diff --git a/config/alfresco/core-services-context.xml b/config/alfresco/core-services-context.xml
index 1ba13f8baf..25a85645fe 100644
--- a/config/alfresco/core-services-context.xml
+++ b/config/alfresco/core-services-context.xml
@@ -532,6 +532,7 @@
         <property name="searchService" ref="admSearchService" />
         <property name="behaviourFilter" ref="policyBehaviourFilter" />
         <property name="nodeIndexer" ref="nodeIndexer"/>      
+        <property name="authorityService" ref="authorityService"/>
     </bean>
 
     <!--                               -->
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/lock/LockServiceImpl.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/lock/LockServiceImpl.java
index 66094d8585..87d246b6ce 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/lock/LockServiceImpl.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/lock/LockServiceImpl.java
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ import org.alfresco.service.cmr.repository.StoreRef;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.search.ResultSet;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.search.SearchService;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.security.AuthenticationService;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.security.AuthorityService;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.security.PermissionService;
 import org.alfresco.service.namespace.QName;
 import org.alfresco.util.Pair;
 import org.alfresco.util.PropertyCheck;
@@ -94,6 +96,7 @@ public class LockServiceImpl implements LockService,
     private TenantService tenantService;
     private AuthenticationService authenticationService;
     private SearchService searchService;
+    private AuthorityService authorityService;
     private BehaviourFilter behaviourFilter;
     private LockStore lockStore;
     private PolicyComponent policyComponent;
@@ -139,6 +142,11 @@ public class LockServiceImpl implements LockService,
         this.searchService = searchService;
     }
 
+    public void setAuthorityService(AuthorityService authorityService) 
+    {
+        this.authorityService = authorityService;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Initialise methods called by Spring framework
      */
@@ -150,6 +158,7 @@ public class LockServiceImpl implements LockService,
         PropertyCheck.mandatory(this, "searchService",  searchService);
         PropertyCheck.mandatory(this, "behaviourFilter",  behaviourFilter);
         PropertyCheck.mandatory(this, "policyComponent",  policyComponent);
+        PropertyCheck.mandatory(this, "authorityService",  authorityService);
         
         // Register the policies
         beforeLock = policyComponent.registerClassPolicy(LockServicePolicies.BeforeLock.class);
@@ -478,6 +487,8 @@ public class LockServiceImpl implements LockService,
             {
             	throw new UnableToReleaseLockException(nodeRef, CAUSE.CHECKED_OUT);
             }
+            // check if the user able to unlock the node
+            checkNodeBeforeUnlock(nodeRef);
 
             // Remove the lock from persistent storage.
             Lifetime lifetime = lockState.getLifetime();
@@ -503,8 +514,8 @@ public class LockServiceImpl implements LockService,
             }
             else if (lifetime == Lifetime.EPHEMERAL)
             {
-                // Remove the ephemeral lock.
-                lockStore.set(nodeRef, LockState.createUnlocked(nodeRef));
+                // force unlock the ephemeral lock.
+                lockStore.forceUnlock(nodeRef);
                 nodeIndexer.indexUpdateNode(nodeRef);
             }
             else
@@ -656,6 +667,39 @@ public class LockServiceImpl implements LockService,
             }
         }
     }
+    
+    private void checkNodeBeforeUnlock(NodeRef nodeRef)
+    {
+        String userName = getUserName();
+        Set<String> userAuthorities = authorityService.getAuthoritiesForUser(userName);
+        // ignore check for admins and system
+        if (userAuthorities.contains(PermissionService.ADMINISTRATOR_AUTHORITY) ||
+            tenantService.getBaseNameUser(userName).equals(AuthenticationUtil.getSystemUserName()))
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+        
+        nodeRef = tenantService.getName(nodeRef);
+        
+        // Ensure we have found a node reference
+        if (nodeRef != null && userName != null)
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                // Get the current lock status on the node ref
+                LockStatus currentLockStatus = getLockStatus(nodeRef, userName);
+                
+                if (LockStatus.LOCKED.equals(currentLockStatus) == true)
+                {
+                    throw new UnableToReleaseLockException(nodeRef);
+                }
+            }
+            catch (AspectMissingException exception)
+            {
+                // Ignore since this indicates that the node does not have the lock aspect applied
+            }
+        }
+    }
 
