diff --git a/routers/api/v1/repo/issue.go b/routers/api/v1/repo/issue.go
index 4621e3df8..d8214e380 100644
--- a/routers/api/v1/repo/issue.go
+++ b/routers/api/v1/repo/issue.go
@@ -367,13 +367,6 @@ func UpdateIssueDeadline(ctx *context.APIContext, form api.CreateDeadlineOption)
 	//   "201":
 	//     "$ref": "#/responses/IssueDeadline"
 
-	if !ctx.Repo.IsWriter() {
-		ctx.JSON(401, map[string]string{
-			"message": "Only users with write access to this repository can manage issue deadlines.",
-		})
-		return
-	}
-
 	issue, err := models.GetIssueByIndex(ctx.Repo.Repository.ID, ctx.ParamsInt64(":index"))
 	if err != nil {
 		if models.IsErrIssueNotExist(err) {
@@ -384,6 +377,11 @@ func UpdateIssueDeadline(ctx *context.APIContext, form api.CreateDeadlineOption)
 		return
 	}
 
+	if !issue.IsPoster(ctx.User.ID) && !ctx.Repo.IsWriter() {
+		ctx.Status(403)
+		return
+	}
+
 	var deadlineUnix util.TimeStamp
 	if form.Deadline != nil && !form.Deadline.IsZero() {
 		deadlineUnix = util.TimeStamp(form.Deadline.Unix())