diff --git a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHPermission.java b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHPermission.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8bc28c719a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHPermission.java
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+/*
+ * The MIT License
+ *
+ * Copyright 2016 CloudBees, Inc.
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+ * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+ * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+ * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+ * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+ * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+ * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+ * THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+package org.kohsuke.github;
+
+/**
+ * Permission for a user in a repository.
+ * @see <a href="https://developer.github.com/v3/repos/collaborators/#review-a-users-permission-level">API</a>
+ */
+public class GHPermission {
+
+    private String permission;
+    private GHUser user;
+
+    /**
+     * @return one of {@code admin}, {@code write}, {@code read}, or {@code none}
+     */
+    public String getPermission() {
+        return permission;
+    }
+
+    public GHUser getUser() {
+        return user;
+    }
+
+    void wrapUp(GitHub root) {
+        if (user != null) {
+            user.root = root;
+        }
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHRepository.java b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHRepository.java
index f34ea85004..d3af91a210 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHRepository.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHRepository.java
@@ -480,6 +480,18 @@ public Set<String> getCollaboratorNames() throws IOException {
         return r;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Obtain permission for a given user in this repository.
+     * @param user a {@link GHUser#getLogin}
+     * @throws FileNotFoundException under some conditions (e.g., private repo you can see but are not an admin of); treat as unknown
+     * @throws HttpException with a 403 under other conditions (e.g., public repo you have no special rights to); treat as unknown
+     */
+    public GHPermission getPermission(String user) throws IOException {
+        GHPermission perm = root.retrieve().withHeader("Accept", "application/vnd.github.korra-preview").to(getApiTailUrl("collaborators/" + user + "/permission"), GHPermission.class);
+        perm.wrapUp(root);
+        return perm;
+    }
+
     /**
      * If this repository belongs to an organization, return a set of teams.
      */
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/Requester.java b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/Requester.java
index 70c48940c0..2eb3f282fb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/Requester.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/Requester.java
@@ -598,11 +598,16 @@ private InputStream wrapStream(InputStream in) throws IOException {
         InputStream es = wrapStream(uc.getErrorStream());
         try {
             if (es!=null) {
+                String error = IOUtils.toString(es, "UTF-8");
                 if (e instanceof FileNotFoundException) {
                     // pass through 404 Not Found to allow the caller to handle it intelligently
-                    throw (IOException) new FileNotFoundException(IOUtils.toString(es, "UTF-8")).initCause(e);
-                } else
-                    throw (IOException) new IOException(IOUtils.toString(es, "UTF-8")).initCause(e);
+                    throw (IOException) new FileNotFoundException(error).initCause(e);
+                } else if (e instanceof HttpException) {
+                    HttpException http = (HttpException) e;
+                    throw (IOException) new HttpException(error, http.getResponseCode(), http.getResponseMessage(), http.getUrl(), e);
+                } else {
+                    throw (IOException) new IOException(error).initCause(e);
+                }
             } else
                 throw e;
         } finally {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/kohsuke/github/RepositoryTest.java b/src/test/java/org/kohsuke/github/RepositoryTest.java
index dae2892a45..21625fbf89 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/kohsuke/github/RepositoryTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/kohsuke/github/RepositoryTest.java
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 package org.kohsuke.github;
 
+import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.kohsuke.github.GHRepository.Contributor;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import org.junit.Ignore;
 
 /**
  * @author Kohsuke Kawaguchi
@@ -40,6 +42,29 @@ public void listContributors() throws IOException {
         assertTrue(kohsuke);
     }
 
+    @Ignore("depends on who runs this test whether it can pass or not")
+    @Test
+    public void getPermission() throws Exception {
+        GHRepository r = gitHub.getOrganization("cloudbeers").getRepository("yolo");
+        assertEquals("admin", r.getPermission("jglick").getPermission());
+        assertEquals("read", r.getPermission("dude").getPermission());
+        r = gitHub.getOrganization("cloudbees").getRepository("private-repo-not-writable-by-me");
+        try {
+            r.getPermission("jglick");
+            fail();
+        } catch (FileNotFoundException x) {
+            x.printStackTrace(); // good
+        }
+        r = gitHub.getOrganization("apache").getRepository("groovy");
+        try {
+            r.getPermission("jglick");
+            fail();
+        } catch (HttpException x) {
+            x.printStackTrace(); // good
+            assertEquals(403, x.getResponseCode());
+        }
+    }
+
     private GHRepository getRepository() throws IOException {
         return gitHub.getOrganization("github-api-test-org").getRepository("jenkins");
     }