diff --git a/models/user.js b/models/user.js
index 3d12d49e9..30069abd0 100644
--- a/models/user.js
+++ b/models/user.js
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ UserSchema.index({
  * returns true if a commenter is staff
  */
 UserSchema.method('isStaff', function () {
-  return !!intersection(['ADMIN', 'MODERATOR', 'STAFF'], this.roles).length;
+  return intersection(['ADMIN', 'MODERATOR', 'STAFF'], this.roles).length !== 0;
 });
 
 /**
diff --git a/perms/mutationReducer.js b/perms/mutationReducer.js
index b589bde90..82bc2de42 100644
--- a/perms/mutationReducer.js
+++ b/perms/mutationReducer.js
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
-const intersection = require('lodash/intersection');
-const check = (user, roles) => {
-  return !!intersection(roles, user.roles).length;
-};
+const {check} = require('./utils');
 
 module.exports = {
   CREATE_COMMENT: 'CREATE_COMMENT',
diff --git a/perms/queryReducer.js b/perms/queryReducer.js
index 92f1566d5..65a52358a 100644
--- a/perms/queryReducer.js
+++ b/perms/queryReducer.js
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
-const intersection = require('lodash/intersection');
-const check = (user, roles) => {
-  return !!intersection(roles, user.roles).length;
-};
+const {check} = require('./utils');
 
 module.exports = {
   SEARCH_ASSETS: 'SEARCH_ASSETS',
diff --git a/perms/rootReducer.js b/perms/rootReducer.js
index 7abf92753..c48fb9c4d 100644
--- a/perms/rootReducer.js
+++ b/perms/rootReducer.js
@@ -1,15 +1,9 @@
 module.exports = {
-  DUMMY_ROLE: 'DUMMY_ROLE',
-  checkRoles: function (user, perm) {
+  checkRoles: function (user /* , perm*/) {
 
     // this runs before everything
     if (user.status === 'BANNED') {
       return false;
     }
-
-    switch (perm) {
-    default:
-      break;
-    }
   }
 };
diff --git a/perms/utils.js b/perms/utils.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e72a49c53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/perms/utils.js
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+const intersection = require('lodash/intersection');
+const check = (user, roles) => {
+  return intersection(roles, user.roles).length > 0;
+};
+
+module.exports = {
+  check
+};
diff --git a/services/users.js b/services/users.js
index 09a4f3a55..83a33e6f6 100644
--- a/services/users.js
+++ b/services/users.js
@@ -389,9 +389,6 @@ module.exports = class UsersService {
       return Promise.reject(new Error(`role ${role} is not supported`));
     }
 
-    // 5.11.2017 - Restricting this to a hierarchical system like WordPress
-    // where you can only set one role at a time.
-    // I'm not changing the data structure here, because I don't want a migration
     return UserModel.update({id}, {$set: {roles: [role]}});
   }