diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Querying/IQuery.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Querying/IQuery.cs
index ae986baddc..cd08274c1b 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Querying/IQuery.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Querying/IQuery.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Linq.Expressions;
 
 namespace Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Querying
@@ -16,6 +17,11 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Querying
         /// <returns>This instance so calls to this method are chainable</returns>
         IQuery<T> Where(Expression<Func<T, bool>> predicate);
 
-        
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Adds a set of OR-ed where clauses to the query.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="predicates"></param>
+        /// <returns>This instance so calls to this method are chainable.</returns>
+        IQuery<T> WhereAny(IEnumerable<Expression<Func<T, bool>>> predicates);
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Querying/Query.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Querying/Query.cs
index 6213ca5ed6..d49296c6d0 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Querying/Query.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Querying/Query.cs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Linq.Expressions;
+using System.Text;
 
 namespace Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Querying
 {
@@ -39,6 +40,50 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Querying
             return this;
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Adds a set of OR-ed where clauses to the query.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="predicates"></param>
+        /// <returns>This instance so calls to this method are chainable.</returns>
+        public virtual IQuery<T> WhereAny(IEnumerable<Expression<Func<T, bool>>> predicates)
+        {
+            if (predicates == null) return this;
+
+            StringBuilder sb = null;
+            List<object> parameters = null;
+            Sql sql = null;
+            foreach (var predicate in predicates)
+            {
+                // see notes in Where()
+                var expressionHelper = new ModelToSqlExpressionVisitor<T>();
+                var whereExpression = expressionHelper.Visit(predicate);
+
+                if (sb == null)
+                {
+                    sb = new StringBuilder("(");
+                    parameters = new List<object>();
+                    sql = new Sql();
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    sb.Append(" OR ");
+                    sql.Append(" OR ");
+                }
+
+                sb.Append(whereExpression);
+                parameters.AddRange(expressionHelper.GetSqlParameters());
+                sql.Append(whereExpression, expressionHelper.GetSqlParameters());
+            }
+
+            if (sb == null) return this;
+
+            sb.Append(")");
+            //_wheres.Add(Tuple.Create(sb.ToString(), parameters.ToArray()));
+            _wheres.Add(Tuple.Create("(" + sql.SQL + ")", sql.Arguments));
+
+            return this;
+        }
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Returns all translated where clauses and their sql parameters
         /// </summary>
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/EntityService.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/EntityService.cs
index 04d6c276b2..ecf1b5a216 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/EntityService.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/EntityService.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Linq.Expressions;
+using System.Text;
 using Umbraco.Core.Cache;
 using Umbraco.Core.CodeAnnotations;
 using Umbraco.Core.Events;
@@ -361,6 +364,40 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Services
                 return contents;
             }
         }
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Returns a paged collection of descendants.
+        /// </summary>
+        public IEnumerable<IUmbracoEntity> GetPagedDescendants(IEnumerable<int> ids, UmbracoObjectTypes umbracoObjectType, long pageIndex, int pageSize, out long totalRecords,
+            string orderBy = "path", Direction orderDirection = Direction.Ascending, string filter = "")
+        {
+            var objectTypeId = umbracoObjectType.GetGuid();
+            using (var uow = UowProvider.GetUnitOfWork(readOnly: true))
+            {
+                var repository = RepositoryFactory.CreateEntityRepository(uow);
+
+                var query = Query<IUmbracoEntity>.Builder;
+                var idsA = ids.ToArray();
+                if (idsA.All(x => x != Constants.System.Root))
+                {
+                    var clauses = new List<Expression<Func<IUmbracoEntity, bool>>>();
+                    foreach (var id in idsA)
+                    {
+                        var qid = id;
+                        clauses.Add(x => x.Path.SqlContains(string.Format(",{0},", qid), TextColumnType.NVarchar) || x.Path.SqlEndsWith(string.Format(",{0}", qid), TextColumnType.NVarchar));
+                    }
+                    query.WhereAny(clauses);
+                }
+
+                IQuery<IUmbracoEntity> filterQuery = null;
+                if (filter.IsNullOrWhiteSpace() == false)
+                {
+                    filterQuery = Query<IUmbracoEntity>.Builder.Where(x => x.Name.Contains(filter));
+                }
+
+                var contents = repository.GetPagedResultsByQuery(query, objectTypeId, pageIndex, pageSize, out totalRecords, orderBy, orderDirection, filterQuery);
+                return contents;
+            }
+        }
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Returns a paged collection of descendants from the root
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/IEntityService.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/IEntityService.cs
index 82e5227cf2..f6c75c2e98 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/IEntityService.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/IEntityService.cs
@@ -175,6 +175,12 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Services
         IEnumerable<IUmbracoEntity> GetPagedDescendants(int id, UmbracoObjectTypes umbracoObjectType, long pageIndex, int pageSize, out long totalRecords,
             string orderBy = "path", Direction orderDirection = Direction.Ascending, string filter = "");
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Returns a paged collection of descendants
+        /// </summary>
+        IEnumerable<IUmbracoEntity> GetPagedDescendants(IEnumerable<int> ids, UmbracoObjectTypes umbracoObjectType, long pageIndex, int pageSize, out long totalRecords,
+            string orderBy = "path", Direction orderDirection = Direction.Ascending, string filter = "");
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Returns a paged collection of descendants from the root
         /// </summary>
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Umbraco.Core.csproj b/src/Umbraco.Core/Umbraco.Core.csproj
index 8a635b966c..109b11f156 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Umbraco.Core.csproj
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Umbraco.Core.csproj
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@
     </Reference>
     <Reference Include="System.DirectoryServices.AccountManagement" />
     <Reference Include="System.Drawing" />
+    <Reference Include="System.Linq.Expressions" />
     <Reference Include="System.Net.Http" />
     <Reference Include="System.Net.Http.WebRequest" />
     <Reference Include="System.Runtime.Caching" />
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/EntityController.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/EntityController.cs
index 37d712c362..a2aa8e6b4d 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/EntityController.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/EntityController.cs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ using Umbraco.Web.Dynamics;
 using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
 using Umbraco.Core.Persistence.DatabaseModelDefinitions;
 using System.Web.Http.Controllers;
+using Umbraco.Core.Models.EntityBase;
 using Umbraco.Core.Xml;
 
