diff --git a/install/data/defaults.json b/install/data/defaults.json
index 3babb24f61..8f1bc88115 100644
--- a/install/data/defaults.json
+++ b/install/data/defaults.json
@@ -11,10 +11,6 @@
         "field": "minimumPostLength",
         "value": 8
     },
-    {
-        "field": "allowGuestPosting",
-        "value": 0
-    },
     {
         "field": "allowGuestSearching",
         "value": 0
diff --git a/public/src/modules/composer.js b/public/src/modules/composer.js
index ebe720c44c..f3a8ed716d 100644
--- a/public/src/modules/composer.js
+++ b/public/src/modules/composer.js
@@ -41,22 +41,22 @@ define(['taskbar'], function(taskbar) {
 		$el.unwrap();
 	}
 
-	function allowed() {
-		if(!(parseInt(app.uid, 10) > 0 || config.allowGuestPosting)) {
-			app.alert({
-				type: 'danger',
-				timeout: 5000,
-				alert_id: 'post_error',
-				title: '[[global:please_log_in]]',
-				message: '[[global:posting_restriction_info]]',
-				clickfn: function() {
-					ajaxify.go('login');
-				}
-			});
-			return false;
-		}
-		return true;
-	}
+	// function allowed() {
+	// 	if(!(parseInt(app.uid, 10) > 0 || config.allowGuestPosting)) {
+	// 		app.alert({
+	// 			type: 'danger',
+	// 			timeout: 5000,
+	// 			alert_id: 'post_error',
+	// 			title: '[[global:please_log_in]]',
+	// 			message: '[[global:posting_restriction_info]]',
+	// 			clickfn: function() {
+	// 				ajaxify.go('login');
+	// 			}
+	// 		});
+	// 		return false;
+	// 	}
+	// 	return true;
+	// }
 
 	function alreadyOpen(post) {
 		// If a composer for the same cid/tid/pid is already open, return the uuid, else return bool false
@@ -484,9 +484,9 @@ define(['taskbar'], function(taskbar) {
 	};
 
 	composer.newTopic = function(cid) {
-		if(!allowed()) {
-			return;
-		}
+		// if(!allowed()) {
+		// 	return;
+		// }
 
 		push({
 			cid: cid,
@@ -498,9 +498,9 @@ define(['taskbar'], function(taskbar) {
 	};
 
 	composer.addQuote = function(tid, pid, title, username, text){
-		if (!allowed()) {
-			return;
-		}
+		// if (!allowed()) {
+		// 	return;
+		// }
 
 		var uuid = composer.active;
 
@@ -521,9 +521,9 @@ define(['taskbar'], function(taskbar) {
 	};
 
 	composer.newReply = function(tid, pid, title, text) {
-		if(!allowed()) {
-			return;
-		}
+		// if(!allowed()) {
+		// 	return;
+		// }
 
 		push({
 			tid: tid,
@@ -536,9 +536,9 @@ define(['taskbar'], function(taskbar) {
 	};
 
 	composer.editPost = function(pid) {
-		if(!allowed()) {
-			return;
-		}
+		// if(!allowed()) {
+		// 	return;
+		// }
 
 		socket.emit('modules.composer.push', pid, function(err, threadData) {
 			if(err) {
@@ -610,7 +610,7 @@ define(['taskbar'], function(taskbar) {
 							thumbToggleBtnEl.removeClass('hide');
 						}
 					};
-					
+
 				postData.title = $('<div></div>').html(postData.title).text();
 
 				if (parseInt(postData.tid, 10) > 0) {
diff --git a/src/controllers/api.js b/src/controllers/api.js
index 648a5a70c6..501cf0fe60 100644
--- a/src/controllers/api.js
+++ b/src/controllers/api.js
@@ -24,8 +24,7 @@ apiController.getConfig = function(req, res, next) {
 	config.minimumPasswordLength = meta.config.minimumPasswordLength;
 	config.maximumSignatureLength = meta.config.maximumSignatureLength;
 	config.useOutgoingLinksPage = parseInt(meta.config.useOutgoingLinksPage, 10) === 1;
-	config.allowGuestPosting = parseInt(meta.config.allowGuestPosting, 10) === 1;
-	config.allowGuestSearching = parseInt(meta.config.allowGuestPosting, 10) === 1;
+	config.allowGuestSearching = parseInt(meta.config.allowGuestSearching, 10) === 1;
 	config.allowFileUploads = parseInt(meta.config.allowFileUploads, 10) === 1;
 	config.allowTopicsThumbnail = parseInt(meta.config.allowTopicsThumbnail, 10) === 1;
 	config.privateUserInfo = parseInt(meta.config.privateUserInfo, 10) === 1;
diff --git a/src/groups.js b/src/groups.js
index 030df7d0a4..72864c47a9 100644
--- a/src/groups.js
+++ b/src/groups.js
@@ -38,6 +38,16 @@
 						});
 					}
 				});
+			},
+			removeEphemeralGroups: function(groups) {
+				var x = groups.length;
+				while(x--) {
+					if (ephemeralGroups.indexOf(groups[x]) !== -1) {
+						groups.splice(x, 1);
+					}
+				}
+
+				return groups;
 			}
 		};
 
