diff --git a/synapse/handlers/_base.py b/synapse/handlers/_base.py
index 5fd20285d297..b474042e840a 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/_base.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/_base.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
-# Copyright 2014, 2015 OpenMarket Ltd
+# Copyright 2014 - 2016 OpenMarket Ltd
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 # you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -52,8 +52,7 @@ def __init__(self, hs):
         self.event_builder_factory = hs.get_event_builder_factory()
 
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
-    def _filter_events_for_client(self, user_id, events, is_guest=False,
-                                  require_all_visible_for_guests=True):
+    def _filter_events_for_client(self, user_id, events, is_guest=False):
         # Assumes that user has at some point joined the room if not is_guest.
 
         def allowed(event, membership, visibility):
@@ -114,17 +113,6 @@ def allowed(event, membership, visibility):
             if should_include:
                 events_to_return.append(event)
 
-        if (require_all_visible_for_guests
-                and is_guest
-                and len(events_to_return) < len(events)):
-            # This indicates that some events in the requested range were not
-            # visible to guest users. To be safe, we reject the entire request,
-            # so that we don't have to worry about interpreting visibility
-            # boundaries.
-            raise AuthError(403, "User %s does not have permission" % (
-                user_id
-            ))
-
         defer.returnValue(events_to_return)
 
     def ratelimit(self, user_id):
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/message.py b/synapse/handlers/message.py
index a1bed9b0dcb6..5805190ce88c 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/message.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/message.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
-# Copyright 2014, 2015 OpenMarket Ltd
+# Copyright 2014 - 2016 OpenMarket Ltd
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 # you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -685,7 +685,7 @@ def get_receipts():
         ).addErrback(unwrapFirstError)
 
         messages = yield self._filter_events_for_client(
-            user_id, messages, is_guest=is_guest, require_all_visible_for_guests=False
+            user_id, messages, is_guest=is_guest,
         )
 
         start_token = now_token.copy_and_replace("room_key", token[0])
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/room.py b/synapse/handlers/room.py
index 13f66e0df015..725b318cfe79 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/room.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/room.py
@@ -879,14 +879,12 @@ def get_event_context(self, user, room_id, event_id, limit, is_guest):
             user.to_string(),
             results["events_before"],
             is_guest=is_guest,
-            require_all_visible_for_guests=False
         )
 
         results["events_after"] = yield self._filter_events_for_client(
             user.to_string(),
             results["events_after"],
             is_guest=is_guest,
-            require_all_visible_for_guests=False
         )
 
         if results["events_after"]:
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/sync.py b/synapse/handlers/sync.py
index feea407ea254..9d52d592babc 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/sync.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/sync.py
@@ -648,7 +648,6 @@ def load_filtered_recents(self, room_id, sync_config, now_token,
                 sync_config.user.to_string(),
                 loaded_recents,
                 is_guest=sync_config.is_guest,
-                require_all_visible_for_guests=False
             )
             loaded_recents.extend(recents)
             recents = loaded_recents
diff --git a/synapse/notifier.py b/synapse/notifier.py
index fd5257832582..0a5653b8d5bd 100644
--- a/synapse/notifier.py
+++ b/synapse/notifier.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
-# Copyright 2014, 2015 OpenMarket Ltd
+# Copyright 2014 - 2016 OpenMarket Ltd
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 # you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -386,7 +386,6 @@ def check_for_updates(before_token, after_token):
                         user.to_string(),
                         new_events,
                         is_guest=is_guest,
-                        require_all_visible_for_guests=False
                     )
 
                 events.extend(new_events)