diff --git a/blog/edit_form.php b/blog/edit_form.php
index 04c67e5b4cc..2eb767a06c0 100644
--- a/blog/edit_form.php
+++ b/blog/edit_form.php
@@ -134,27 +134,25 @@ class blog_edit_form extends moodleform {
 
         // validate course association
         if (!empty($data['courseassoc']) && has_capability('moodle/blog:associatecourse', $sitecontext)) {
-            $coursecontext = get_context_instance(CONTEXT_COURSE, $data['courseassoc']);
+            $coursecontext = context::instance_by_id($data['courseassoc'], IGNORE_MISSING);
 
-            if ($coursecontext)  {
+            if ($coursecontext and $coursecontext->contextlevel == CONTEXT_COURSE)  {
                 if (!is_enrolled($coursecontext) and !is_viewing($coursecontext)) {
                     $errors['courseassoc'] = get_string('studentnotallowed', '', fullname($USER, true));
                 }
             } else {
-                $errors['courseassoc'] = get_string('invalidcontextid', 'blog');
+                $errors['courseassoc'] = get_string('error');
             }
         }
 
         // validate mod association
         if (!empty($data['modassoc'])) {
             $modcontextid = $data['modassoc'];
+            $modcontext = context::instance_by_id($modcontextid, IGNORE_MISSING);
 
-            $modcontext = get_context_instance(CONTEXT_MODULE, $modcontextid);
-
-            if ($modcontext) {
+            if ($modcontext and $modcontext->contextlevel == CONTEXT_MODULE) {
                 // get context of the mod's course
-                $path = explode('/', $modcontext->path);
-                $coursecontext = get_context_instance_by_id($path[(count($path) - 2)]);
+                $coursecontext = $modcontext->get_course_context(true);
 
                 // ensure only one course is associated
                 if (!empty($data['courseassoc'])) {
@@ -170,7 +168,7 @@ class blog_edit_form extends moodleform {
                     $errors['modassoc'] = get_string('studentnotallowed', '', fullname($USER, true));
                 }
             } else {
-                $errors['modassoc'] = get_string('invalidcontextid', 'blog');
+                $errors['modassoc'] = get_string('error');
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/blog/lib.php b/blog/lib.php
index 06ed8acc3e6..991069c617d 100644
--- a/blog/lib.php
+++ b/blog/lib.php
@@ -529,7 +529,10 @@ function blog_get_options_for_course(stdClass $course, stdClass $user=null) {
         return $courseoptions[$key];
     }
 
-    if (has_capability('moodle/blog:view', get_context_instance(CONTEXT_COURSE, $course->id))) {
+    $coursecontext = get_context_instance(CONTEXT_COURSE, $course->id);
+    $canparticipate = (is_enrolled($coursecontext) or is_viewing($coursecontext));
+
+    if (has_capability('moodle/blog:view', $coursecontext)) {
         // We can view!
         if ($CFG->bloglevel >= BLOG_SITE_LEVEL) {
             // View entries about this course
@@ -552,7 +555,7 @@ function blog_get_options_for_course(stdClass $course, stdClass $user=null) {
         }
     }
 
-    if (has_capability('moodle/blog:create', $sitecontext)) {
+    if (has_capability('moodle/blog:create', $sitecontext) and $canparticipate) {
         // We can blog about this course
         $options['courseadd'] = array(
             'string' => get_string('blogaboutthiscourse', 'blog'),
@@ -604,7 +607,10 @@ function blog_get_options_for_module($module, $user=null) {
         return $moduleoptions[$module->id];
     }
 
-    if (has_capability('moodle/blog:view', get_context_instance(CONTEXT_MODULE, $module->id))) {
+    $modcontext = get_context_instance(CONTEXT_MODULE, $module->id);
+    $canparticipate = (is_enrolled($modcontext) or is_viewing($modcontext));
+
+    if (has_capability('moodle/blog:view', $modcontext)) {
         // We can view!
         if ($CFG->bloglevel >= BLOG_SITE_LEVEL) {
             // View all entries about this module
@@ -632,7 +638,7 @@ function blog_get_options_for_module($module, $user=null) {
         }
     }
 
-    if (has_capability('moodle/blog:create', $sitecontext)) {
+    if (has_capability('moodle/blog:create', $sitecontext) and $canparticipate) {
         // The user can blog about this module
         $options['moduleadd'] = array(
             'string' => get_string('blogaboutthismodule', 'blog', $module->modname),