diff --git a/scripts/register_new_matrix_user b/scripts/register_new_matrix_user
index 6d055fd01..987bf32d1 100755
--- a/scripts/register_new_matrix_user
+++ b/scripts/register_new_matrix_user
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ def request_registration(user, password, server_location, shared_secret, admin=F
         "password": password,
         "mac": mac,
         "type": "org.matrix.login.shared_secret",
+        "admin": admin,
     }
 
     server_location = server_location.rstrip("/")
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ def request_registration(user, password, server_location, shared_secret, admin=F
         sys.exit(1)
 
 
-def register_new_user(user, password, server_location, shared_secret):
+def register_new_user(user, password, server_location, shared_secret, admin):
     if not user:
         try:
             default_user = getpass.getuser()
@@ -104,7 +105,14 @@ def register_new_user(user, password, server_location, shared_secret):
             print "Passwords do not match"
             sys.exit(1)
 
-    request_registration(user, password, server_location, shared_secret)
+    if not admin:
+        admin = raw_input("Make admin [no]: ")
+        if admin in ("y", "yes", "true"):
+            admin = True
+        else:
+            admin = False
+
+    request_registration(user, password, server_location, shared_secret, bool(admin))
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
@@ -124,6 +132,11 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         default=None,
         help="New password for user. Will prompt if omitted.",
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-a", "--admin",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="Register new user as an admin. Will prompt if omitted.",
+    )
 
     group = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group(required=True)
     group.add_argument(
@@ -156,4 +169,4 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     else:
         secret = args.shared_secret
 
-    register_new_user(args.user, args.password, args.server_url, secret)
+    register_new_user(args.user, args.password, args.server_url, secret, args.admin)
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/register.py b/synapse/handlers/register.py
index 88c82ba7d..8c3381df8 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/register.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/register.py
@@ -90,7 +90,8 @@ class RegistrationHandler(BaseHandler):
         password=None,
         generate_token=True,
         guest_access_token=None,
-        make_guest=False
+        make_guest=False,
+        admin=False,
     ):
         """Registers a new client on the server.
 
@@ -141,6 +142,7 @@ class RegistrationHandler(BaseHandler):
                     # If the user was a guest then they already have a profile
                     None if was_guest else user.localpart
                 ),
+                admin=admin,
             )
         else:
             # autogen a sequential user ID
diff --git a/synapse/rest/client/v1/register.py b/synapse/rest/client/v1/register.py
index 0eb7490e5..25d63a0b0 100644
--- a/synapse/rest/client/v1/register.py
+++ b/synapse/rest/client/v1/register.py
@@ -345,6 +345,7 @@ class RegisterRestServlet(ClientV1RestServlet):
             user_id, token = yield handler.register(
                 localpart=user,
                 password=password,
+                admin=bool(admin),
             )
             self._remove_session(session)
             defer.returnValue({
diff --git a/synapse/storage/registration.py b/synapse/storage/registration.py
index 5c75dbab5..4999175dd 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/registration.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/registration.py
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ class RegistrationStore(SQLBaseStore):
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def register(self, user_id, token, password_hash,
                  was_guest=False, make_guest=False, appservice_id=None,
-                 create_profile_with_localpart=None):
+                 create_profile_with_localpart=None, admin=False):
         """Attempts to register an account.
 
         Args:
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ class RegistrationStore(SQLBaseStore):
             make_guest,
             appservice_id,
             create_profile_with_localpart,
+            admin
         )
         self.get_user_by_id.invalidate((user_id,))
         self.is_guest.invalidate((user_id,))
@@ -118,6 +119,7 @@ class RegistrationStore(SQLBaseStore):
         make_guest,
         appservice_id,
         create_profile_with_localpart,
+        admin,
     ):
         now = int(self.clock.time())
 
@@ -125,29 +127,42 @@ class RegistrationStore(SQLBaseStore):
 
         try:
             if was_guest:
-                txn.execute("UPDATE users SET"
-                            " password_hash = ?,"
-                            " upgrade_ts = ?,"
-                            " is_guest = ?"
-                            " WHERE name = ?",
-                            [password_hash, now, 1 if make_guest else 0, user_id])
+                txn.execute(
+                    "UPDATE users SET"
+                    " password_hash = ?,"
+                    " upgrade_ts = ?,"
+                    " is_guest = ?,"
+                    " admin = ?"
+                    " WHERE name = ?",
+                    (password_hash, now, 1 if make_guest else 0, admin, user_id,)
+                )
+                self._simple_update_one_txn(
+                    txn,
+                    "users",
+                    keyvalues={
+                        "name": user_id,
+                    },
+                    updatevalues={
+                        "password_hash": password_hash,
+                        "upgrade_ts": now,
+                        "is_guest": 1 if make_guest else 0,
+                        "appservice_id": appservice_id,
+                        "admin": admin,
+                    }
+                )
             else:
-                txn.execute("INSERT INTO users "
-                            "("
-                            "   name,"
-                            "   password_hash,"
-                            "   creation_ts,"
-                            "   is_guest,"
-                            "   appservice_id"
-                            ") "
-                            "VALUES (?,?,?,?,?)",
-                            [
-                                user_id,
-                                password_hash,
-                                now,
-                                1 if make_guest else 0,
-                                appservice_id,
-                            ])
+                self._simple_insert_txn(
+                    txn,
+                    "users",
+                    values={
+                        "name": user_id,
+                        "password_hash": password_hash,
+                        "creation_ts": now,
+                        "is_guest": 1 if make_guest else 0,
+                        "appservice_id": appservice_id,
+                        "admin": admin,
+                    }
+                )
         except self.database_engine.module.IntegrityError:
             raise StoreError(
                 400, "User ID already taken.", errcode=Codes.USER_IN_USE