diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/perm/PermissionsHandler.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/perm/PermissionsHandler.java
index ab2332528..c5653b0ad 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/perm/PermissionsHandler.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/perm/PermissionsHandler.java
@@ -134,6 +134,17 @@ public class PermissionsHandler implements IPermissionsHandler
 			return;
 		}
 
+		final Plugin simplyPermsPlugin = pluginManager.getPlugin("SimplyPerms");
+		if (simplyPermsPlugin != null && simplyPermsPlugin.isEnabled())
+		{
+			if (!(handler instanceof SimplyPermsHandler))
+			{
+				LOGGER.log(Level.INFO, "Essentials: Using SimplyPerms based permissions.");
+				handler = new SimplyPermsHandler(simplyPermsPlugin);
+			}
+			return;
+		}
+
 		final Plugin privPlugin = pluginManager.getPlugin("Privileges");
 		if (privPlugin != null && privPlugin.isEnabled())
 		{
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/perm/SimplyPermsHandler.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/perm/SimplyPermsHandler.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cdd9ffa93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/perm/SimplyPermsHandler.java
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+package com.earth2me.essentials.perm;
+
+import java.util.List;
+
+import net.crystalyx.bukkit.simplyperms.SimplyAPI;
+import net.crystalyx.bukkit.simplyperms.SimplyPlugin;
+
+import org.bukkit.entity.Player;
+import org.bukkit.plugin.Plugin;
+
+public class SimplyPermsHandler extends SuperpermsHandler {
+
+	private final transient SimplyAPI api;
+
+	public SimplyPermsHandler(final Plugin plugin) {
+		this.api = ((SimplyPlugin) plugin).getAPI();
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public String getGroup(final Player base)
+	{
+		final List<String> groups = api.getPlayerGroups(base.getName());
+		if (groups == null || groups.isEmpty()) return null;
+		return groups.get(0);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public List<String> getGroups(final Player base)
+	{
+		return api.getPlayerGroups(base.getName());
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public boolean inGroup(final Player base, final String group)
+	{
+		final List<String> groups = api.getPlayerGroups(base.getName());
+		for (String group1 : groups)
+		{
+			if (group1.equalsIgnoreCase(group))
+			{
+				return true;
+			}
+		}
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public boolean canBuild(Player base, String group)
+	{
+		return hasPermission(base, "essentials.build") || hasPermission(base, "permissions.allow.build");
+	}
+
+}