diff --git a/src/com/sk89q/bukkit/migration/ConfigurationPermissionsResolver.java b/src/com/sk89q/bukkit/migration/ConfigurationPermissionsResolver.java
index a4c0f662e..ac8a0ba16 100644
--- a/src/com/sk89q/bukkit/migration/ConfigurationPermissionsResolver.java
+++ b/src/com/sk89q/bukkit/migration/ConfigurationPermissionsResolver.java
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ public class ConfigurationPermissionsResolver implements PermissionsResolver {
             return false;
         }
         
-        return perms.contains(permission);        
+        return perms.contains("*") || perms.contains(permission);        
     }
     
     public boolean inGroup(String player, String group) {
diff --git a/src/com/sk89q/bukkit/migration/FlatFilePermissionsResolver.java b/src/com/sk89q/bukkit/migration/FlatFilePermissionsResolver.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b57440ff7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/com/sk89q/bukkit/migration/FlatFilePermissionsResolver.java
@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
+// $Id$
+/*
+ * WorldEdit
+ * Copyright (C) 2010 sk89q <http://www.sk89q.com>
+ *
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+package com.sk89q.bukkit.migration;
+
+import java.io.BufferedReader;
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.FileReader;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.HashSet;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+
+public class FlatFilePermissionsResolver implements PermissionsResolver {
+    private Map<String,Set<String>> userPermissionsCache;
+    private Map<String,Set<String>> userGroups;
+    
+    public FlatFilePermissionsResolver() {
+    }
+    
+    public static boolean filesExists() {
+        return (new File("perms_groups.txt")).exists()
+                && (new File("perms_users.txt")).exists();
+    }
+    
+    public Map<String,Set<String>> loadGroupPermissions() {
+        Map<String,Set<String>> userGroupPermissions = new HashMap<String,Set<String>>();
+
+        File file = new File("perms_groups.txt");
+        FileReader input = null;
+
+        try {
+            input = new FileReader(file);
+            BufferedReader buff = new BufferedReader(input);
+
+            String line;
+            while ((line = buff.readLine()) != null) {
+                line = line.trim();
+
+                // Blank line
+                if (line.length() == 0) {
+                    continue;
+                } else if (line.charAt(0) == ';' || line.charAt(0) == '#') {
+                    continue;
+                }
+                
+                String[] parts = line.split(":");
+                
+                String key = parts[0];
+                
+                if (parts.length > 1) {
+                    String[] perms = parts[1].split(",");
+
+                    Set<String> groupPerms = new HashSet<String>(Arrays.asList(perms));
+                    userGroupPermissions.put(key, groupPerms);
+                }
+            }
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            e.printStackTrace();
+        } finally {
+            try {
+                if (input != null) {
+                    input.close();
+                }
+            } catch (IOException e2) {
+            }
+        }
+        
+        return userGroupPermissions;
+    }
+    
+    public void load() {
+        userGroups = new HashMap<String,Set<String>>();
+        userPermissionsCache = new HashMap<String,Set<String>>();
+
+        Map<String,Set<String>> userGroupPermissions = loadGroupPermissions();
+
+        File file = new File("perms_users.txt");
+        FileReader input = null;
+
+        try {
+            input = new FileReader(file);
+            BufferedReader buff = new BufferedReader(input);
+
+            String line;
+            while ((line = buff.readLine()) != null) {
+                Set<String> permsCache = new HashSet<String>();
+                
+                line = line.trim();
+
+                // Blank line
+                if (line.length() == 0) {
+                    continue;
+                } else if (line.charAt(0) == ';' || line.charAt(0) == '#') {
+                    continue;
+                }
+                
+                String[] parts = line.split(":");
+                
+                String key = parts[0];
+                
+                if (parts.length > 1) {
+                    String[] groups = (parts[1] + ",default").split(",");
+                    String[] perms = parts.length > 2 ? parts[2].split(",") : new String[0];
+
+                    permsCache.addAll(Arrays.asList(perms));
+
+                    for (String group : groups) {
+                        Set<String> groupPerms = userGroupPermissions.get(group);
+                        if (groupPerms != null) {
+                            permsCache.addAll(groupPerms);
+                        }
+                    }
+
+                    userPermissionsCache.put(key.toLowerCase(), permsCache);
+                    userGroups.put(key.toLowerCase(), new HashSet<String>(Arrays.asList(groups)));
+                }
+            }
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            e.printStackTrace();
+        } finally {
+            try {
+                if (input != null) {
+                    input.close();
+                }
+            } catch (IOException e2) {
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    
+    public boolean hasPermission(String player, String permission) {
+        Set<String> perms = userPermissionsCache.get(player.toLowerCase());
+        if (perms == null) {
+            return false;
+        }
+        
+        return perms.contains("*") || perms.contains(permission);        
+    }
+    
+    public boolean inGroup(String player, String group) {
+        Set<String> groups = userGroups.get(player.toLowerCase());
+        if (groups == null) {
+            return false;
+        }
+        
+        return groups.contains(group);        
+    }
+    
+    public String[] getGroups(String player) {
+        Set<String> groups = userGroups.get(player.toLowerCase());
+        if (groups == null) {
+            return new String[0];
+        }
+        
+        return groups.toArray(new String[groups.size()]);        
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/com/sk89q/bukkit/migration/PermissionsResolverManager.java b/src/com/sk89q/bukkit/migration/PermissionsResolverManager.java
index d2b28e021..7a6ec0ca7 100644
--- a/src/com/sk89q/bukkit/migration/PermissionsResolverManager.java
+++ b/src/com/sk89q/bukkit/migration/PermissionsResolverManager.java
@@ -42,23 +42,38 @@ public class PermissionsResolverManager implements PermissionsResolver {
     }
     
     public void findResolver() {
+        if (tryGroupsUsers()) return;
+        if (tryFlatFilePermissions()) return;
+        
+        perms = new ConfigurationPermissionsResolver(config);
+        logger.info(name + ": No known permissions plugin detected. Using configuration file for permissions.");
+    }
+    
+    private boolean tryGroupsUsers() {
         try {
             perms = new GroupUsersPemissionsResolver(server);
             logger.info(name + ": GroupUsers detected! Using GroupUsers for permissions.");
+            return true;
         } catch (PluginAccessException e) {
-            perms = new ConfigurationPermissionsResolver(config);
-            logger.warning(name + ": Failed to access GroupUsers. Falling back to configuration file for permissions.");
+            return false;
         } catch (NoClassDefFoundError e) {
-            perms = new ConfigurationPermissionsResolver(config);
-            logger.info(name + ": No known permissions plugin detected. Using configuration file for permissions. (code: 10)");
+            return false;
         } catch (MissingPluginException e) {
-            perms = new ConfigurationPermissionsResolver(config);
-            logger.info(name + ": No known permissions plugin detected. Using configuration file for permissions. (code: 11)");
+            return false;
         } catch (Throwable e) {
-            perms = new ConfigurationPermissionsResolver(config);
-            logger.info(name + ": No known permissions plugin detected. Using configuration file for permissions. (code: 12)");
+            return false;
         }
     }
+    
+    private boolean tryFlatFilePermissions() {
+        if (FlatFilePermissionsResolver.filesExists()) {
+            perms = new FlatFilePermissionsResolver();
+            logger.info(name + ": perms_groups.txt and perms_users.txt detected! Using flat file permissions.");
+            return true;
+        }
+        
+        return false;
+    }
 
     public void load() {
         perms.load();