diff --git a/framework/core/ember/app/controllers/discussion.js b/framework/core/ember/app/controllers/discussion.js
index 78d3dc60d..f0c593846 100644
--- a/framework/core/ember/app/controllers/discussion.js
+++ b/framework/core/ember/app/controllers/discussion.js
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ export default Ember.Controller.extend(Ember.Evented, UseComposerMixin, {
       this.set('start', startNumber);
 
       var discussion = this.get('model');
-      if (endNumber > discussion.get('readNumber')) {
+      if (endNumber > discussion.get('readNumber') && this.get('session.isAuthenticated')) {
         discussion.set('readNumber', endNumber);
         discussion.save();
       }
diff --git a/framework/core/src/Api/Actions/Discussions/UpdateAction.php b/framework/core/src/Api/Actions/Discussions/UpdateAction.php
index 6f7b5f67c..c2088cbc6 100644
--- a/framework/core/src/Api/Actions/Discussions/UpdateAction.php
+++ b/framework/core/src/Api/Actions/Discussions/UpdateAction.php
@@ -25,9 +25,14 @@ class UpdateAction extends BaseAction
         // As usual, however, we will fire an event to allow plugins to update
         // additional properties.
         if ($data = array_except($params->get('discussions'), ['readNumber'])) {
-            $command = new EditDiscussionCommand($discussionId, $user);
-            $this->hydrate($command, $params->get('discussions'));
-            $discussion = $this->dispatch($command, $params);
+            try {
+                $command = new EditDiscussionCommand($discussionId, $user);
+                $this->hydrate($command, $params->get('discussions'));
+                $discussion = $this->dispatch($command, $params);
+            } catch (PermissionDeniedException $e) {
+                // Temporary fix. See @todo below
+                $discussion = \Flarum\Core\Models\Discussion::find($discussionId);
+            }
         }
 
         // Next, if a read number was specified in the request, we will run the
@@ -35,7 +40,7 @@ class UpdateAction extends BaseAction
         //
         // @todo Currently, if the user doesn't have permission to edit a
         //     discussion, they're unable to update their readNumber because a
-        //     PermissionsDeniedException is thrown by the
+        //     PermissionDeniedException is thrown by the
         //     EditDiscussionCommand above. So this needs to be extracted into
         //     its own endpoint.
         if ($readNumber = $params->get('discussions.readNumber')) {