diff --git a/common/eventcontent.go b/common/eventcontent.go
index c07c56276..f3817ba68 100644
--- a/common/eventcontent.go
+++ b/common/eventcontent.go
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ func InitialPowerLevelsContent(roomCreator string) (c gomatrixserverlib.PowerLev
 		"m.room.history_visibility": 100,
 		"m.room.canonical_alias":    50,
 		"m.room.avatar":             50,
+		"m.room.aliases":            0, // anyone can publish aliases by default. Has to be 0 else state_default is used.
 	}
 	c.Users = map[string]int64{roomCreator: 100}
 	return c
diff --git a/publicroomsapi/directory/directory.go b/publicroomsapi/directory/directory.go
index 82179e921..837018e64 100644
--- a/publicroomsapi/directory/directory.go
+++ b/publicroomsapi/directory/directory.go
@@ -94,16 +94,13 @@ func SetVisibility(
 	}
 
 	// NOTSPEC: Check if the user's power is greater than power required to change m.room.aliases event
-	// p2p relies on anyone being able to publish rooms.
-	/*
-		power, _ := gomatrixserverlib.NewPowerLevelContentFromEvent(queryEventsRes.StateEvents[0].Event)
-			if power.UserLevel(dev.UserID) < power.EventLevel(gomatrixserverlib.MRoomAliases, true) {
-				return util.JSONResponse{
-					Code: http.StatusForbidden,
-					JSON: jsonerror.Forbidden("userID doesn't have power level to change visibility"),
-				}
-			}
-	*/
+	power, _ := gomatrixserverlib.NewPowerLevelContentFromEvent(queryEventsRes.StateEvents[0].Event)
+	if power.UserLevel(dev.UserID) < power.EventLevel(gomatrixserverlib.MRoomAliases, true) {
+		return util.JSONResponse{
+			Code: http.StatusForbidden,
+			JSON: jsonerror.Forbidden("userID doesn't have power level to change visibility"),
+		}
+	}
 
 	var v roomVisibility
 	if reqErr := httputil.UnmarshalJSONRequest(req, &v); reqErr != nil {