diff --git a/changelog.d/736.feature b/changelog.d/736.feature
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f55c5ff9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/736.feature
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Add configuration setting (`bridge.userPowerLevels`) to auto-apply power levels to designated users on bridge startup.
diff --git a/config/config.sample.yaml b/config/config.sample.yaml
index 3443e4af..5ba904f8 100644
--- a/config/config.sample.yaml
+++ b/config/config.sample.yaml
@@ -44,6 +44,13 @@ bridge:
   adminMxid: '@admin:localhost'
   # The message to send to the bridge admin if the Discord token is not valid
   invalidTokenMessage: 'Your Discord bot token seems to be invalid, and the bridge cannot function. Please update it in your bridge settings and restart the bridge'
+  # Custom power levels to assign to Matrix users in bridged rooms (supports regexes).
+  # Patterns are tested in order; first match is used.
+  #userPowerLevels:
+  #  - userPattern: "@admin:example.com"
+  #    pl: 100
+  #  - userPattern: "@.*:example.com"
+  #    pl: 50
 # Authentication configuration for the discord bot.
 auth:
   # This MUST be a string (wrapped in quotes)
diff --git a/config/config.schema.yaml b/config/config.schema.yaml
index eb320ac0..e31bce5b 100644
--- a/config/config.schema.yaml
+++ b/config/config.schema.yaml
@@ -42,6 +42,14 @@ properties:
                 type: "number"
           userLimit:
             type: "number"
+          userPowerLevels:
+            type: "array"
+            items:
+              type: "object"
+              required: ["userPattern", "pl"]
+              properties:
+                userPattern: "string"
+                pl: "number"
     auth:
         type: "object"
         required: ["botToken", "clientID"]
diff --git a/src/config.ts b/src/config.ts
index b9362fa9..ea240de8 100644
--- a/src/config.ts
+++ b/src/config.ts
@@ -80,6 +80,11 @@ export class DiscordBridgeConfig {
     }
 }
 
+interface UserPowerLevel {
+    userPattern: string;
+    pl: number;
+}
+
 export class DiscordBridgeConfigBridge {
     public domain: string;
     public homeserverUrl: string;
@@ -103,6 +108,11 @@ export class DiscordBridgeConfigBridge {
     public userLimit: number|null = null;
     public adminMxid: string|null = null;
     public invalidTokenMessage: string = 'Your Discord token is invalid';
+    public userPowerLevels: UserPowerLevel[] = [];
+
+    public GetCustomPowerLevelForUser(userId: string): number|undefined {
+        return this.userPowerLevels.find(obj => RegExp(obj.userPattern).test(userId))?.pl;
+    }
 }
 
 export class DiscordBridgeConfigDatabase {
diff --git a/src/discordas.ts b/src/discordas.ts
index baebd985..56daa0f7 100644
--- a/src/discordas.ts
+++ b/src/discordas.ts
@@ -228,6 +228,22 @@ async function run(): Promise<void> {
     await appservice.begin();
     log.info(`Started listening on port ${port}`);
 
+    const client = appservice.botIntent.underlyingClient;
+    for (const roomId of await client.getJoinedRooms()) {
+        for (const userId of await client.getJoinedRoomMembers(roomId)) {
+            let customPL;
+            if (!appservice.isNamespacedUser(userId) &&
+                (customPL = config.bridge.GetCustomPowerLevelForUser(userId)) !== undefined) {
+                // TODO allSettled
+                try {
+                    await client.setUserPowerLevel(userId, roomId, customPL);
+                    log.verbose(`Set power level of ${customPL} for user ${userId} in room ${roomId}`);
+                } catch (err) {
+                    log.warn(`Cannot set custom power level of ${customPL} for user ${userId} in room ${roomId}: ${err}`);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 run().catch((err) => {
diff --git a/src/matrixeventprocessor.ts b/src/matrixeventprocessor.ts
index f1f46115..b9fd1f37 100644
--- a/src/matrixeventprocessor.ts
+++ b/src/matrixeventprocessor.ts
@@ -258,6 +258,12 @@ export class MatrixEventProcessor {
                 }
                 // We don't know if the user also updated their profile, but to be safe..
                 this.mxUserProfileCache.delete(event.sender);
+
+                const customPL = this.config.bridge.GetCustomPowerLevelForUser(event.sender);
+                if (customPL !== undefined) {
+                    client.setUserPowerLevel(event.sender, event.room_id, customPL)
+                        .catch((err) => log.warn(`Cannot set custom power level of ${customPL} for user ${event.sender} in room ${event.room_id}: ${err}`));
+                }
             }
             if (membership === "join" && isNewJoin && allowJoinLeave) {
                 msg += "joined the room";