 namespace Umbraco.Web.Editors
@@ -541,11 +542,30 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Editors
             var objectType = ConvertToObjectType(type);
             if (objectType.HasValue)
             {
+                IEnumerable<IUmbracoEntity> entities;
                 long totalRecords;
-                //if it's from root, don't return recycled
-                var entities = id == Constants.System.Root
-                    ? Services.EntityService.GetPagedDescendantsFromRoot(objectType.Value, pageNumber - 1, pageSize, out totalRecords, orderBy, orderDirection, filter, includeTrashed:false)
-                    : Services.EntityService.GetPagedDescendants(id, objectType.Value, pageNumber - 1, pageSize, out totalRecords, orderBy, orderDirection, filter);
+
+                if (id == Constants.System.Root)
+                {
+                    int[] aids = null;
+                    switch (type)
+                    {
+                        case UmbracoEntityTypes.Document:
+                            aids = Security.CurrentUser.AllStartContentIds;
+                            break;
+                        case UmbracoEntityTypes.Media:
+                            aids = Security.CurrentUser.AllStartMediaIds;
+                            break;
+                    }
+
+                    entities = aids != null && aids.Length > 0
+                        ? Services.EntityService.GetPagedDescendants(aids, objectType.Value, pageNumber - 1, pageSize, out totalRecords, orderBy, orderDirection, filter)
+                        : Services.EntityService.GetPagedDescendantsFromRoot(objectType.Value, pageNumber - 1, pageSize, out totalRecords, orderBy, orderDirection, filter, includeTrashed: false);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    entities = Services.EntityService.GetPagedDescendants(id, objectType.Value, pageNumber - 1, pageSize, out totalRecords, orderBy, orderDirection, filter);
+                }
 
