  We consider the possibility that fermionic dark matter (DM) interacts with
the Standard Model fermions through an axial Z' boson. As long as Z' decays
predominantly into dark matter, the relevant LHC bounds are rather loose.
Direct dark matter detection does not significantly constrain this scenario
either, since dark matter scattering on nuclei is spin--dependent. As a result,
for a range of the Z' mass and couplings, the DM annihilation cross section is
large enough to be consistent with thermal history of the Universe. In this
framework, the thermal WIMP paradigm, which currently finds itself under
pressure, is perfectly viable.
