diff --git a/app/main/views/send.py b/app/main/views/send.py
index 37415b54b..1c3e9f206 100644
--- a/app/main/views/send.py
+++ b/app/main/views/send.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ manage_templates_page_headings = {
 
 
 def get_page_headings(template_type):
-    if current_user.has_permissions(session.get('service_id', ''), 'manage_service'):
+    if current_user.has_permissions(['manage_service']):
         return manage_service_page_headings[template_type]
     else:
         return manage_templates_page_headings[template_type]
diff --git a/app/notify_client/models.py b/app/notify_client/models.py
index 3cf6497b6..b881e8390 100644
--- a/app/notify_client/models.py
+++ b/app/notify_client/models.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from flask.ext.login import (UserMixin, login_fresh)
+from flask import session
 
 
 class User(UserMixin):
@@ -81,7 +82,9 @@ class User(UserMixin):
     def permissions(self, permissions):
         raise AttributeError("Read only property")
 
-    def has_permissions(self, service_id, permissions, or_=False):
+    def has_permissions(self, permissions, service_id=None, or_=False):
+        if service_id is None:
+            service_id = session.get('service_id', '')
         if service_id in self._permissions:
             if or_:
                 return any([x in self._permissions[service_id] for x in permissions])
diff --git a/app/templates/main_nav.html b/app/templates/main_nav.html
index cfc6cd0d1..96a360727 100644
--- a/app/templates/main_nav.html
+++ b/app/templates/main_nav.html
@@ -2,26 +2,26 @@
   <h2 class="navigation-service-name">
     <a href="{{ url_for('.service_dashboard', service_id=service_id) }}">{{ session.get('service_name', 'Service') }}</a>
   </h2>
-  {% if current_user.has_permissions(session.get('service_id', ''), ['send_messages']) %}
+  {% if current_user.has_permissions(['send_messages']) %}
   <ul>
     <li><a href="{{ url_for('.choose_template', service_id=service_id, template_type='sms') }}">Send text messages</a></li>
     <li><a href="{{ url_for('.choose_template', service_id=service_id, template_type='email') }}">Send emails</a></li>
     <li><a href="{{ url_for('.letters_stub', service_id=service_id) }}">Send letters</a></li>
   </ul>
-  {% elif current_user.has_permissions(session.get('service_id', ''), ['manage_templates']) %}
+  {% elif current_user.has_permissions(['manage_templates']) %}
   <ul>
-    <li><a href="{{ url_for('.choose_template', service_id=service_id, template_type='sms') }}">Text message templates</a></li>
-    <li><a href="{{ url_for('.choose_template', service_id=service_id, template_type='email') }}">Text email templates</a></li>
+    <li><a href="{{ url_for('.choose_template', service_id=service_id, template_type='sms') }}">Message templates</a></li>
+    <li><a href="{{ url_for('.choose_template', service_id=service_id, template_type='email') }}">Email templates</a></li>
     <li><a href="{{ url_for('.letters_stub', service_id=service_id) }}">Send letters</a></li>
   </ul>
   {% endif %}
-  {% if current_user.has_permissions(session.get('service_id', ''), ['manage_service']) %}
+  {% if current_user.has_permissions(['manage_service']) %}
   <ul>
     <li><a href="{{ url_for('.manage_users', service_id=service_id) }}">Manage team</a></li>
     <li><a href="{{ url_for('.service_settings', service_id=service_id) }}">Manage settings</a></li>
   </ul>
   {% endif %}
-  {% if current_user.has_permissions(session.get('service_id', ''), ['manage_api_keys']) %}
+  {% if current_user.has_permissions(['manage_api_keys']) %}
   <ul>
     <li><a href="{{ url_for('.api_keys', service_id=service_id) }}">API keys</a></li>
     <li><a href="{{ url_for('.documentation', service_id=service_id) }}">Developer documentation</a></li>
diff --git a/app/templates/views/choose-template.html b/app/templates/views/choose-template.html
index b2d9545f5..bf6f08f12 100644
--- a/app/templates/views/choose-template.html
+++ b/app/templates/views/choose-template.html
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
     {% if templates %}
       {% if not has_jobs %}
-        {% if current_user.has_permissions(session.get('service_id', ''), ['manage_service']) %}
+        {% if current_user.has_permissions(['manage_service']) %}
         {{ banner(
           """
             Send yourself a test message
@@ -41,11 +41,11 @@
           </div>
           <div class="column-one-third">
             <div class="sms-message-use-links">
-              {% if current_user.has_permissions(session.get('service_id', ''), ['manage_service']) %}
+              {% if current_user.has_permissions(['manage_service']) %}
               <a href="{{ url_for(".send_messages", service_id=service_id, template_id=template.id) }}">Add recipients</a>
               <a href="{{ url_for(".send_message_to_self", service_id=service_id, template_id=template.id) }}">Send yourself a test</a>
               {% endif %}
-              {% if current_user.has_permissions(session.get('service_id', ''), ['manage_templates']) %}
+              {% if current_user.has_permissions(['manage_templates']) %}
               <a href="{{ url_for(".edit_service_template", service_id=service_id, template_id=template.id) }}">Edit template</a>
               {% endif %}
             </div>
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
     {% endif %}
 
