diff --git a/installer/data/mysql/atomicupdate/Bug_35830_add_merge_borrowers_permission.pl b/installer/data/mysql/atomicupdate/Bug_35830_add_merge_borrowers_permission.pl
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..776cdb9005
--- /dev/null
+++ b/installer/data/mysql/atomicupdate/Bug_35830_add_merge_borrowers_permission.pl
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+use Modern::Perl;
+use Koha::Installer::Output qw(say_warning say_success say_info);
+
+return {
+    bug_number  => "35830",
+    description => "Add permission borrowers:merge_borrowers",
+    up          => sub {
+        my ($args) = @_;
+        my ( $dbh, $out ) = @$args{qw(dbh out)};
+
+        $dbh->do(
+            q{INSERT IGNORE INTO permissions (module_bit, code, description)
+            VALUES (4, 'merge_borrowers', 'Merge patrons')}
+        );
+
+        say $out "Added new permission 'merge_borrowers'";
+
+        $dbh->do(
+            q{INSERT INTO user_permissions (borrowernumber, module_bit, code) SELECT  borrowernumber, module_bit, 'merge_borrowers' FROM user_permissions where module_bit = 4 and code = 'edit_borrowers';}
+        );
+
+        say $out "Added 'merge_borrowers' permission to existing users with 'edit_borrowers'";
+    },
+};
diff --git a/installer/data/mysql/mandatory/userpermissions.sql b/installer/data/mysql/mandatory/userpermissions.sql
index 1d8b7d034f..fd5d0ee616 100644
--- a/installer/data/mysql/mandatory/userpermissions.sql
+++ b/installer/data/mysql/mandatory/userpermissions.sql
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ INSERT INTO permissions (module_bit, code, description) VALUES
    ( 4, 'delete_borrowers', 'Delete patrons'),
    ( 4, 'edit_borrowers', 'Add, modify and view patron information'),
    ( 4, 'list_borrowers', 'Search, list and view patrons'),
+   ( 4, 'merge_borrowers', 'Merge patrons'),
    ( 4, 'send_messages_to_borrowers', 'Send messages to patrons'),
    ( 4, 'view_borrower_infos_from_any_libraries', 'View patron infos from any libraries'),
    ( 6, 'place_holds', 'Place holds for patrons'),
diff --git a/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/includes/permissions.inc b/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/includes/permissions.inc
index 8e1244c5b9..c43ad0c072 100644
--- a/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/includes/permissions.inc
+++ b/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/includes/permissions.inc
@@ -307,6 +307,9 @@
             Delete patrons
         </span>
         <span class="permissioncode">([% name | html %])</span>
+    [%- CASE 'merge_borrowers' -%]
+        <span class="sub_permission merge_borrowers_subpermission"> Merge patrons </span>
+        <span class="permissioncode">([% name | html %])</span>
     [%- CASE 'edit_borrowers' -%]
         <span class="sub_permission edit_borrowers_subpermission">
             Add, modify and view patron information
diff --git a/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/modules/members/member.tt b/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/modules/members/member.tt
index f64a0f3785..d3db144ed6 100644
--- a/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/modules/members/member.tt
+++ b/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/modules/members/member.tt
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@
                         </div>
                     [% END %]
 
-                    [% IF CAN_user_borrowers_edit_borrowers %]
+                    [% IF CAN_user_borrowers_merge_borrowers %]
                         <div class="btn-group">
                             <button id="merge-patrons" class="btn btn-default btn-sm disabled" disabled="disabled" type="submit"><i class="fa fa-compress" aria-hidden="true"></i> Merge selected patrons</button>
                         </div>
diff --git a/members/merge-patrons.pl b/members/merge-patrons.pl
index 5ceea2a9cb..923f381018 100755
--- a/members/merge-patrons.pl
+++ b/members/merge-patrons.pl
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ my ( $template, $loggedinuser, $cookie, $flags ) = get_template_and_user(
         template_name   => "members/merge-patrons.tt",
         query           => $cgi,
         type            => "intranet",
-        flagsrequired   => { borrowers => 'edit_borrowers' },
+        flagsrequired   => { borrowers => 'merge_borrowers' },
     }
 );
 
diff --git a/t/Koha/Auth/Permissions.t b/t/Koha/Auth/Permissions.t
index 4b398646f3..9e1c07dd80 100755
--- a/t/Koha/Auth/Permissions.t
+++ b/t/Koha/Auth/Permissions.t
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ subtest 'superlibrarian tests' => sub {
         'CAN_user_acquisition'                                      => 1,
         'CAN_user_borrowers_send_messages_to_borrowers'             => 1,
         'CAN_user_borrowers_delete_borrowers'                       => 1,
+        'CAN_user_borrowers_merge_borrowers'                        => 1,
         'CAN_user_borrowers_edit_borrowers'                         => 1,
         'CAN_user_borrowers_list_borrowers'                         => 1,
         'CAN_user_borrowers_view_borrower_infos_from_any_libraries' => 1,