diff --git a/modules/ViewerController/src/main/java/org/janelia/workstation/controller/TmViewerManager.java b/modules/ViewerController/src/main/java/org/janelia/workstation/controller/TmViewerManager.java
index 5dbd1f8cd..27d7092a1 100644
--- a/modules/ViewerController/src/main/java/org/janelia/workstation/controller/TmViewerManager.java
+++ b/modules/ViewerController/src/main/java/org/janelia/workstation/controller/TmViewerManager.java
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ public class TmViewerManager implements GlobalViewerController {
     private ProjectInitFacade projectInit;
     private DomainObject currProject;
     private int NUMBER_FRAGMENTS_THRESHOLD = 100;
-    private boolean isTempOwnershipAdmin = false;
     private boolean areOperationsLogged = false;
 
 
@@ -195,25 +194,12 @@ public boolean editsAllowed() {
         return ClientDomainUtils.hasWriteAccess(modelManager.getCurrentWorkspace());
     }
 
-    public boolean isTempOwnershipAdmin() {
-        return isTempOwnershipAdmin;
-    }
-
-    public void setTempOwnershipAdmin(boolean tempOwnershipAdmin) {
-        isTempOwnershipAdmin = tempOwnershipAdmin;
-    }
-
     public boolean isOwnershipAdmin() {
         // workstation admins always qualify
         if (AccessManager.getAccessManager().isAdmin()) {
             return true;
         }
 
-        // user has temporary admin (think of it as sudo)
-        if (isTempOwnershipAdmin()) {
-            return true;
-        }
-
         // check if user has admin role in tracers group:
         Subject subject = AccessManager.getAccessManager().getAuthenticatedSubject();
         if (subject==null) {
diff --git a/modules/ViewerInfoPanel/src/main/java/org/janelia/workstation/infopanel/AnnotationPanel.java b/modules/ViewerInfoPanel/src/main/java/org/janelia/workstation/infopanel/AnnotationPanel.java
index 4900549b8..3e665feba 100644
--- a/modules/ViewerInfoPanel/src/main/java/org/janelia/workstation/infopanel/AnnotationPanel.java
+++ b/modules/ViewerInfoPanel/src/main/java/org/janelia/workstation/infopanel/AnnotationPanel.java
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent actionEvent) {
     private WorkspaceSaveAsAction saveAsAction;
     private JCheckBoxMenuItem automaticTracingMenuItem;
     private JCheckBoxMenuItem automaticRefinementMenuItem;
-    private JCheckBoxMenuItem tempOwnerAdminItem;
     private NeuronExportAllAction exportAllSWCAction;
     private NeuronFilterAction neuronFilterAction;
     private ImportSWCAction importSWCAction;
@@ -259,31 +258,6 @@ public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent itemEvent) {
         saveAsAction = new WorkspaceSaveAsAction();
         workspaceToolMenu.add(new JMenuItem(saveAsAction));
 
-        tempOwnerAdminItem = new JCheckBoxMenuItem("Temp ownership admin");
-        tempOwnerAdminItem.setSelected(false);
-        tempOwnerAdminItem.addItemListener(e -> {
-                    if (e.getStateChange() == ItemEvent.SELECTED) {
-                        // about to get temporary ownership admin: dialog warning!
-                        int ans = JOptionPane.showConfirmDialog(
-                                ComponentUtil.getMainWindow(),
-                                "You are about to give yourself permission to change any neuron's owner. Be careful!\n\nContinue?",
-                                "Become owner admin?",
-                                JOptionPane.OK_CANCEL_OPTION,
-                                JOptionPane.WARNING_MESSAGE
-                        );
-                        if (ans == JOptionPane.CANCEL_OPTION) {
-                            tempOwnerAdminItem.setSelected(false);
-                        } else {
-                            TmViewerManager.getInstance().setTempOwnershipAdmin(true);
-                        }
-                    } else {
-                        // giving up admin
-                        TmViewerManager.getInstance().setTempOwnershipAdmin(false);
-                    }
-                }
-        );
-        workspaceToolMenu.add(tempOwnerAdminItem);
-
         // workspace tool menu button
         final JButton workspaceToolButton = new JButton();
         String gearIconFilename = "cog.png";