diff --git a/lib/accesslib.php b/lib/accesslib.php
index e4dae05aedb..44793792c72 100644
--- a/lib/accesslib.php
+++ b/lib/accesslib.php
@@ -2016,7 +2016,7 @@ function can_access_course(stdClass $course, $user = null, $withcapability = '',
         }
     }
 
-    if (!$course->visible and !has_capability('moodle/course:viewhiddencourses', $coursecontext)) {
+    if (!$course->visible and !has_capability('moodle/course:viewhiddencourses', $coursecontext, $userid)) {
         return false;
     }
 
@@ -2029,6 +2029,8 @@ function can_access_course(stdClass $course, $user = null, $withcapability = '',
         return is_enrolled($coursecontext, $userid, '', $onlyactive);
     }
 
+    // === from here we deal only with $USER ===
+
     // verify our caches
     if (!isset($USER->enrol)) {
         /**