diff --git a/pillar/application/modules/nodes/__init__.py b/pillar/application/modules/nodes/__init__.py
index 66554ec5..de44475e 100644
--- a/pillar/application/modules/nodes/__init__.py
+++ b/pillar/application/modules/nodes/__init__.py
@@ -393,6 +393,10 @@ def after_deleting_node(item):
 
 
 def setup_app(app, url_prefix):
+
+    from . import patch
+    patch.setup_app(app, url_prefix=url_prefix)
+
     app.on_fetched_item_nodes += before_returning_node
     app.on_fetched_resource_nodes += before_returning_nodes
 
diff --git a/pillar/application/modules/nodes/custom/__init__.py b/pillar/application/modules/nodes/custom/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d2f28595
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pillar/application/modules/nodes/custom/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import logging
+
+log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+patch_handlers = {}  # mapping from node type to callable.
+
+
+def register_patch_handler(node_type):
+    """Decorator, registers the decorated function as patch handler for the given node type."""
+
+    def wrapper(func):
+        if node_type in patch_handlers:
+            raise ValueError('Node type %r already handled by %r' %
+                             (node_type, patch_handlers[node_type]))
+
+        log.debug('Registering %s as PATCH handler for node type %r',
+                  func, node_type)
+        patch_handlers[node_type] = func
+        return func
+
+    return wrapper
diff --git a/pillar/application/modules/nodes/patch.py b/pillar/application/modules/nodes/patch.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b94dd055
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pillar/application/modules/nodes/patch.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+"""Generic node patching support.
+
+Depends on node_type-specific patch handlers in submodules.
+"""
+
+import logging
+
+from flask import Blueprint, request
+import werkzeug.exceptions as wz_exceptions
+
+from application.utils import str2id
+from application.utils import authorization, mongo, authentication
+
+from . import custom
+
+log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+blueprint = Blueprint('nodes.patch', __name__)
+
+
+@blueprint.route('/<node_id>', methods=['PATCH'])
+@authorization.require_login()
+def patch_node(node_id):
+    # Parse the request
+    node_id = str2id(node_id)
+    patch = request.get_json()
+
+    # Find the node type.
+    node = mongo.find_one_or_404('nodes', node_id,
+                                 projection={'node_type': 1})
+    try:
+        node_type = node['node_type']
+    except KeyError:
+        msg = 'Node %s has no node_type property' % node_id
+        log.warning(msg)
+        raise wz_exceptions.InternalServerError(msg)
+    log.debug('User %s wants to PATCH %s node %s',
+              authentication.current_user_id(), node_type, node_id)
+
+    # Find the PATCH handler for the node type.
+    try:
+        patch_handler = custom.patch_handlers[node_type]
+    except KeyError:
+        log.info('No patch handler for node type %r', node_type)
+        raise wz_exceptions.MethodNotAllowed('PATCH on node type %r not allowed' % node_type)
+
+    # Let the PATCH handler do its thing.
+    return patch_handler(node_id, patch)
+
+
+def setup_app(app, url_prefix):
+    app.register_blueprint(blueprint, url_prefix=url_prefix)
diff --git a/pillar/settings.py b/pillar/settings.py
index 5465cc0f..8c02dec8 100644
--- a/pillar/settings.py
+++ b/pillar/settings.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ RESOURCE_METHODS = ['GET', 'POST', 'DELETE']
 
 # Enable reads (GET), edits (PATCH), replacements (PUT) and deletes of
 # individual items  (defaults to read-only item access).
-ITEM_METHODS = ['GET', 'PUT', 'DELETE', 'PATCH']
+ITEM_METHODS = ['GET', 'PUT', 'DELETE']
 
 PAGINATION_LIMIT = 250
 PAGINATION_DEFAULT = 250