diff --git a/lib/code_corps/messages/messages.ex b/lib/code_corps/messages/messages.ex
index 96fc80ac0..4ef76e617 100644
--- a/lib/code_corps/messages/messages.ex
+++ b/lib/code_corps/messages/messages.ex
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ defmodule CodeCorps.Messages do
     Conversation |> Repo.get(id)
   end
 
+  def update_conversation(conversation, params) do
+    conversation |> Conversation.update_changeset(params) |> Repo.update
+  end
+
   @doc ~S"""
   Gets a `CodeCorps.ConversationPart` record
   """
diff --git a/lib/code_corps/model/conversation.ex b/lib/code_corps/model/conversation.ex
index bfd11810e..cdbb155f3 100644
--- a/lib/code_corps/model/conversation.ex
+++ b/lib/code_corps/model/conversation.ex
@@ -26,4 +26,14 @@ defmodule CodeCorps.Conversation do
 
     timestamps()
   end
+
+  def update_changeset(struct, %{"status" => status} = params) do
+    struct
+    |> cast(params, [:status])
+    |> validate_inclusion(:status, statuses())
+  end
+
+  defp statuses do
+    ~w{ open closed }
+  end
 end
diff --git a/lib/code_corps/policy/conversation.ex b/lib/code_corps/policy/conversation.ex
index b192d9bd4..3bc7dfe7b 100644
--- a/lib/code_corps/policy/conversation.ex
+++ b/lib/code_corps/policy/conversation.ex
@@ -41,4 +41,10 @@ defmodule CodeCorps.Policy.Conversation do
     conversation |> get_message() |> get_project() |> administered_by?(user)
   end
   def show?(_, _), do: false
+
+  def update?(%User{admin: true}, _conversation), do: true
+  def update?(%User{} = user, %Conversation{} = conversation) do
+    conversation |> get_message() |> get_project() |> administered_by?(user)
+  end
+  def update?(_, _), do: false
 end
diff --git a/lib/code_corps/policy/policy.ex b/lib/code_corps/policy/policy.ex
index 81be8c44d..7c94df8de 100644
--- a/lib/code_corps/policy/policy.ex
+++ b/lib/code_corps/policy/policy.ex
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ defmodule CodeCorps.Policy do
 
   # Conversation
   defp can?(%User{} = current_user, :show, %Conversation{} = conversation, %{}), do: Policy.Conversation.show?(current_user, conversation)
+  defp can?(%User{} = current_user, :update, %Conversation{} = conversation, %{}), do: Policy.Conversation.update?(current_user, conversation)
 
   # ConversationPart
   defp can?(%User{} = current_user, :create, %ConversationPart{}, %{} = params), do: Policy.ConversationPart.create?(current_user, params)
diff --git a/lib/code_corps_web/controllers/conversation_controller.ex b/lib/code_corps_web/controllers/conversation_controller.ex
index f040998df..5d3b23686 100644
--- a/lib/code_corps_web/controllers/conversation_controller.ex
+++ b/lib/code_corps_web/controllers/conversation_controller.ex
@@ -29,6 +29,18 @@ defmodule CodeCorpsWeb.ConversationController do
     end
   end
 
+  @spec update(Conn.t, map) :: Conn.t
+  def update(%Conn{} = conn, %{"id" => id} = params) do
+    with %Conversation{} = conversation <- Messages.get_conversation(id) |> preload(),
+         %User{} = current_user <- conn |> CodeCorps.Guardian.Plug.current_resource,
+         {:ok, :authorized} <- current_user |> Policy.authorize(:update, conversation),
+         {:ok, %Conversation{} = updated_conversation} <- conversation |> Messages.update_conversation(params)
+      do
+
+      conn |> render("show.json-api", data: updated_conversation)
+    end
+  end
+
   @preloads [:conversation_parts, :message, :user]
 
   def preload(data) do
diff --git a/lib/code_corps_web/router.ex b/lib/code_corps_web/router.ex
index 4f1183a0d..9f8761238 100644
--- a/lib/code_corps_web/router.ex
+++ b/lib/code_corps_web/router.ex
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ defmodule CodeCorpsWeb.Router do
 
