diff --git a/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php b/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php
index 5fbf2a996b..89a0fe283d 100644
--- a/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php
+++ b/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ function _wp_ajax_add_hierarchical_term() {
 	$action = $_POST['action'];
 	$taxonomy = get_taxonomy(substr($action, 4));
 	check_ajax_referer( $action );
-	if ( !current_user_can( $taxonomy->manage_cap ) )
+	if ( !current_user_can( $taxonomy->edit_cap ) )
 		die('-1');
 	$names = explode(',', $_POST['new'.$taxonomy->name]);
 	$parent = isset($_POST['new'.$taxonomy->name.'_parent']) ? (int) $_POST['new'.$taxonomy->name.'_parent'] : 0;
diff --git a/wp-admin/includes/meta-boxes.php b/wp-admin/includes/meta-boxes.php
index aa4341a3f4..3a5744a9b1 100644
--- a/wp-admin/includes/meta-boxes.php
+++ b/wp-admin/includes/meta-boxes.php
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ if ( !in_array( $post->post_status, array('publish', 'future', 'private') ) || 0
 function post_tags_meta_box($post, $box) {
 	$tax_name = esc_attr(substr($box['id'], 8));
 	$taxonomy = get_taxonomy($tax_name);
-	if ( !current_user_can($taxonomy->manage_cap) ) // @todo: Display the terms, do not edit.
+	if ( !current_user_can($taxonomy->assign_cap) ) // @todo: Display the terms, do not edit.
 		return;
 	$helps = isset($taxonomy->helps) ? esc_attr($taxonomy->helps) : __('Separate tags with commas.');
 ?>
diff --git a/wp-admin/includes/template.php b/wp-admin/includes/template.php
index c3be425063..81a257ca87 100644
--- a/wp-admin/includes/template.php
+++ b/wp-admin/includes/template.php
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ function wp_terms_checklist($post_id = 0, $args = array()) {
 	$args = array('taxonomy' => $taxonomy);
 
 	$tax = get_taxonomy($taxonomy);
-	$args['disabled'] = !current_user_can($tax->manage_cap);
+	$args['disabled'] = !current_user_can($tax->assign_cap);
 
 	if ( is_array( $selected_cats ) )
 		$args['selected_cats'] = $selected_cats;
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ function wp_popular_terms_checklist( $taxonomy, $default = 0, $number = 10, $ech
 	$terms = get_terms( $taxonomy, array( 'orderby' => 'count', 'order' => 'DESC', 'number' => $number, 'hierarchical' => false ) );
 
 	$tax = get_taxonomy($taxonomy);
-	if ( ! current_user_can($tax->manage_cap) )
+	if ( ! current_user_can($tax->assign_cap) )
 		$disabled = 'disabled="disabled"';
 	else
 		$disabled = '';
diff --git a/wp-includes/post.php b/wp-includes/post.php
index 824606cf49..87d4aa0c22 100644
--- a/wp-includes/post.php
+++ b/wp-includes/post.php
@@ -2185,7 +2185,7 @@ function wp_insert_post($postarr = array(), $wp_error = false) {
 	if ( !empty($tax_input) ) {
 		foreach ( $tax_input as $taxonomy => $tags ) {
 			$taxonomy_obj = get_taxonomy($taxonomy);
-			if ( current_user_can($taxonomy_obj->manage_cap) )
+			if ( current_user_can($taxonomy_obj->assign_cap) )
 				wp_set_post_terms( $post_ID, $tags, $taxonomy );
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/wp-includes/taxonomy.php b/wp-includes/taxonomy.php
index c1ee24b967..2a7bb5d427 100644
--- a/wp-includes/taxonomy.php
+++ b/wp-includes/taxonomy.php
@@ -256,6 +256,8 @@ function register_taxonomy( $taxonomy, $object_type, $args = array() ) {
 		if ( empty($args[$cap]) )
 			$args[$cap] = 'manage_categories';
 	}
+	if ( empty($args['assign_cap']) )
+		$args['assign_cap'] = 'edit_posts';
 
 	if ( empty($args['singular_label']) )
 		$args['singular_label'] = $args['label'];