diff --git a/domain/category/store.go b/domain/category/store.go
index 7164b32c..a8d77998 100644
--- a/domain/category/store.go
+++ b/domain/category/store.go
@@ -262,8 +262,6 @@ func (s Store) GetSpaceCategorySummary(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaceID string
 
 // GetDocumentCategoryMembership returns all space categories associated with given document.
 func (s Store) GetDocumentCategoryMembership(ctx domain.RequestContext, documentID string) (c []category.Category, err error) {
-	c = []category.Category{}
-
 	err = s.Runtime.Db.Select(&c, s.Bind(`
         SELECT id, c_refid AS refid, c_orgid AS orgid, c_spaceid AS spaceid, c_name AS name, c_created AS created, c_revised AS revised
         FROM dmz_category
@@ -272,6 +270,7 @@ func (s Store) GetDocumentCategoryMembership(ctx domain.RequestContext, document
 
 	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
 		err = nil
+		c = []category.Category{}
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		err = errors.Wrap(err, fmt.Sprintf("unable to execute select categories for document %s", documentID))
@@ -280,7 +279,8 @@ func (s Store) GetDocumentCategoryMembership(ctx domain.RequestContext, document
 	return
 }
 
-// GetSpaceCategoryMembership returns category/document associations within space.
+// GetSpaceCategoryMembership returns category/document associations within space,
+// for specified user.
 func (s Store) GetSpaceCategoryMembership(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaceID string) (c []category.Member, err error) {
 	err = s.Runtime.Db.Select(&c, s.Bind(`
         SELECT id, c_refid AS refid, c_orgid AS orgid, c_spaceid AS spaceid, c_categoryid AS categoryid, c_docid AS documentid, c_created AS created, c_revised AS revised
diff --git a/domain/document/endpoint.go b/domain/document/endpoint.go
index 26de7ab7..a17cb993 100644
--- a/domain/document/endpoint.go
+++ b/domain/document/endpoint.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/documize/community/model/activity"
 	"github.com/documize/community/model/attachment"
 	"github.com/documize/community/model/audit"
+	"github.com/documize/community/model/category"
 	"github.com/documize/community/model/doc"
 	"github.com/documize/community/model/link"
 	"github.com/documize/community/model/page"
@@ -556,7 +557,6 @@ func (h *Handler) FetchDocumentData(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	// document
 	document, err := h.Store.Document.Get(ctx, id)
 	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
 		response.WriteNotFoundError(w, method, id)
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ func (h *Handler) FetchDocumentData(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	// Don't serve archived document
+	// Don't serve archived document.
 	if document.Lifecycle == workflow.LifecycleArchived {
 		response.WriteForbiddenError(w)
 		return
@@ -585,6 +585,37 @@ func (h *Handler) FetchDocumentData(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	// If document has been assigned one or more categories,
+	// we check to see if user can view this document.
+	cat, err := h.Store.Category.GetDocumentCategoryMembership(ctx, document.RefID)
+	if err != nil && err != sql.ErrNoRows {
+		response.WriteServerError(w, method, err)
+		h.Runtime.Log.Error(method, err)
+		return
+	}
+	perm, err := h.Store.Permission.GetUserCategoryPermissions(ctx, ctx.UserID)
+	if err != nil && err != sql.ErrNoRows {
+		response.WriteServerError(w, method, err)
+		h.Runtime.Log.Error(method, err)
+		return
+	}
+	see := []category.Category{}
+	for _, c := range cat {
+		for _, p := range perm {
+			if p.RefID == c.RefID {
+				see = append(see, c)
+				break
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	// User cannot view document if document has categories assigned
+	// but user cannot see any of them.
+	if len(cat) > 0 && len(see) == 0 {
+		response.WriteForbiddenError(w)
+		return
+	}
+
 	// permissions
 	perms, err := h.Store.Permission.GetUserSpacePermissions(ctx, document.SpaceID)
 	if err != nil && err != sql.ErrNoRows {
diff --git a/domain/permission/store.go b/domain/permission/store.go
index e828ffad..eaa210f8 100644
--- a/domain/permission/store.go
+++ b/domain/permission/store.go
@@ -205,6 +205,7 @@ func (s Store) GetUserCategoryPermissions(ctx domain.RequestContext, userID stri
 
 	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
 		err = nil
+		r = []permission.Permission{}
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		err = errors.Wrap(err, fmt.Sprintf("unable to execute select category permissions for user %s", userID))