diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Trees/ContentTreeControllerBase.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Trees/ContentTreeControllerBase.cs
index 99afc199c9..e8ba964f98 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Trees/ContentTreeControllerBase.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Trees/ContentTreeControllerBase.cs
@@ -189,8 +189,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Trees
         {
             // try to parse id as an integer else use GetEntityFromId
             // which will grok Guids, Udis, etc and let use obtain the id
-            int entityId;
-            if (int.TryParse(id, out entityId) == false)
+            if (int.TryParse(id, out var entityId) == false)
             {
                 var entity = GetEntityFromId(id);
                 if (entity == null)
@@ -198,15 +197,6 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Trees
                 entityId = entity.Id;
             }
 
-            // if a request is made for the root node but user has no access to
-            // root node, return start nodes instead
-            if (entityId == Constants.System.Root && UserStartNodes.Contains(Constants.System.Root) == false)
-            {
-                return UserStartNodes.Length > 0
-                    ? Services.EntityService.GetAll(UmbracoObjectType, UserStartNodes)
-                    : Enumerable.Empty<IUmbracoEntity>();
-            }
-
             return Services.EntityService.GetChildren(entityId, UmbracoObjectType).ToArray();
         }