diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/security/roles.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/security/roles.ts
index bdf7a38726..66c44503ba 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/security/roles.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/security/roles.ts
@@ -140,9 +140,13 @@ export function lowerBuiltinRoleID(roleId1?: string, roleId2?: string): string {
  * Gets the role object, this is mainly useful for two purposes, to check if the level exists and
  * to check if the role inherits any others.
  * @param {string|null} roleId The level ID to lookup.
+ * @param {object|null} opts options for the function, like whether to halt errors, instead return public.
  * @returns {Promise<Role|object|null>} The role object, which may contain an "inherits" property.
  */
-export async function getRole(roleId?: string): Promise<RoleDoc | undefined> {
+export async function getRole(
+  roleId?: string,
+  opts?: { defaultPublic?: boolean }
+): Promise<RoleDoc | undefined> {
   if (!roleId) {
     return undefined
   }
@@ -161,6 +165,9 @@ export async function getRole(roleId?: string): Promise<RoleDoc | undefined> {
     // finalise the ID
     role._id = getExternalRoleID(role._id)
   } catch (err) {
+    if (opts?.defaultPublic) {
+      return cloneDeep(BUILTIN_ROLES.PUBLIC)
+    }
     // only throw an error if there is no role at all
     if (Object.keys(role).length === 0) {
       throw err
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/role.ts b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/role.ts
index 77c8f8842b..419643cdc7 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/role.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/role.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import {
   getUserMetadataParams,
   InternalTables,
 } from "../../db/utils"
-import { BBContext, Database } from "@budibase/types"
+import { UserCtx, Database } from "@budibase/types"
 
 const UpdateRolesOptions = {
   CREATED: "created",
@@ -38,15 +38,15 @@ async function updateRolesOnUserTable(
   }
 }
 
-export async function fetch(ctx: BBContext) {
+export async function fetch(ctx: UserCtx) {
   ctx.body = await roles.getAllRoles()
 }
 
-export async function find(ctx: BBContext) {
+export async function find(ctx: UserCtx) {
   ctx.body = await roles.getRole(ctx.params.roleId)
 }
 
-export async function save(ctx: BBContext) {
+export async function save(ctx: UserCtx) {
   const db = context.getAppDB()
   let { _id, name, inherits, permissionId } = ctx.request.body
   let isCreate = false
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ export async function save(ctx: BBContext) {
   ctx.message = `Role '${role.name}' created successfully.`
 }
 
-export async function destroy(ctx: BBContext) {
+export async function destroy(ctx: UserCtx) {
   const db = context.getAppDB()
   const roleId = ctx.params.roleId
   const role = await db.get(roleId)
diff --git a/packages/server/src/middleware/currentapp.ts b/packages/server/src/middleware/currentapp.ts
index efafc59e21..e63e18463d 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/middleware/currentapp.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/middleware/currentapp.ts
@@ -96,15 +96,15 @@ export default async (ctx: UserCtx, next: any) => {
       const userId = ctx.user
         ? generateUserMetadataID(ctx.user._id!)
         : undefined
-      ctx.user = {
+      let role = (ctx.user = {
         ...ctx.user!,
         // override userID with metadata one
         _id: userId,
         userId,
         globalId,
         roleId,
-        role: await roles.getRole(roleId),
-      }
+        role: await roles.getRole(roleId, { defaultPublic: true }),
+      })
     }
 
     return next()