diff --git a/src/categories/create.js b/src/categories/create.js
index c00f510e0e..6a5d9c075f 100644
--- a/src/categories/create.js
+++ b/src/categories/create.js
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ module.exports = function (Categories) {
 					numRecentReplies: 1,
 					class: (data.class ? data.class : 'col-md-3 col-xs-6'),
 					imageClass: 'cover',
+					isSection: 0,
 				};
 
 				if (data.backgroundImage) {
diff --git a/src/controllers/category.js b/src/controllers/category.js
index 9aec649ec3..e99c95bc5d 100644
--- a/src/controllers/category.js
+++ b/src/controllers/category.js
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ categoryController.get = function (req, res, callback) {
 			userPrivileges = results.privileges;
 			rssToken = results.rssToken;
 
-			if (!results.categoryData.slug || (results.categoryData && parseInt(results.categoryData.disabled, 10) === 1)) {
+			if (!results.categoryData.slug || (results.categoryData && results.categoryData.disabled)) {
 				return callback();
 			}
 
diff --git a/src/controllers/helpers.js b/src/controllers/helpers.js
index 9f445e3aa4..f482f98b15 100644
--- a/src/controllers/helpers.js
+++ b/src/controllers/helpers.js
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ helpers.buildCategoryBreadcrumbs = function (cid, callback) {
 				return next(err);
 			}
 
-			if (!parseInt(data.disabled, 10) && !parseInt(data.isSection, 10)) {
+			if (!data.disabled && !data.isSection) {
 				breadcrumbs.unshift({
 					text: validator.escape(String(data.name)),
 					url: nconf.get('relative_path') + '/category/' + data.slug,
diff --git a/src/database.js b/src/database.js
index 0924fffbaf..f4b0a8b854 100644
--- a/src/database.js
+++ b/src/database.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ var primaryDB = require('./database/' + databaseName);
 
 primaryDB.parseIntField = function (data, field) {
 	if (data.hasOwnProperty(field)) {
-		data[field] = parseInt(data[field], 10);
+		data[field] = parseInt(data[field], 10) || 0;
 	}
 };
 
diff --git a/src/privileges/categories.js b/src/privileges/categories.js
index 60822c4e46..860a56d8c2 100644
--- a/src/privileges/categories.js
+++ b/src/privileges/categories.js
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ module.exports = function (privileges) {
 				categories.getCategoryField(cid, 'disabled', next);
 			},
 			function (disabled, next) {
-				if (parseInt(disabled, 10) === 1) {
+				if (disabled) {
 					return callback(null, false);
 				}
 				helpers.some([
diff --git a/src/privileges/topics.js b/src/privileges/topics.js
index 0a5960178a..b3366e2185 100644
--- a/src/privileges/topics.js
+++ b/src/privileges/topics.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ module.exports = function (privileges) {
 	privileges.topics = {};
 
 	privileges.topics.get = function (tid, uid, callback) {
+		uid = parseInt(uid, 10);
 		var topic;
 		var privs = ['topics:reply', 'topics:read', 'topics:tag', 'topics:delete', 'posts:edit', 'posts:history', 'posts:delete', 'posts:view_deleted', 'read', 'purge'];
 		async.waterfall([
@@ -30,23 +31,20 @@ module.exports = function (privileges) {
 			},
 			function (results, next) {
 				var privData = _.zipObject(privs, results.privileges);
-				var disabled = parseInt(results.disabled, 10) === 1;
-				var locked = parseInt(topic.locked, 10) === 1;
-				var deleted = parseInt(topic.deleted, 10) === 1;
-				var isOwner = !!parseInt(uid, 10) && parseInt(uid, 10) === parseInt(topic.uid, 10);
+				var isOwner = uid > 0 && uid === topic.uid;
 				var isAdminOrMod = results.isAdministrator || results.isModerator;
 				var editable = isAdminOrMod;
 				var deletable = isAdminOrMod || (isOwner && privData['topics:delete']);
 				var purge = results.isAdministrator || privData.purge;
 
 				plugins.fireHook('filter:privileges.topics.get', {
-					'topics:reply': (privData['topics:reply'] && !locked && !deleted) || isAdminOrMod,
+					'topics:reply': (privData['topics:reply'] && !topic.locked && !topic.deleted) || isAdminOrMod,
 					'topics:read': privData['topics:read'] || isAdminOrMod,
 					'topics:tag': privData['topics:tag'] || isAdminOrMod,
 					'topics:delete': (isOwner && privData['topics:delete']) || isAdminOrMod,
-					'posts:edit': (privData['posts:edit'] && !locked) || isAdminOrMod,
+					'posts:edit': (privData['posts:edit'] && !topic.locked) || isAdminOrMod,
 					'posts:history': privData['posts:history'] || isAdminOrMod,
-					'posts:delete': (privData['posts:delete'] && !locked) || isAdminOrMod,
+					'posts:delete': (privData['posts:delete'] && !topic.locked) || isAdminOrMod,
 					'posts:view_deleted': privData['posts:view_deleted'] || isAdminOrMod,
 					read: privData.read || isAdminOrMod,
 					view_thread_tools: editable || deletable,
@@ -55,7 +53,7 @@ module.exports = function (privileges) {
 					purge: purge,
 					view_deleted: isAdminOrMod || isOwner,
 					isAdminOrMod: isAdminOrMod,
-					disabled: disabled,
+					disabled: results.disabled,
 					tid: tid,
 					uid: uid,
 				}, next);
@@ -146,8 +144,8 @@ module.exports = function (privileges) {
 			},
 			function (results, next) {
 				uids = uids.filter(function (uid, index) {
-					return parseInt(results.disabled, 10) !== 1 &&
-						((results.allowedTo[index] && parseInt(topicData.deleted, 10) !== 1) || results.isAdmins[index] || results.isModerators[index]);
+					return !results.disabled &&
+						((results.allowedTo[index] && !topicData.deleted) || results.isAdmins[index] || results.isModerators[index]);
 				});
 
 				next(null, uids);
diff --git a/test/categories.js b/test/categories.js
index 3f7468d24d..644c9258ee 100644
--- a/test/categories.js
+++ b/test/categories.js
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ describe('Categories', function () {
 			assert(categoryData);
 			assert.equal(categoryObj.name, categoryData.name);
 			assert.equal(categoryObj.description, categoryData.description);
+			assert.strictEqual(categoryObj.disabled, 0);
 
 			done();
 		});