     <p>
-      {% if current_user.has_permissions(session.get('service_id', ''), ['manage_templates']) %}
+      {% if current_user.has_permissions(['manage_templates']) %}
       <a href="{{ url_for('.add_service_template', service_id=service_id, template_type=template_type) }}" class="button">Add a new template</a>
       {% endif %}
     </p>
diff --git a/app/utils.py b/app/utils.py
index 965939028..11eb18876 100644
--- a/app/utils.py
+++ b/app/utils.py
@@ -100,10 +100,8 @@ def user_has_permissions(*permissions, or_=False):
     def wrap(func):
         @wraps(func)
         def wrap_func(*args, **kwargs):
-            # We are making the assumption that the user is logged in.
             from flask_login import current_user
-            service_id = session.get('service_id', '')
-            if current_user and current_user.has_permissions(service_id, permissions, or_=or_):
+            if current_user and current_user.has_permissions(permissions, or_=or_):
                 return func(*args, **kwargs)
             else:
                 abort(403)
diff --git a/tests/app/main/test_utils.py b/tests/app/main/test_utils.py
index 67262c360..95b435f6e 100644
--- a/tests/app/main/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/app/main/test_utils.py
@@ -6,18 +6,53 @@ from app.main.views.index import index
 from werkzeug.exceptions import Forbidden
 
 
-# def test_user_has_permissions(app_,
-#                               api_user_active,
-#                               mock_get_user,
-#                               mock_get_user_by_email,
-#                               mock_login):
-#     with app_.test_request_context():
-#         with app_.test_client() as client:
-#             client.login(api_user_active)
-#             decorator = user_has_permissions('something')
-#             decorated_index = decorator(index)
-#             try:
-#                 response = decorated_index()
-#                 pytest.fail("Failed to throw a forbidden exception")
-#             except Forbidden:
-#                 pass
+def test_user_has_permissions_on_endpoint_fail(app_,
+                                               api_user_active,
+                                               mock_login,
+                                               mock_get_user_with_permissions):
+    with app_.test_request_context():
+        with app_.test_client() as client:
+            client.login(api_user_active)
+            decorator = user_has_permissions('something')
+            decorated_index = decorator(index)
+            try:
+                response = decorated_index()
+                pytest.fail("Failed to throw a forbidden exception")
+            except Forbidden:
+                pass
+
+
+def test_user_has_permissions_success(app_,
+                                      api_user_active,
+                                      mock_login,
+                                      mock_get_user_with_permissions):
+    with app_.test_request_context():
+        with app_.test_client() as client:
+            client.login(api_user_active)
+            decorator = user_has_permissions('manage_users')
+            decorated_index = decorator(index)
+            response = decorated_index()
+
+
+def test_user_has_permissions_or(app_,
+                                 api_user_active,
+                                 mock_login,
+                                 mock_get_user_with_permissions):
+    with app_.test_request_context():
+        with app_.test_client() as client:
+            client.login(api_user_active)
+            decorator = user_has_permissions('something', 'manage_users', or_=True)
+            decorated_index = decorator(index)
+            response = decorated_index()
+
+
+def test_user_has_permissions_multiple(app_,
+                                       api_user_active,
+                                       mock_login,
+                                       mock_get_user_with_permissions):
+    with app_.test_request_context():
+        with app_.test_client() as client:
+            client.login(api_user_active)
+            decorator = user_has_permissions('manage_templates', 'manage_users')
+            decorated_index = decorator(index)
+            response = decorated_index()
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 81c159cf2..a3d4f54aa 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -305,6 +305,15 @@ def mock_get_user_by_email(mocker, api_user_active):
     return mocker.patch('app.user_api_client.get_user_by_email', side_effect=_get_user)
 
 
+@pytest.fixture(scope='function')
+def mock_get_user_with_permissions(mocker, api_user_active):
+    def _get_user(id):
+        api_user_active._permissions[''] = ['manage_users', 'manage_templates', 'manage_settings']
+        return api_user_active
+    return mocker.patch(
+        'app.user_api_client.get_user', side_effect=_get_user)
+
+
 @pytest.fixture(scope='function')
 def mock_dont_get_user_by_email(mocker):
 
@@ -523,7 +532,7 @@ def mock_get_jobs(mocker):
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope='function')
 def mock_has_permissions(mocker):
-    def _has_permission(service_id, permissions, or_=False):
+    def _has_permission(permissions, service_id=None, or_=False):
         return True
     return mocker.patch(
         'app.notify_client.user_api_client.User.has_permissions',