diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/less/components/tree/umb-tree.less b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/less/components/tree/umb-tree.less
index 0a0fb29eed..90fa3c4774 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/less/components/tree/umb-tree.less
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/less/components/tree/umb-tree.less
@@ -289,9 +289,8 @@ body.touch .umb-tree {
 }
 
 .no-access {
-    .umb-tree-icon,
-    .root-link,
-    .umb-tree-item__label {
+    > .umb-tree-item__inner .umb-tree-icon,
+    > .umb-tree-item__inner .umb-tree-item__label {
         color: @gray-7;
         cursor: not-allowed;
     }
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Trees/ContentTreeControllerBase.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Trees/ContentTreeControllerBase.cs
index f3422a04c9..1069df0ec4 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Trees/ContentTreeControllerBase.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Trees/ContentTreeControllerBase.cs
@@ -195,20 +195,30 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Trees
             //get the current user start node/paths
             GetUserStartNodes(out var userStartNodes, out var userStartNodePaths);
 
-            nodes.AddRange(entities.Select(x => GetSingleTreeNodeWithAccessCheck(x, id, queryStrings, userStartNodes, userStartNodePaths)).Where(x => x != null));
-
             // if the user does not have access to the root node, what we have is the start nodes,
-            // but to provide some context we also need to add their topmost nodes when they are not
+            // but to provide some context we need to add their topmost nodes when they are not
             // topmost nodes themselves (level > 1).
             if (id == rootIdString && hasAccessToRoot == false)
             {
-                var topNodeIds = entities.Where(x => x.Level > 1).Select(GetTopNodeId).Where(x => x != 0).Distinct().ToArray();
+                // first add the entities that are topmost to the nodes collection
+                var topMostEntities = entities.Where(x => x.Level == 1).ToArray();
+                nodes.AddRange(topMostEntities.Select(x => GetSingleTreeNodeWithAccessCheck(x, id, queryStrings, userStartNodes, userStartNodePaths)).Where(x => x != null));
+
+                // now add the topmost nodes of the entities that aren't topmost to the nodes collection as well
+                // - these will appear as "no-access" nodes in the tree, but will allow the editors to drill down through the tree
+                //   until they reach their start nodes
+                var topNodeIds = entities.Except(topMostEntities).Select(GetTopNodeId).Where(x => x != 0).Distinct().ToArray();
                 if (topNodeIds.Length > 0)
                 {
                     var topNodes = Services.EntityService.GetAll(UmbracoObjectType, topNodeIds.ToArray());
                     nodes.AddRange(topNodes.Select(x => GetSingleTreeNodeWithAccessCheck(x, id, queryStrings, userStartNodes, userStartNodePaths)).Where(x => x != null));
                 }
             }
+            else
+            {
+                // the user has access to the root, just add the entities
+                nodes.AddRange(entities.Select(x => GetSingleTreeNodeWithAccessCheck(x, id, queryStrings, userStartNodes, userStartNodePaths)).Where(x => x != null));
+            }
 
             return nodes;
         }