diff --git a/src/backend/api/article.rs b/src/backend/api/article.rs
index cf62f86..e6b1fd9 100644
--- a/src/backend/api/article.rs
+++ b/src/backend/api/article.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use super::{check_is_admin, is_admin_opt};
+use super::check_is_admin;
 use crate::{
     backend::{
         database::{
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ use diffy::create_patch;
 /// Create a new article with empty text, and federate it to followers.
 #[debug_handler]
 pub(in crate::backend::api) async fn create_article(
-    Extension(mut user): Extension<LocalUserView>,
+    user: Extension<LocalUserView>,
     data: Data<IbisData>,
     Form(create_article): Form<CreateArticleForm>,
 ) -> MyResult<Json<ArticleView>> {
@@ -80,12 +80,10 @@ pub(in crate::backend::api) async fn create_article(
         resolve_conflict_id: None,
     };
 
-    // workaround so the edit goes through
-    user.local_user.admin = true;
-    let _ = edit_article(Extension(user), data.reset_request_count(), Form(edit_data)).await?;
+    let _ = edit_article(user, data.reset_request_count(), Form(edit_data)).await?;
 
     // allow reading unapproved article here
-    let article_view = DbArticle::read_view(article.id, true, &data)?;
+    let article_view = DbArticle::read_view(article.id, &data)?;
     CreateArticle::send_to_followers(article_view.article.clone(), &data).await?;
 
     Ok(Json(article_view))
@@ -106,12 +104,11 @@ pub(in crate::backend::api) async fn edit_article(
     data: Data<IbisData>,
     Form(mut edit_form): Form<EditArticleForm>,
 ) -> MyResult<Json<Option<ApiConflict>>> {
-    let is_admin = check_is_admin(&user).is_ok();
     // resolve conflict if any
     if let Some(resolve_conflict_id) = edit_form.resolve_conflict_id {
         DbConflict::delete(resolve_conflict_id, &data)?;
     }
-    let original_article = DbArticle::read_view(edit_form.article_id, is_admin, &data)?;
+    let original_article = DbArticle::read_view(edit_form.article_id, &data)?;
     if edit_form.new_text == original_article.article.text {
         return Err(anyhow!("Edit contains no changes").into());
     }
@@ -153,7 +150,7 @@ pub(in crate::backend::api) async fn edit_article(
             previous_version_id: previous_version.hash,
         };
         let conflict = DbConflict::create(&form, &data)?;
-        Ok(Json(conflict.to_api_conflict(is_admin, &data).await?))
+        Ok(Json(conflict.to_api_conflict(&data).await?))
     }
 }
 
@@ -161,22 +158,19 @@ pub(in crate::backend::api) async fn edit_article(
 #[debug_handler]
 pub(in crate::backend::api) async fn get_article(
     Query(query): Query<GetArticleForm>,
-    user: Option<Extension<LocalUserView>>,
     data: Data<IbisData>,
 ) -> MyResult<Json<ArticleView>> {
-    let is_admin = is_admin_opt(&user);
     match (query.title, query.id) {
         (Some(title), None) => Ok(Json(DbArticle::read_view_title(
             &title,
             query.domain,
-            is_admin,
             &data,
         )?)),
         (None, Some(id)) => {
             if query.domain.is_some() {
                 return Err(anyhow!("Cant combine id and instance_domain").into());
             }
-            let article = DbArticle::read_view(id, is_admin, &data)?;
+            let article = DbArticle::read_view(id, &data)?;
             Ok(Json(article))
         }
         _ => Err(anyhow!("Must pass exactly one of title, id").into()),
@@ -199,13 +193,12 @@ pub(in crate::backend::api) async fn list_articles(
 /// how an article should be edited.
 #[debug_handler]
 pub(in crate::backend::api) async fn fork_article(
-    Extension(user): Extension<LocalUserView>,
+    Extension(_user): Extension<LocalUserView>,
     data: Data<IbisData>,
     Form(fork_form): Form<ForkArticleForm>,
 ) -> MyResult<Json<ArticleView>> {
-    let is_admin = check_is_admin(&user).is_ok();
     // TODO: lots of code duplicated from create_article(), can move it into helper
-    let original_article = DbArticle::read_view(fork_form.article_id, is_admin, &data)?;
+    let original_article = DbArticle::read_view(fork_form.article_id, &data)?;
 