                 if (totalRecords == 0)
                 {
@@ -618,9 +638,17 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Editors
             {
                 if (startNode > 0)
                 {
+                    // descendants
+                    // "__Path: -1*,1234,*" -- the first "*" stands for path-to-1234
                     sb.Append("__Path: \\-1*\\,");
                     sb.Append(startNode.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
                     sb.Append("\\,* ");
+
+                    // self
+                    // "__Path: -1*,1234" -- the first "*" stands for path-to-1234
+                    sb.Append("__Path: \\-1*\\,");
+                    sb.Append(startNode.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
+                    sb.Append(" ");
                 }
             }
             if (startNodes.Length > 0)
@@ -918,6 +946,37 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Editors
 
                 var ids = Services.EntityService.Get(id).Path.Split(',').Select(int.Parse).Distinct().ToArray();
 
+                int[] aids = null;
+                switch (entityType)
+                {
+                    case UmbracoEntityTypes.Document:
+                        aids = Security.CurrentUser.AllStartContentIds;
+                        break;
+                    case UmbracoEntityTypes.Media:
+                        aids = Security.CurrentUser.AllStartMediaIds;
+                        break;
+                }
+
+                if (aids != null && aids.Length > 0)
+                {
+                    var lids = new List<int>();
+                    var ok = false;
+                    foreach (var i in ids)
+                    {
+                        if (ok)
+                        {
+                            lids.Add(i);
+                            continue;
+                        }
+                        if (aids.Contains(i))
+                        {
+                            lids.Add(i);
+                            ok = true;
+                        }
+                    }
+                    ids = lids.ToArray();
+                }
+
                 return ids.Length == 0
                     ? Enumerable.Empty<EntityBasic>()
                     : Services.EntityService.GetAll(objectType.Value, ids)
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/MediaController.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/MediaController.cs
index ed4b1c2f63..1603615a58 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/MediaController.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/MediaController.cs
@@ -250,6 +250,13 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Editors
         }
 
         #region GetChildren
+
+        private int[] _userStartNodes;
+        protected int[] UserStartNodes
+        {
+            get { return _userStartNodes ?? (_userStartNodes = Security.CurrentUser.AllStartMediaIds); }
+        }
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Returns the child media objects - using the entity INT id
         /// </summary>
@@ -262,6 +269,25 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Editors
             bool orderBySystemField = true,
             string filter = "")
         {
+            //if a request is made for the root node data but the user's start node is not the default, then
+            // we need to return their start nodes
+            if (id == Constants.System.Root && UserStartNodes.Length > 0 && UserStartNodes.Contains(Constants.System.Root) == false)
+            {
+                if (pageNumber > 0)
+                    return new PagedResult<ContentItemBasic<ContentPropertyBasic, IMedia>>(0, 0, 0);
+                var nodes = Services.MediaService.GetByIds(UserStartNodes).ToArray();
+                if (nodes.Length == 0)
+                    return new PagedResult<ContentItemBasic<ContentPropertyBasic, IMedia>>(0, 0, 0);
+                if (pageSize < nodes.Length) pageSize = nodes.Length; // bah
+                var pr = new PagedResult<ContentItemBasic<ContentPropertyBasic, IMedia>>(nodes.Length, pageNumber, pageSize)
+                {
+                    Items = nodes.Select(Mapper.Map<IMedia, ContentItemBasic<ContentPropertyBasic, IMedia>>)
+                };
+                return pr;
+            }
+
+            // else proceed as usual
+
             long totalChildren;
             IMedia[] children;
             if (pageNumber > 0 && pageSize > 0)