diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/permission.js b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/permission.js
index 2ecfe806cf..66c3baa774 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/permission.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/permission.js
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ const PermissionUpdateType = {
 const SUPPORTED_LEVELS = [PermissionLevels.WRITE, PermissionLevels.READ]
 
 function getPermissionType(resourceId) {
-  const docType = DocumentTypes.filter(docType =>
+  const docType = Object.values(DocumentTypes).filter(docType =>
     resourceId.startsWith(docType)
   )[0]
   switch (docType) {
@@ -54,7 +54,10 @@ function getBasePermissions(resourceId) {
     }
     const perms = getBuiltinPermissionByID(role.permissionId)
     const typedPermission = perms.permissions.find(perm => perm.type === type)
-    if (typedPermission) {
+    if (
+      typedPermission &&
+      SUPPORTED_LEVELS.indexOf(typedPermission.level) !== -1
+    ) {
       const level = typedPermission.level
       permissions[level] = lowerBuiltinRoleID(permissions[level], roleId)
       if (isPermissionLevelHigherThanRead(level)) {
@@ -148,18 +151,15 @@ exports.fetch = async function(ctx) {
   let permissions = {}
   // create an object with structure role ID -> resource ID -> level
   for (let role of roles) {
-    if (role.permissions) {
-      const roleId = getExternalRoleID(role._id)
-      if (permissions[roleId] == null) {
-        permissions[roleId] = {}
-      }
-      // TODO: need to work this out
-      for (let [resource, level] of Object.entries(role.permissions)) {
-        permissions[roleId][resource] = higherPermission(
-          permissions[roleId][resource],
-          level
-        )
+    if (!role.permissions) {
+      continue
+    }
+    const roleId = getExternalRoleID(role._id)
+    for (let [resource, level] of Object.entries(role.permissions)) {
+      if (permissions[resource] == null) {
+        permissions[resource] = getBasePermissions(resource)
       }
+      permissions[resource][level] = roleId
     }
   }
   ctx.body = permissions
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ exports.getResourcePerms = async function(ctx) {
   for (let level of SUPPORTED_LEVELS) {
     // update the various roleIds in the resource permissions
     for (let role of roles) {
-      if (role.permissions && role.permissions[resourceId]) {
+      if (role.permissions && role.permissions[resourceId] === level) {
         resourcePerms[level] = getExternalRoleID(role._id)
       }
     }
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/permissions.spec.js b/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/permissions.spec.js
index 8353eb271d..bb1f072efc 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/permissions.spec.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/permissions.spec.js
@@ -71,21 +71,22 @@ describe("/permission", () => {
         .set(defaultHeaders(appId))
         .expect("Content-Type", /json/)
         .expect(200)
-      expect(res.body[STD_ROLE_ID]).toEqual("read")
+      expect(res.body["read"]).toEqual(STD_ROLE_ID)
+      expect(res.body["write"]).toEqual(HIGHER_ROLE_ID)
     })
 
     it("should get resource permissions with multiple roles", async () => {
       perms = await addPermission(request, appId, HIGHER_ROLE_ID, table._id, "write")
       const res = await getTablePermissions()
-      expect(res.body[HIGHER_ROLE_ID]).toEqual("write")
-      expect(res.body[STD_ROLE_ID]).toEqual("read")
+      expect(res.body["read"]).toEqual(STD_ROLE_ID)
+      expect(res.body["write"]).toEqual(HIGHER_ROLE_ID)
       const allRes = await request
         .get(`/api/permission`)
         .set(defaultHeaders(appId))
         .expect("Content-Type", /json/)
         .expect(200)
-      expect(allRes.body[HIGHER_ROLE_ID][table._id]).toEqual("write")
-      expect(allRes.body[STD_ROLE_ID][table._id]).toEqual("read")
+      expect(allRes.body[table._id]["write"]).toEqual(HIGHER_ROLE_ID)
+      expect(allRes.body[table._id]["read"]).toEqual(STD_ROLE_ID)
     })
   })
 
diff --git a/packages/server/src/utilities/security/permissions.js b/packages/server/src/utilities/security/permissions.js
index 6752f790e6..d826c13966 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/utilities/security/permissions.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/utilities/security/permissions.js
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ function getAllowedLevels(userPermLevel) {
 }
 
 exports.BUILTIN_PERMISSION_IDS = {
+  PUBLIC: "public",
   READ_ONLY: "read_only",
   WRITE: "write",
   ADMIN: "admin",
@@ -70,6 +71,13 @@ exports.BUILTIN_PERMISSION_IDS = {
 }
 
 exports.BUILTIN_PERMISSIONS = {
+  PUBLIC: {
+    _id: exports.BUILTIN_PERMISSION_IDS.PUBLIC,
+    name: "Public",
+    permissions: [
+      new Permission(PermissionTypes.WEBHOOK, PermissionLevels.EXECUTE)
+    ],
+  },
   READ_ONLY: {
     _id: exports.BUILTIN_PERMISSION_IDS.READ_ONLY,
     name: "Read only",
diff --git a/packages/server/src/utilities/security/roles.js b/packages/server/src/utilities/security/roles.js
index c6336dec97..eadc96d59d 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/utilities/security/roles.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/utilities/security/roles.js
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ exports.BUILTIN_ROLES = {
     .addPermission(BUILTIN_PERMISSION_IDS.WRITE)
     .addInheritance(BUILTIN_IDS.PUBLIC),
   PUBLIC: new Role(BUILTIN_IDS.PUBLIC, "Public").addPermission(
-    BUILTIN_PERMISSION_IDS.READ_ONLY
+    BUILTIN_PERMISSION_IDS.PUBLIC
   ),
   BUILDER: new Role(BUILTIN_IDS.BUILDER, "Builder").addPermission(
     BUILTIN_PERMISSION_IDS.ADMIN
@@ -56,27 +56,37 @@ function isBuiltin(role) {
   return exports.BUILTIN_ROLE_ID_ARRAY.some(builtin => role.includes(builtin))
 }
 
+/**
+ * Works through the inheritance ranks to see how far up the builtin stack this ID is.
+ */
+function builtinRoleToNumber(id) {
+  const MAX = Object.values(BUILTIN_IDS).length + 1
+  if (id === BUILTIN_IDS.ADMIN || id === BUILTIN_IDS.BUILDER) {
+    return MAX
+  }
+  let role = exports.BUILTIN_ROLES[id],
+    count = 0
+  do {
+    if (!role) {
+      break
+    }
+    role = exports.BUILTIN_ROLES[role.inherits]
+    count++
+  } while (role !== null)
+  return count
+}
+
 /**
  * Returns whichever builtin roleID is lower.
  */
 exports.lowerBuiltinRoleID = (roleId1, roleId2) => {
-  const MAX = Object.values(BUILTIN_IDS).length + 1
-  function toNum(id) {
-    if (id === BUILTIN_IDS.ADMIN || id === BUILTIN_IDS.BUILDER) {
-      return MAX
-    }
-    let role = exports.BUILTIN_ROLES[id],
-      count = 0
-    do {
-      if (!role) {
-        break
-      }
-      role = exports.BUILTIN_ROLES[role.inherits]
-      count++
-    } while (role !== null)
-    return count
+  if (!roleId1) {
+    return roleId2
   }
-  return toNum(roleId1) > toNum(roleId2) ? roleId2 : roleId1
+  if (!roleId2) {
+    return roleId1
+  }
+  return builtinRoleToNumber(roleId1) > builtinRoleToNumber(roleId2) ? roleId2 : roleId1
 }
 
 /**