     resources "/categories", CategoryController, only: [:create, :update]
     resources "/comments", CommentController, only: [:create, :update]
-    resources "/conversations", ConversationController, only: [:index, :show]
+    resources "/conversations", ConversationController, only: [:index, :show, :update]
     resources "/conversation-parts", ConversationPartController, only: [:index, :show, :create]
     resources "/donation-goals", DonationGoalController, only: [:create, :update, :delete]
     post "/oauth/github", UserController, :github_oauth
diff --git a/test/lib/code_corps/policy/conversation_test.exs b/test/lib/code_corps/policy/conversation_test.exs
index a06336352..f61d5a7b4 100644
--- a/test/lib/code_corps/policy/conversation_test.exs
+++ b/test/lib/code_corps/policy/conversation_test.exs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 defmodule CodeCorps.Policy.ConversationTest do
   use CodeCorps.PolicyCase
 
-  import CodeCorps.Policy.Conversation, only: [scope: 2, show?: 2]
+  import CodeCorps.Policy.Conversation, only: [scope: 2, show?: 2, update?: 2]
 
   alias CodeCorps.{Conversation, Repo}
 
@@ -113,4 +113,46 @@ defmodule CodeCorps.Policy.ConversationTest do
       assert show?(user, conversation)
     end
   end
+
+  describe "update?" do
+    test "returns true when user is admin" do
+      user = insert(:user, admin: true)
+      message = insert(:message)
+      conversation = insert(:conversation, message: message, user: user)
+
+      assert update?(user, conversation)
+    end
+
+    test "returns false when user is a pending project member" do
+      %{project: project, user: user} = insert(:project_user, role: "pending")
+      message = insert(:message, project: project)
+      conversation = insert(:conversation, message: message)
+
+      refute update?(user, conversation)
+    end
+
+    test "returns false when user is a project contributor" do
+      %{project: project, user: user} = insert(:project_user, role: "contributor")
+      message = insert(:message, project: project)
+      conversation = insert(:conversation, message: message)
+
+      refute update?(user, conversation)
+    end
+
+    test "returns true when user is a project admin" do
+      %{project: project, user: user} = insert(:project_user, role: "admin")
+      message = insert(:message, project: project)
+      conversation = insert(:conversation, message: message)
+
+      assert update?(user, conversation)
+    end
+
+    test "returns true when user is project owner" do
+      %{project: project, user: user} = insert(:project_user, role: "owner")
+      message = insert(:message, project: project)
+      conversation = insert(:conversation, message: message)
+
+      assert update?(user, conversation)
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/test/lib/code_corps_web/controllers/conversation_controller_test.exs b/test/lib/code_corps_web/controllers/conversation_controller_test.exs
index 66bba91eb..36c89af8b 100644
--- a/test/lib/code_corps_web/controllers/conversation_controller_test.exs
+++ b/test/lib/code_corps_web/controllers/conversation_controller_test.exs
@@ -65,4 +65,39 @@ defmodule CodeCorpsWeb.ConversationControllerTest do
       assert conn |> request_show(conversation) |> json_response(403)
     end
   end
+
+  describe "update" do
+    @tag authenticated: :admin
+    test "updates and renders chosen resource when data is valid", %{conn: conn, current_user: user} do
+      %{project: project} = insert(:project_user, role: "admin", user: user)
+      message_on_user_administered_project = insert(:message, project: project)
+      conversation_on_user_administered_project =
+        insert(:conversation, message: message_on_user_administered_project)
+
+      data = 
+        conn 
+          |> request_update(conversation_on_user_administered_project, %{status: "closed"}) 
+          |> json_response(200)
+          |> Map.get("data")
+      
+      assert data["attributes"]["status"] == "closed"
+    end
+
+    @tag authenticated: :admin
+    test "renders 422 when data is invalid", %{conn: conn, current_user: current_user} do
+      conversation = insert(:conversation, user: current_user)
+      assert conn |> request_update(conversation, %{status: "wat"}) |> json_response(422)
+    end
+
+    test "renders 401 when unauthenticated", %{conn: conn} do
+      assert conn |> request_update |> json_response(401)
+    end
+
+    @tag :authenticated
+    test "does not update resource and renders 403 when not authorized", %{conn: conn} do
+      user = insert(:user)
+      insert(:conversation, user: user)
+      assert conn |> request_update() |> json_response(403)
+    end
+  end
 end