diff --git a/lib/declarative_authorization/in_controller.rb b/lib/declarative_authorization/in_controller.rb
index 3d954db9..1d6ad13b 100644
--- a/lib/declarative_authorization/in_controller.rb
+++ b/lib/declarative_authorization/in_controller.rb
@@ -281,7 +281,9 @@ module ClassMethods
       #   Example demonstrating the default behavior:
       #     filter_access_to :show, :attribute_check => true,
       #                      :load_method => lambda { User.find(params[:id]) }
-      # 
+      # [:+overwrite+]
+      #   Specifify if this filter will overwrite any access filter for the actions
+      #   they have in common. Defaults to +true+.
       
       def filter_access_to (*args, &filter_block)
         options = args.last.is_a?(Hash) ? args.pop : {}
@@ -290,7 +292,8 @@ def filter_access_to (*args, &filter_block)
           :context => nil,
           :attribute_check => false,
           :model => nil,
-          :load_method => nil
+          :load_method => nil,
+          :overwrite => true
         }.merge!(options)
         privilege = options[:require]
         context = options[:context]
@@ -300,8 +303,10 @@ def filter_access_to (*args, &filter_block)
         skip_before_filter :filter_access_filter
         before_filter :filter_access_filter
         
-        filter_access_permissions.each do |perm|
-          perm.remove_actions(actions)
+        if options[:overwrite]
+          filter_access_permissions.each do |perm|
+            perm.remove_actions(actions)
+          end
         end
         filter_access_permissions << 
           ControllerPermission.new(actions, privilege, context,
diff --git a/test/controller_test.rb b/test/controller_test.rb
index 3cbe678c..9414f685 100644
--- a/test/controller_test.rb
+++ b/test/controller_test.rb
@@ -334,7 +334,9 @@ class AccessOverwritesController < MocksController
   filter_access_to :test_action, :test_action_2, 
     :require => :test, :context => :permissions_2
   filter_access_to :test_action, :require => :test, :context => :permissions
-  define_action_methods :test_action, :test_action_2
+  filter_access_to :test_action_3, :require => :test_2, :context => :permissions
+  filter_access_to :test_action_3, :require => :test, :context => :permissions, :overwrite => false
+  define_action_methods :test_action, :test_action_2, :test_action_3
 end
 class AccessOverwritesControllerTest < ActionController::TestCase
   def test_filter_access_overwrite
@@ -352,6 +354,26 @@ def test_filter_access_overwrite
     request!(MockUser.new(:test_role), "test_action", reader)
     assert @controller.authorized?
   end
+
+  def test_filter_access_overwrite_disabled
+    reader = Authorization::Reader::DSLReader.new
+    reader.parse %{
+      authorization do
+        role :test_role do
+          has_permission_on :permissions, :to => :test
+        end
+
+        role :test_role_2 do
+          has_permission_on :permissions, :to => [ :test, :test_2 ]
+        end
+      end
+    }
+    request!(MockUser.new(:test_role), "test_action_3", reader)
+    assert !@controller.authorized?
+
+    request!(MockUser.new(:test_role_2), "test_action_3", reader)
+    assert @controller.authorized?
+  end
 end