diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/Identity/BackOfficeIdentityUser.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/Identity/BackOfficeIdentityUser.cs
index 8657bc4c6c..ae046edce9 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/Identity/BackOfficeIdentityUser.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/Identity/BackOfficeIdentityUser.cs
@@ -33,7 +33,15 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Models.Identity
         /// Gets/sets the user's real name
         /// </summary>
         public string Name { get; set; }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Content start nodes assigned to the User (not ones assigned to the user's groups)
+        /// </summary>
         public int[] StartContentIds { get; set; }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Media start nodes assigned to the User (not ones assigned to the user's groups)
+        /// </summary>
         public int[] StartMediaIds { get; set; }
         public string[] AllowedSections { get; set; }
         public string[] Groups { get; set; }
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/EntityController.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/EntityController.cs
index e16d6da67a..4438a4d9dc 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/EntityController.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/EntityController.cs
@@ -667,14 +667,14 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Editors
                     type = "media";
 
                     AddExamineSearchFrom(searchFrom, sb);
-                    AddExamineUserStartNode(Security.CurrentUser.StartMediaIds, sb);
+                    AddExamineUserStartNode(Security.CurrentUser.GetCombinedStartMediaIds().ToArray(), sb);
 
                     break;
                 case UmbracoEntityTypes.Document:
                     type = "content";
 
                     AddExamineSearchFrom(searchFrom, sb);
-                    AddExamineUserStartNode(Security.CurrentUser.StartContentIds, sb);
+                    AddExamineUserStartNode(Security.CurrentUser.GetCombinedStartContentIds().ToArray(), sb);
                     
                     break;
                 default:
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Trees/ContentTreeController.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Trees/ContentTreeController.cs
index 076c7b093a..eb7f091a18 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Trees/ContentTreeController.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Trees/ContentTreeController.cs
@@ -40,9 +40,10 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Trees
        
         protected override TreeNode CreateRootNode(FormDataCollection queryStrings)
         {
-            var node = base.CreateRootNode(queryStrings); 
+            var node = base.CreateRootNode(queryStrings);
+
             //if the user's start node is not default, then ensure the root doesn't have a menu
-            if (Security.CurrentUser.StartContentIds.Length > 0 && Security.CurrentUser.StartContentIds.Contains(Constants.System.Root) == false)
+            if (UserStartNodes.Length > 0 && UserStartNodes.Contains(Constants.System.Root) == false)
             {
                 node.MenuUrl = "";
             }
@@ -60,9 +61,10 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Trees
             get { return Services.ContentService.RecycleBinSmells(); }
         }
 
+        private int[] _userStartNodes;
         protected override int[] UserStartNodes
         {
-            get { return Security.CurrentUser.StartContentIds; }
+            get { return _userStartNodes ?? (_userStartNodes = Security.CurrentUser.GetCombinedStartContentIds().ToArray()); }
         }
         
         /// <summary>
@@ -119,9 +121,9 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Trees
             if (id == Constants.System.Root.ToInvariantString())
             {
                 var menu = new MenuItemCollection();
-
+                
                 //if the user's start node is not the root then ensure the root menu is empty/doesn't exist
-                if (Security.CurrentUser.StartContentIds.Length > 0 && Security.CurrentUser.StartContentIds.Contains(Constants.System.Root) == false)
+                if (UserStartNodes.Length > 0 && UserStartNodes.Contains(Constants.System.Root) == false)
                 {
                     return menu;
                 }
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Trees/MediaTreeController.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Trees/MediaTreeController.cs
index 068d6641b0..5f36c3de20 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Trees/MediaTreeController.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Trees/MediaTreeController.cs
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Trees
         {
             var node = base.CreateRootNode(queryStrings);
             //if the user's start node is not default, then ensure the root doesn't have a menu
-            if (Security.CurrentUser.StartMediaIds.Length > 0 && Security.CurrentUser.StartMediaIds.Contains(Constants.System.Root) == false)
+            if (UserStartNodes.Length > 0 && UserStartNodes.Contains(Constants.System.Root) == false)
             {
                 node.MenuUrl = "";
             }
@@ -53,9 +53,10 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Trees
             get { return Services.MediaService.RecycleBinSmells(); }
         }
 
+        private int[] _userStartNodes;
         protected override int[] UserStartNodes
         {
-            get { return Security.CurrentUser.StartMediaIds; }
+            get { return _userStartNodes ?? (_userStartNodes = Security.CurrentUser.GetCombinedStartMediaIds().ToArray()); }
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -100,7 +101,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Trees
             if (id == Constants.System.Root.ToInvariantString())
             {
                 //if the user's start node is not the root then ensure the root menu is empty/doesn't exist
-                if (Security.CurrentUser.StartMediaIds.Length > 0 && Security.CurrentUser.StartMediaIds.Contains(Constants.System.Root) == false)
+                if (UserStartNodes.Length > 0 && UserStartNodes.Contains(Constants.System.Root) == false)
                 {
                     return menu;
                 }
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/WebApi/Filters/FilterAllowedOutgoingContentAttribute.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/WebApi/Filters/FilterAllowedOutgoingContentAttribute.cs
index 3ae70ac5e8..7429e52897 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/WebApi/Filters/FilterAllowedOutgoingContentAttribute.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/WebApi/Filters/FilterAllowedOutgoingContentAttribute.cs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ using Umbraco.Core.Models.Membership;
 using Umbraco.Core.Services;
 using umbraco.BusinessLogic.Actions;
 using Umbraco.Core;
+using Umbraco.Core.Models;
 
 namespace Umbraco.Web.WebApi.Filters
 {
@@ -46,7 +47,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.WebApi.Filters
 
         protected override int[] GetUserStartNodes(IUser user)
         {
-            return user.StartContentIds;
+            return user.GetCombinedStartContentIds().ToArray();
         }
 
         protected override int RecycleBinId
diff --git a/src/umbraco.businesslogic/BasePages/BasePage.cs b/src/umbraco.businesslogic/BasePages/BasePage.cs
index eb43857b45..d708ce78a3 100644
--- a/src/umbraco.businesslogic/BasePages/BasePage.cs
+++ b/src/umbraco.businesslogic/BasePages/BasePage.cs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ using Umbraco.Core.Services;
 using umbraco.BusinessLogic;
 using umbraco.DataLayer;
 using Umbraco.Core;
+using Umbraco.Core.Models;
 using Umbraco.Core.Security;
 
 namespace umbraco.BasePages
@@ -294,8 +295,8 @@ namespace umbraco.BasePages
                 RealName = u.Name,
                 //currently we only have one user type!
                 Roles = u.GetGroups(),
-                StartContentNodes = u.UserEntity.StartContentIds,
-                StartMediaNodes = u.UserEntity.StartMediaIds,
+                StartContentNodes = u.UserEntity.GetCombinedStartContentIds().ToArray(),
+                StartMediaNodes = u.UserEntity.GetCombinedStartMediaIds().ToArray(),
                 Username = u.LoginName,
                 Culture = ui.Culture(u)