@@ -137,9 +147,14 @@
 	};
 
 	Groups.isMemberOfGroupList = function(uid, groupListKey, callback) {
-		db.getSetMembers('group:' + groupListKey + ':members', function(err, gids) {
-			async.some(gids, function(gid, next) {
-				Groups.isMember(uid, gid, function(err, isMember) {
+		db.getSetMembers('group:' + groupListKey + ':members', function(err, groupNames) {
+			groupNames = internals.removeEphemeralGroups(groupNames);
+			if (groupNames.length === 0) {
+				return callback(null, null);
+			}
+
+			async.some(groupNames, function(groupName, next) {
+				Groups.isMember(uid, groupName, function(err, isMember) {
 					if (!err && isMember) {
 						next(true);
 					} else {
diff --git a/src/privileges/helpers.js b/src/privileges/helpers.js
index 2c043fd6ac..9c4ec535a0 100644
--- a/src/privileges/helpers.js
+++ b/src/privileges/helpers.js
@@ -40,11 +40,11 @@ helpers.allowedTo = function(privilege, uid, cid, callback) {
 				},
 				function(next) {
 					helpers.isMember(groups.isMember, 'cid:' + cid + ':privileges:groups:' + privilege, 'guests', function(err, isMember) {
-						next(err, privilege !== 'find' ? isMember : isMember !== false);
+						next(err, privilege !== 'find' && privilege !== 'read' ? isMember === true : isMember !== false);
 					});
 				}
 			], function(err, results) {
-				callback(err, results[0] && results[1]);
+				callback(err, results[0] && (results[1] || results[1] === null));
 			});
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/privileges/topics.js b/src/privileges/topics.js
index 7c82452f93..621baf45ca 100644
--- a/src/privileges/topics.js
+++ b/src/privileges/topics.js
@@ -55,6 +55,16 @@ module.exports = function(privileges) {
 		});
 	};
 
+	privileges.topics.can = function(privilege, tid, uid, callback) {
+		topics.getTopicField(tid, 'cid', function(err, cid) {
+			if (err) {
+				return callback(err);
+			}
+
+			privileges.categories.can(privilege, cid, uid, callback);
+		});
+	};
+
 	privileges.topics.canRead = function(tid, uid, callback) {
 		topics.getTopicField(tid, 'cid', function(err, cid) {
 			if (err) {
diff --git a/src/socket.io/modules.js b/src/socket.io/modules.js
index 2a7159b0da..ce24c362ea 100644
--- a/src/socket.io/modules.js
+++ b/src/socket.io/modules.js
@@ -49,10 +49,6 @@ var	stopTracking = function(replyObj) {
 	};
 
 SocketModules.composer.push = function(socket, pid, callback) {
-	if(!socket.uid && parseInt(meta.config.allowGuestPosting, 10) !== 1) {
-		return callback(new Error('[[error:not-logged-in]]'));
-	}
-
 	posts.getPostFields(pid, ['content'], function(err, postData) {
 		if(err || (!postData && !postData.content)) {
 			return callback(err || new Error('[[error:invalid-pid]]'));
diff --git a/src/socket.io/posts.js b/src/socket.io/posts.js
index 1d240140f6..f2c77678b2 100644
--- a/src/socket.io/posts.js
+++ b/src/socket.io/posts.js
@@ -19,11 +19,6 @@ var	async = require('async'),
 
 
 SocketPosts.reply = function(socket, data, callback) {
-
-	if (!socket.uid && !parseInt(meta.config.allowGuestPosting, 10)) {
-		return callback(new Error('[[error:not-logged-in]]'));
-	}
-
 	if(!data || !data.tid || !data.content) {
 		return callback(new Error('[[error:invalid-data]]'));
 	}
diff --git a/src/socket.io/topics.js b/src/socket.io/topics.js
index d0cf8e716e..7323a225e3 100644
--- a/src/socket.io/topics.js
+++ b/src/socket.io/topics.js
@@ -21,10 +21,6 @@ SocketTopics.post = function(socket, data, callback) {
 		return callback(new Error('[[error:invalid-data]]'));
 	}
 
-	if (!socket.uid && !parseInt(meta.config.allowGuestPosting, 10)) {
-		return callback(new Error('[[error:not-logged-in]]'));
-	}
-
 	topics.post({
 		uid: socket.uid,
 		title: data.title,
diff --git a/src/user.js b/src/user.js
index 43d30b353c..6bbd6e0f6b 100644
--- a/src/user.js
+++ b/src/user.js
@@ -154,10 +154,6 @@ var bcrypt = require('bcryptjs'),
 	};
 
 	User.isReadyToPost = function(uid, callback) {
-		if (meta.config.allowGuestPosting && parseInt(uid, 10) === 0) {
-			return callback();
-		}
-
 		async.parallel({
 			banned: function(next) {
 				User.getUserField(uid, 'banned', next);