage settings that apply to all user accounts.'),
+      'restrict access' => TRUE,
+    );
+  }
+  return $perms;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1780,6 +1793,11 @@ function user_menu() {
     'file' => 'user.admin.inc',
     'weight' => -10,
   );
+  // If the option for separating the account settings and administering users
+  // is enabled, then we change the access argument for this item.
+  if (variable_get('user_enable_separate_account_settings', FALSE)) {
+    $items['admin/config/people/accounts']['access arguments'] = array('administer account settings');
+  }
   $items['admin/config/people/accounts/settings'] = array(
     'title' => 'Settings',
     'type' => MENU_DEFAULT_LOCAL_TASK,
diff --git a/modules/user/user.test b/modules/user/user.test
index 63143c3ced..ccb46f4a90 100644
--- a/modules/user/user.test
+++ b/modules/user/user.test
@@ -1508,6 +1508,40 @@ class UserAdminTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     $this->assertEqual($account1->status, 1, 'User D unblocked');
     $this->assertMail("to", $account1->mail, "Activation mail sent to user D");
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Test separating the user settings from user administering.
+   */
+  function testSeparateAccountSettings() {
+    // First see that the admin user can access the account settings page.
+    $admin_user = $this->drupalCreateUser(array('administer users'));
+    // Find the new role ID - it must be the maximum.
+    $all_rids = array_keys($admin_user->roles);
+    sort($all_rids);
+    $rid = array_pop($all_rids);
+    $this->drupalLogin($admin_user);
+    $this->drupalGet('admin/config/people/accounts');
+    $this->assertResponse(200);
+
+    // Change settings.
+    $edit['user_enable_separate_account_settings'] = 1;
+    $this->drupalPost('admin/config/people/accounts', $edit, t('Save configuration'));
+    $this->assertText(t('The configuration options have been saved.'), 'Successful save message displayed.');
+    // Interestingly enough, this should actually make the user not have access
+    // to the page they are looking at.
+    $this->assertResponse(403);
+    // Just to be sure, let's also try to go to the page, and see that we get
+    // "access denied" still.
+    $this->drupalGet('admin/config/people/accounts');
+    $this->assertResponse(403);
+
+    // Then add the permission in question.
+    user_role_grant_permissions($rid, array('administer account settings'));
+    // We should now be allowed again.
+    $this->drupalGet('admin/config/people/accounts');
+    $this->assertResponse(200);
+
+  }
 }
 
 /**