diff --git a/blog/edit_form.php b/blog/edit_form.php
index 862e59f8a54..2b28a737567 100644
--- a/blog/edit_form.php
+++ b/blog/edit_form.php
@@ -139,9 +139,7 @@ class blog_edit_form extends moodleform {
         if (!empty($data['courseassoc'])) {
             $coursecontext = context::instance_by_id($data['courseassoc']);
 
-            if ($coursecontext->contextlevel == CONTEXT_COURSE) {
-                $errors['courseassoc'] = get_string('studentnotallowed', '', fullname($USER, true));
-            } else {
+            if ($coursecontext->contextlevel != CONTEXT_COURSE) {
                 $errors['courseassoc'] = get_string('error');
             }
         }
@@ -163,8 +161,6 @@ class blog_edit_form extends moodleform {
                 } else {
                     $data['courseassoc'] = $coursecontext->id;
                 }
-
-                $errors['modassoc'] = get_string('studentnotallowed', '', fullname($USER, true));
             } else {
                 $errors['modassoc'] = get_string('error');
             }
diff --git a/blog/index.php b/blog/index.php
index f5a9f9c7d4a..cef0eeba438 100644
--- a/blog/index.php
+++ b/blog/index.php
@@ -124,11 +124,9 @@ if (!empty($courseid)) {
     }
 
     $courseid = $course->id;
-    $coursecontext = context_course::instance($course->id);
-
     require_login($course);
 
-    if (!has_capability('moodle/blog:view', $coursecontext)) {
+    if (!has_capability('moodle/blog:view', $sitecontext)) {
         print_error('cannotviewcourseblog', 'blog');
     }
 } else {
@@ -152,7 +150,7 @@ if (!empty($groupid)) {
     $courseid = $course->id;
     require_login($course);
 
-    if (!has_capability('moodle/blog:view', $coursecontext)) {
+    if (!has_capability('moodle/blog:view', $sitecontext)) {
         print_error(get_string('cannotviewcourseorgroupblog', 'blog'));
     }
 
@@ -210,7 +208,7 @@ if ($CFG->enablerssfeeds) {
     $thingid = null;
     list($thingid, $rsscontext, $filtertype) = blog_rss_get_params($blogheaders['filters']);
     if (empty($rsscontext)) {
-        $rsscontext = get_system_context();
+        $rsscontext = context_system::instance();
     }
     $rsstitle = $blogheaders['heading'];
 
diff --git a/blog/rsslib.php b/blog/rsslib.php
index 22c9612fd9f..59ddd23293d 100644
--- a/blog/rsslib.php
+++ b/blog/rsslib.php
@@ -123,26 +123,15 @@ function blog_rss_get_params($filters) {
 
     if (!$filters) {
         $thingid = SITEID;
-        $rsscontext = $sitecontext;
         $filtertype = 'site';
     } else if (array_key_exists('course', $filters)) {
         $thingid = $filters['course'];
-
-        $coursecontext = context_course::instance($thingid);
-        $rsscontext = $coursecontext;
-
         $filtertype = 'course';
     } else if (array_key_exists('user', $filters)) {
         $thingid = $filters['user'];
-
-        $usercontext = context_user::instance($thingid);
-        $rsscontext = $usercontext;
-
         $filtertype = 'user';
     } else if (array_key_exists('group', $filters)) {
         $thingid = $filters['group'];
-
-        $rsscontext = $sitecontext; //is this the context we should be using for group blogs?
         $filtertype = 'group';
     }