--- privatemsg.module	2009-09-14 17:53:20.000000000 +0200
+++ privatemsgNew.module	2009-09-22 18:29:20.906250000 +0200
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ function privatemsg_perm() {
     'administer privatemsg settings',
     'write privatemsg',
     'delete privatemsg',
+	  'reply only',
   );
 }
 
@@ -642,7 +643,7 @@ function privatemsg_view($thread) {
   $content['messages']['#weight'] = 0;
 
   // Display the reply form if user is allowed to use it.
-  if (privatemsg_user_access('write privatemsg')) {
+  if (privatemsg_user_access('reply only')) {
     $content['reply']['#value'] = drupal_get_form('privatemsg_new', $thread['participants'], $thread['subject'], $thread['thread_id'], $thread['read_all']);
     $content['reply']['#weight'] = 5;
   }
@@ -722,10 +723,18 @@ function privatemsg_new(&$form_state, $r
       '#value'  => $form_state['privatemsg_preview'],
     );
   }
-  $form['privatemsg'] = array(
-    '#type'               => 'fieldset',
-    '#access'             => privatemsg_user_access('write privatemsg'),
-  );
+  if (privatemsg_user_access('write privatemsg')) {
+      $form['privatemsg'] = array(
+        '#type'               => 'fieldset',
+        '#access'             => privatemsg_user_access('write privatemsg'),
+      );
+  }
+  else {
+      $form['privatemsg'] = array(
+        '#type'               => 'fieldset',
+        '#access'             => privatemsg_user_access('reply only'),
+      );
+  }
   $form['privatemsg']['author'] = array(
     '#type' => 'value',
     '#value' => $user,
@@ -1441,7 +1450,7 @@ function privatemsg_reply($thread_id, $b
 
 function _privatemsg_validate_message(&$message, $form = FALSE) {
   $messages = array('error' => array(), 'warning' => array());
-  if (!privatemsg_user_access('write privatemsg', $message['author'])) {
+  if (!privatemsg_user_access('write privatemsg', $message['author']) && (!privatemsg_user_access('reply only', $message['author']) && isset($message['thread_id']))) {
     // no need to do further checks in this case...
     if ($form) {
       form_set_error('author', t('User @user is not allowed to write messages', array('@user' => $message['author']->name)));