     /**
      * Ensures that the parent is not locked.
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/lock/mem/AbstractLockStore.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/lock/mem/AbstractLockStore.java
index e842cdf19d..894b0f3d39 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/lock/mem/AbstractLockStore.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/lock/mem/AbstractLockStore.java
@@ -67,9 +67,20 @@ public abstract class AbstractLockStore<T extends ConcurrentMap<NodeRef, LockSta
         }
         return lockState;
     }
+    
+    @Override
+    public void forceUnlock(NodeRef nodeRef)
+    {
+        set(nodeRef, LockState.createUnlocked(nodeRef), true);
+    }
 
     @Override
     public void set(NodeRef nodeRef, LockState lockState)
+    {
+        set(nodeRef, lockState, false);
+    }
+    
+    private void set(NodeRef nodeRef, LockState lockState, boolean ignoreOwnerCheck)
     {
         Map<NodeRef, LockState> txMap = getTxMap();
         LockState previousLockState = null;
@@ -102,7 +113,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractLockStore<T extends ConcurrentMap<NodeRef, LockSta
             String userName = AuthenticationUtil.getFullyAuthenticatedUser();
             String owner = previousLockState.getOwner();
             Date expires = previousLockState.getExpires();
-            if (LockUtils.lockStatus(userName, owner, expires) == LockStatus.LOCKED)
+            if (!ignoreOwnerCheck && LockUtils.lockStatus(userName, owner, expires) == LockStatus.LOCKED)
             {
                 throw new UnableToAquireLockException(nodeRef);
             }            
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/lock/mem/LockStore.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/lock/mem/LockStore.java
index 6dd334656b..65bf0f5ff1 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/lock/mem/LockStore.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/lock/mem/LockStore.java
@@ -35,6 +35,13 @@ public interface LockStore
     void set(NodeRef nodeRef, LockState lockState);
     public Set<NodeRef> getNodes();
     
+    /**
+     * WARNING: only use in lockService - unlocks node ignoring lockOwner
+     * 
+     * @param nodeRef
+     */
+    void forceUnlock(NodeRef nodeRef);
+    
     /**
      * WARNING: only use in test code - unsafe method for production use.
      * 
diff --git a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/repo/lock/LockServiceImplTest.java b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/repo/lock/LockServiceImplTest.java
index 59eccc7fec..ae35dda2c6 100644
--- a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/repo/lock/LockServiceImplTest.java
+++ b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/repo/lock/LockServiceImplTest.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import org.alfresco.repo.lock.mem.LockStore;
 import org.alfresco.repo.search.IndexerAndSearcher;
 import org.alfresco.repo.search.SearcherComponent;
 import org.alfresco.repo.security.authentication.AuthenticationComponent;
+import org.alfresco.repo.security.authentication.AuthenticationUtil;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.coci.CheckOutCheckInService;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.lock.LockService;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.lock.LockStatus;
@@ -903,5 +904,41 @@ public class LockServiceImplTest extends BaseSpringTest
             logger.debug("exception while trying to unlock a checked out node", e);
         }
     }
-
+    
+    public void testUnlockEphemeralNodeWithAdminUser()
+    {
+        for (Lifetime lt : new Lifetime[]{Lifetime.EPHEMERAL, Lifetime.PERSISTENT})
+        {
+            TestWithUserUtils.authenticateUser(GOOD_USER_NAME, PWD, rootNodeRef, this.authenticationService);
+        
+            /* create node */
+            final NodeRef testNode = 
+                this.nodeService.createNode(parentNode, ContentModel.ASSOC_CONTAINS, QName.createQName("{}testNode"), ContentModel.TYPE_CONTAINER).getChildRef();
+        
+            // lock it as GOOD user
+            this.lockService.lock(testNode, LockType.WRITE_LOCK, 2 * 86400, lt, null);
+        
+            TestWithUserUtils.authenticateUser(BAD_USER_NAME, PWD, rootNodeRef, this.authenticationService);
+        
+            try
+            {
+                // try to unlock as bad user
+                this.lockService.unlock(testNode);
+                fail("BAD user shouldn't be able to unlock " + lt + " lock");
+            }
+            catch(UnableToReleaseLockException e)
+            {
+                // it's expected
+            }
+        
+            TestWithUserUtils.authenticateUser(AuthenticationUtil.getAdminUserName(), "admin", rootNodeRef, this.authenticationService);
+        
+            // try to unlock as ADMIN user
+            this.lockService.unlock(testNode);
+        
+            TestWithUserUtils.authenticateUser(GOOD_USER_NAME, PWD, rootNodeRef, this.authenticationService);
+        
+            this.nodeService.deleteNode(testNode);
+        }
+    }
 }