diff --git a/lib/jsdoc/tag/dictionary/definitions.js b/lib/jsdoc/tag/dictionary/definitions.js
index 79c4d3f2..372af001 100644
--- a/lib/jsdoc/tag/dictionary/definitions.js
+++ b/lib/jsdoc/tag/dictionary/definitions.js
@@ -953,6 +953,16 @@ exports.closureTags = {
             }
         }
     },
+    public: {
+        canHaveType: true,
+        onTagged: function(doclet, tag) {
+            doclet.access = 'public';
+
+            if (tag.value && tag.value.type) {
+                setDocletTypeToValueType(doclet, tag);
+            }
+        }
+    },
     return: cloneTagDef(baseTags.returns),
     // Closure Compiler only
     struct: {
diff --git a/test/fixtures/publictag.js b/test/fixtures/publictag.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..38a80f90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/publictag.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+/**
+ * Public class.
+ *
+ * @class
+ * @public
+ */
+function Foo() {}
diff --git a/test/fixtures/publictag2.js b/test/fixtures/publictag2.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f23d3532
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/publictag2.js
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+/**
+ * Public variable.
+ *
+ * @public {string}
+ */
+var bar = 'baz';
diff --git a/test/specs/tags/publictag.js b/test/specs/tags/publictag.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..df179fdb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/specs/tags/publictag.js
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+'use strict';
+
+describe('@public tag', function() {
+    afterEach(function() {
+        jasmine.restoreTagDictionary();
+    });
+
+    describe('JSDoc tags', function() {
+        beforeEach(function() {
+            jasmine.replaceTagDictionary('jsdoc');
+        });
+
+        it('should set the doclet\'s `access` property to `public`', function() {
+            var docSet = jasmine.getDocSetFromFile('test/fixtures/publictag.js');
+            var foo = docSet.getByLongname('Foo')[0];
+
+            expect(foo.access).toBe('public');
+        });
+    });
+
+    describe('Closure Compiler tags', function() {
+        beforeEach(function() {
+            jasmine.replaceTagDictionary('closure');
+        });
+
+        it('should set the doclet\'s `access` property to `public`', function() {
+            var docSet = jasmine.getDocSetFromFile('test/fixtures/publictag2.js');
+            var bar = docSet.getByLongname('bar')[0];
+
+            expect(bar.access).toBe('public');
+        });
+
+        it('should include the type if one is provided', function() {
+            var docSet = jasmine.getDocSetFromFile('test/fixtures/publictag2.js');
+            var bar = docSet.getByLongname('bar')[0];
+
+            expect(bar.type).toBeDefined();
+            expect(bar.type.names.length).toBe(1);
+            expect(bar.type.names[0]).toBe('string');
+        });
+    });
+});