diff --git a/rhodecode/controllers/pullrequests.py b/rhodecode/controllers/pullrequests.py
--- a/rhodecode/controllers/pullrequests.py
+++ b/rhodecode/controllers/pullrequests.py
@@ -726,7 +726,7 @@ class PullrequestsController(BaseRepoCon
             c.allowed_to_delete = PullRequestModel().check_user_delete(
                 pull_request_latest, c.rhodecode_user) and not pr_closed
             c.allowed_to_comment = not pr_closed
-            c.allowed_to_close = c.allowed_to_change_status and not pr_closed
+            c.allowed_to_close = c.allowed_to_merge and not pr_closed
 
         # check merge capabilities
         _merge_check = MergeCheck.validate(
@@ -969,7 +969,11 @@ class PullrequestsController(BaseRepoCon
         close_pull_request = request.POST.get('close_pull_request')
 
         close_pr = False
-        if close_pull_request:
+        # only owner or admin or person with write permissions
+        allowed_to_close = PullRequestModel().check_user_update(
+            pull_request, c.rhodecode_user)
+
+        if close_pull_request and allowed_to_close:
             close_pr = True
             pull_request_review_status = pull_request.calculated_review_status()
             if pull_request_review_status == ChangesetStatus.STATUS_APPROVED:
diff --git a/rhodecode/tests/functional/test_pullrequests.py b/rhodecode/tests/functional/test_pullrequests.py
--- a/rhodecode/tests/functional/test_pullrequests.py
+++ b/rhodecode/tests/functional/test_pullrequests.py
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ from rhodecode.model.meta import Session
 from rhodecode.model.pull_request import PullRequestModel
 from rhodecode.model.user import UserModel
 from rhodecode.model.repo import RepoModel
-from rhodecode.tests import assert_session_flash, url, TEST_USER_ADMIN_LOGIN
+from rhodecode.tests import (
+    assert_session_flash, url, TEST_USER_ADMIN_LOGIN, TEST_USER_REGULAR_LOGIN)
 from rhodecode.tests.utils import AssertResponse
 
 
@@ -97,7 +98,7 @@ class TestPullrequestsController:
             'Server-side pull request merging is disabled.'
             in response) != pr_merge_enabled
 
-    def test_close_status_visibility(self, pr_util, csrf_token):
+    def test_close_status_visibility(self, pr_util, user_util, csrf_token):
         from rhodecode.tests.functional.test_login import login_url, logut_url
         # Logout
         response = self.app.post(
@@ -105,10 +106,11 @@ class TestPullrequestsController:
             params={'csrf_token': csrf_token})
         # Login as regular user
         response = self.app.post(login_url,
-                                 {'username': 'test_regular',
+                                 {'username': TEST_USER_REGULAR_LOGIN,
                                   'password': 'test12'})
 
-        pull_request = pr_util.create_pull_request(author='test_regular')
+        pull_request = pr_util.create_pull_request(
+            author=TEST_USER_REGULAR_LOGIN)
 
         response = self.app.get(url(
             controller='pullrequests', action='show',
@@ -118,6 +120,22 @@ class TestPullrequestsController:
         response.mustcontain('Server-side pull request merging is disabled.')
 
         assert_response = response.assert_response()
+        # for regular user without a merge permissions, we don't see it
+        assert_response.no_element_exists('#close-pull-request-action')
+
+        user_util.grant_user_permission_to_repo(
+            pull_request.target_repo,
+            UserModel().get_by_username(TEST_USER_REGULAR_LOGIN),
+            'repository.write')
+        response = self.app.get(url(
+            controller='pullrequests', action='show',
+            repo_name=pull_request.target_repo.scm_instance().name,
+            pull_request_id=str(pull_request.pull_request_id)))
+
+        response.mustcontain('Server-side pull request merging is disabled.')
+
+        assert_response = response.assert_response()
+        # now regular user has a merge permissions, we have CLOSE button
         assert_response.one_element_exists('#close-pull-request-action')
 
     def test_show_invalid_commit_id(self, pr_util):