     let local_instance = DbInstance::read_local_instance(&data)?;
     let ap_id = ObjectId::parse(&format!(
@@ -249,7 +242,7 @@ pub(in crate::backend::api) async fn fork_article(
 
     CreateArticle::send_to_followers(article.clone(), &data).await?;
 
-    Ok(Json(DbArticle::read_view(article.id, is_admin, &data)?))
+    Ok(Json(DbArticle::read_view(article.id, &data)?))
 }
 
 /// Fetch a remote article, including edits collection. Allows viewing and editing. Note that new
diff --git a/src/backend/api/mod.rs b/src/backend/api/mod.rs
index 529a947..c0e216c 100644
--- a/src/backend/api/mod.rs
+++ b/src/backend/api/mod.rs
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ use axum::{
     middleware::{self, Next},
     response::Response,
     routing::{get, post},
-    Extension,
     Router,
 };
 use axum_extra::extract::CookieJar;
@@ -94,11 +93,3 @@ fn check_is_admin(user: &LocalUserView) -> MyResult<()> {
     }
     Ok(())
 }
-
-fn is_admin_opt(user: &Option<Extension<LocalUserView>>) -> bool {
-    if let Some(user) = user {
-        user.local_user.admin
-    } else {
-        false
-    }
-}
diff --git a/src/backend/api/user.rs b/src/backend/api/user.rs
index 73c8054..452242a 100644
--- a/src/backend/api/user.rs
+++ b/src/backend/api/user.rs
@@ -161,11 +161,10 @@ pub(crate) async fn list_notifications(
     Extension(user): Extension<LocalUserView>,
     data: Data<IbisData>,
 ) -> MyResult<Json<Vec<Notification>>> {
-    let is_admin = check_is_admin(&user).is_ok();
     let conflicts = DbConflict::list(&user.person, &data)?;
     let conflicts: Vec<_> = try_join_all(conflicts.into_iter().map(|c| {
         let data = data.reset_request_count();
-        async move { c.to_api_conflict(is_admin, &data).await }
+        async move { c.to_api_conflict(&data).await }
     }))
     .await?;
     let mut notifications: Vec<_> = conflicts
diff --git a/src/backend/database/article.rs b/src/backend/database/article.rs
index c8a5743..a7fd939 100644
--- a/src/backend/database/article.rs
+++ b/src/backend/database/article.rs
@@ -87,12 +87,9 @@ impl DbArticle {
             .get_result::<Self>(conn.deref_mut())?)
     }
 
-    pub fn read_view(id: ArticleId, is_admin: bool, data: &IbisData) -> MyResult<ArticleView> {
+    pub fn read_view(id: ArticleId, data: &IbisData) -> MyResult<ArticleView> {
         let mut conn = data.db_pool.get()?;
-        let mut query = article::table.find(id).into_boxed();
-        if !is_admin {
-            query = query.filter(article::dsl::approved.eq(true));
-        }
+        let query = article::table.find(id).into_boxed();
         let article: DbArticle = query.get_result(conn.deref_mut())?;
         let latest_version = article.latest_edit_version(data)?;
         let edits = DbEdit::read_for_article(&article, data)?;
@@ -106,7 +103,6 @@ impl DbArticle {
     pub fn read_view_title(
         title: &str,
         domain: Option<String>,
-        admin: bool,
         data: &IbisData,
     ) -> MyResult<ArticleView> {
         let mut conn = data.db_pool.get()?;
@@ -115,14 +111,11 @@ impl DbArticle {
                 .inner_join(instance::table)
                 .filter(article::dsl::title.eq(title))
                 .into_boxed();
-            let mut query = if let Some(domain) = domain {
+            let query = if let Some(domain) = domain {
                 query.filter(instance::dsl::domain.eq(domain))
             } else {
                 query.filter(article::dsl::local.eq(true))
             };
-            if !admin {
-                query = query.filter(article::dsl::approved.eq(true));
-            }
             query
                 .select(article::all_columns)
                 .get_result(conn.deref_mut())?
diff --git a/src/backend/database/conflict.rs b/src/backend/database/conflict.rs
index b34916c..43d85a1 100644
--- a/src/backend/database/conflict.rs
+++ b/src/backend/database/conflict.rs
@@ -78,12 +78,8 @@ impl DbConflict {
         Ok(delete(conflict::table.find(id)).get_result(conn.deref_mut())?)
     }
 
