diff --git app/controllers/journals_controller.rb app/controllers/journals_controller.rb
index a0905ae..4885f47 100644
--- app/controllers/journals_controller.rb
+++ app/controllers/journals_controller.rb
@@ -90,7 +90,10 @@ class JournalsController < ApplicationController
 
   def update
     (render_403; return false) unless @journal.editable_by?(User.current)
-    @journal.update_attributes(:notes => params[:notes]) if params[:notes]
+    @journal.notes = params[:notes] if params[:notes]
+    @journal.private_notes = params[:private_notes] if params[:private_notes]
+    (render_403; return false) if @journal.private_notes_changed? && User.current.allowed_to?(:set_notes_private, @journal.issue.project) == false
+    @journal.save if @journal.changed?
     @journal.destroy if @journal.details.empty? && @journal.notes.blank?
     call_hook(:controller_journals_edit_post, { :journal => @journal, :params => params})
     respond_to do |format|
diff --git app/helpers/journals_helper.rb app/helpers/journals_helper.rb
index f9dc7c9..e31ad25 100644
--- app/helpers/journals_helper.rb
+++ app/helpers/journals_helper.rb
@@ -58,4 +58,10 @@ module JournalsHelper
     css_classes << " editable" if editable
     content_tag('div', content.html_safe, :id => "journal-#{journal.id}-notes", :class => css_classes)
   end
+
+  def render_private_notes(journal)
+    content = journal.private_notes? ? l(:field_is_private) : ''
+    css_classes = journal.private_notes? ? 'private' : ''
+    content_tag('span', content.html_safe, :id => "journal-#{journal.id}-private_notes", :class => css_classes)
+  end
 end
diff --git app/views/issues/_history.html.erb app/views/issues/_history.html.erb
index 993dfee..b184e01 100644
--- app/views/issues/_history.html.erb
+++ app/views/issues/_history.html.erb
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     <h4><a href="#note-<%= journal.indice %>" class="journal-link">#<%= journal.indice %></a>
     <%= avatar(journal.user, :size => "24") %>
     <%= authoring journal.created_on, journal.user, :label => :label_updated_time_by %>
-    <%= content_tag('span', l(:field_is_private), :class => 'private') if journal.private_notes? %></h4>
+    <%= render_private_notes(journal) %></h4>
 
     <% if journal.details.any? %>
     <ul class="details">
diff --git app/views/journals/_notes_form.html.erb app/views/journals/_notes_form.html.erb
index 41650c5..e8e73bb 100644
--- app/views/journals/_notes_form.html.erb
+++ app/views/journals/_notes_form.html.erb
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
           :id => "journal_#{@journal.id}_notes",
           :class => 'wiki-edit',
           :rows => (@journal.notes.blank? ? 10 : [[10, @journal.notes.length / 50].max, 100].min) %>
+    <% if @journal.issue.safe_attribute? 'private_notes' %>
+      <%= check_box_tag 'private_notes', '1', @journal.private_notes, :id => "journal_#{@journal.id}_private_notes" %> <label for="journal_<%= @journal.id %>_private_notes"><%= l(:field_private_notes) %></label>
+    <% end %>
     <%= call_hook(:view_journals_notes_form_after_notes, { :journal => @journal}) %>
     <p><%= submit_tag l(:button_save) %>
     <%= preview_link preview_edit_issue_path(:project_id => @project, :id => @journal.issue), 
diff --git app/views/journals/update.js.erb app/views/journals/update.js.erb
index 65c198d..34adf15 100644
--- app/views/journals/update.js.erb
+++ app/views/journals/update.js.erb
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 <% if @journal.frozen? %>
   $("#change-<%= @journal.id %>").remove();
 <% else %>
+  $("#change-<%= @journal.id %>").attr('class', '<%= @journal.css_classes %>');
   $("#journal-<%= @journal.id %>-notes").replaceWith('<%= escape_javascript(render_notes(@journal.issue, @journal, :reply_links => authorize_for('issues', 'edit'))) %>');
+  $("#journal-<%= @journal.id %>-private_notes").replaceWith('<%= escape_javascript(render_private_notes(@journal)) %>');
   $("#journal-<%= @journal.id %>-notes").show();
   $("#journal-<%= @journal.id %>-form").remove();
 <% end %>
diff --git test/functional/journals_controller_test.rb test/functional/journals_controller_test.rb
index 097d0bd..2297863 100644
--- test/functional/journals_controller_test.rb
+++ test/functional/journals_controller_test.rb
@@ -207,6 +207,38 @@ class JournalsControllerTest < ActionController::TestCase
     assert_include 'journal-2-notes', response.body
   end
 
+  def test_update_xhr_with_private_notes_checked
+    @request.session[:user_id] = 1
+    xhr :post, :update, :id => 2, :private_notes => '1'
+    assert_response :success
+    assert_template 'update'
+    assert_equal 'text/javascript', response.content_type
+    assert_equal true, Journal.find(2).private_notes
+    assert_include 'change-2', response.body
+    assert_include 'journal-2-private_notes', response.body
+  end
+
+  def test_update_xhr_with_private_notes_unchecked
+    @request.session[:user_id] = 1
+    xhr :post, :update, :id => 2
+    assert_response :success
+    assert_template 'update'
+    assert_equal 'text/javascript', response.content_type
+    assert_equal false, Journal.find(2).private_notes
+    assert_include 'change-2', response.body
+    assert_include 'journal-2-private_notes', response.body
+  end
+
+  def test_update_xhr_with_private_notes_changes_and_without_set_private_notes_permission
+    @request.session[:user_id] = 2
+    Role.find(1).add_permission! :edit_issue_notes
+    Role.find(1).add_permission! :view_private_notes
+    Role.find(1).remove_permission! :set_notes_private
+
+    xhr :post, :update, :id => 2, :private_notes => '1'
+    assert_response 403
+  end
+
   def test_update_xhr_with_empty_notes_should_delete_the_journal
     @request.session[:user_id] = 1
     assert_difference 'Journal.count', -1 do