diff --git a/api4/status.go b/api4/status.go
index 142f5ce5ae4c4..46d4f963bc411 100644
--- a/api4/status.go
+++ b/api4/status.go
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ func InitStatus() {
 
 	BaseRoutes.User.Handle("/status", ApiHandler(getUserStatus)).Methods("GET")
 	BaseRoutes.Users.Handle("/status/ids", ApiHandler(getUserStatusesByIds)).Methods("POST")
-
+	BaseRoutes.User.Handle("/status", ApiHandler(updateUserStatus)).Methods("PUT")
 }
 
 func getUserStatus(c *Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
@@ -59,3 +59,35 @@ func getUserStatusesByIds(c *Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		w.Write([]byte(model.StatusListToJson(statusMap)))
 	}
 }
+
+func updateUserStatus(c *Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	c.RequireUserId()
+	if c.Err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	status := model.StatusFromJson(r.Body)
+	if status == nil {
+		c.SetInvalidParam("status")
+		return
+	}
+
+	if !app.SessionHasPermissionToUser(c.Session, c.Params.UserId) {
+		c.SetPermissionError(model.PERMISSION_EDIT_OTHER_USERS)
+		return
+	}
+
+	switch status.Status {
+	case "online":
+		app.SetStatusOnline(c.Params.UserId, "", true)
+	case "offline":
+		app.SetStatusOffline(c.Params.UserId, true)
+	case "away":
+		app.SetStatusAwayIfNeeded(c.Params.UserId, true)
+	default:
+		c.SetInvalidParam("status")
+		return
+	}
+
+	getUserStatus(c, w, r)
+}
diff --git a/api4/status_test.go b/api4/status_test.go
index 35bf623796a26..c8277b3de05cd 100644
--- a/api4/status_test.go
+++ b/api4/status_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/mattermost/platform/app"
+	"github.com/mattermost/platform/model"
 )
 
 func TestGetUserStatus(t *testing.T) {
@@ -89,3 +90,40 @@ func TestGetUsersStatusesByIds(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestUpdateUserStatus(t *testing.T) {
+	th := Setup().InitBasic().InitSystemAdmin()
+	defer TearDown()
+	Client := th.Client
+
+	toUpdateUserStatus := &model.Status{Status: "online"}
+	updateUserStatus, resp := Client.UpdateUserStatus(th.BasicUser.Id, toUpdateUserStatus)
+	CheckNoError(t, resp)
+	if updateUserStatus.Status != "online" {
+		t.Fatal("Should return online status")
+	}
+
+	toUpdateUserStatus.Status = "away"
+	updateUserStatus, resp = Client.UpdateUserStatus(th.BasicUser.Id, toUpdateUserStatus)
+	CheckNoError(t, resp)
+	if updateUserStatus.Status != "away" {
+		t.Fatal("Should return away status")
+	}
+
+	toUpdateUserStatus.Status = "offline"
+	updateUserStatus, resp = Client.UpdateUserStatus(th.BasicUser.Id, toUpdateUserStatus)
+	CheckNoError(t, resp)
+	if updateUserStatus.Status != "offline" {
+		t.Fatal("Should return offline status")
+	}
+
+	toUpdateUserStatus.Status = "online"
+	updateUserStatus, resp = Client.UpdateUserStatus(th.BasicUser2.Id, toUpdateUserStatus)
+	CheckForbiddenStatus(t, resp)
+
+	toUpdateUserStatus.Status = "online"
+	updateUserStatus, resp = th.SystemAdminClient.UpdateUserStatus(th.BasicUser2.Id, toUpdateUserStatus)
+	if updateUserStatus.Status != "online" {
+		t.Fatal("Should return online status")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/model/client4.go b/model/client4.go
index c542851e9cc29..9f1830137c661 100644
--- a/model/client4.go
+++ b/model/client4.go
@@ -2051,3 +2051,14 @@ func (c *Client4) GetUsersStatusesByIds(userIds []string) ([]*Status, *Response)
 		return StatusListFromJson(r.Body), BuildResponse(r)
 	}
 }
+
+// UpdateUserStatus sets a user's status based on the provided user id string.
+func (c *Client4) UpdateUserStatus(userId string, userStatus *Status) (*Status, *Response) {
+	if r, err := c.DoApiPut(c.GetUserStatusRoute(userId), userStatus.ToJson()); err != nil {
+		return nil, &Response{StatusCode: r.StatusCode, Error: err}
+	} else {
+		defer closeBody(r)
+		return StatusFromJson(r.Body), BuildResponse(r)
+
+	}
+}