-    pub async fn to_api_conflict(
-        &self,
-        is_admin: bool,
-        data: &Data<IbisData>,
-    ) -> MyResult<Option<ApiConflict>> {
-        let article = DbArticle::read_view(self.article_id, is_admin, data)?;
+    pub async fn to_api_conflict(&self, data: &Data<IbisData>) -> MyResult<Option<ApiConflict>> {
+        let article = DbArticle::read_view(self.article_id, data)?;
         // Make sure to get latest version from origin so that all conflicts can be resolved
         let original_article = article.article.ap_id.dereference_forced(data).await?;
 
diff --git a/src/backend/federation/objects/edit.rs b/src/backend/federation/objects/edit.rs
index 2559cce..a8405f2 100644
--- a/src/backend/federation/objects/edit.rs
+++ b/src/backend/federation/objects/edit.rs
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ impl Object for DbEdit {
     }
 
     async fn into_json(self, data: &Data<Self::DataType>) -> Result<Self::Kind, Self::Error> {
-        let article = DbArticle::read_view(self.article_id, false, data)?;
+        let article = DbArticle::read_view(self.article_id, data)?;
         let creator = DbPerson::read(self.creator_id, data)?;
         Ok(ApubEdit {
             kind: PatchType::Patch,
diff --git a/src/backend/federation/objects/edits_collection.rs b/src/backend/federation/objects/edits_collection.rs
index 3b96bba..3059958 100644
--- a/src/backend/federation/objects/edits_collection.rs
+++ b/src/backend/federation/objects/edits_collection.rs
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ impl Collection for DbEditCollection {
         owner: &Self::Owner,
         data: &Data<Self::DataType>,
     ) -> Result<Self::Kind, Self::Error> {
-        let article = DbArticle::read_view(owner.id, false, data)?;
+        let article = DbArticle::read_view(owner.id, data)?;
 
         let edits = future::try_join_all(
             article
diff --git a/src/backend/federation/routes.rs b/src/backend/federation/routes.rs
index 4647c04..2fca4cc 100644
--- a/src/backend/federation/routes.rs
+++ b/src/backend/federation/routes.rs
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ async fn http_get_article(
     Path(title): Path<String>,
     data: Data<IbisData>,
 ) -> MyResult<FederationJson<WithContext<ApubArticle>>> {
-    let article = DbArticle::read_view_title(&title, None, false, &data)?;
+    let article = DbArticle::read_view_title(&title, None, &data)?;
     let json = article.article.into_json(&data).await?;
     Ok(FederationJson(WithContext::new_default(json)))
 }
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ async fn http_get_article_edits(
     Path(title): Path<String>,
     data: Data<IbisData>,
 ) -> MyResult<FederationJson<WithContext<ApubEditCollection>>> {
-    let article = DbArticle::read_view_title(&title, None, false, &data)?;
+    let article = DbArticle::read_view_title(&title, None, &data)?;
     let json = DbEditCollection::read_local(&article.article, &data).await?;
     Ok(FederationJson(WithContext::new_default(json)))
 }