diff --git a/course/externallib.php b/course/externallib.php
index 3e8744cc99d..a4d322c82e3 100644
--- a/course/externallib.php
+++ b/course/externallib.php
@@ -3539,6 +3539,17 @@ class core_course_external extends external_api {
         $id = $params['id'];
         $sectionreturn = $params['sectionreturn'];
 
+        // Set of permissions an editing user may have.
+        $contextarray = [
+                'moodle/course:update',
+                'moodle/course:manageactivities',
+                'moodle/course:activityvisibility',
+                'moodle/course:sectionvisibility',
+                'moodle/course:movesections',
+                'moodle/course:setcurrentsection',
+        ];
+        $PAGE->set_other_editing_capability($contextarray);
+
         list($course, $cm) = get_course_and_cm_from_cmid($id);
         $modcontext = context_module::instance($cm->id);
         $coursecontext = context_course::instance($course->id);
@@ -3646,6 +3657,17 @@ class core_course_external extends external_api {
         $id = $params['id'];
         $sectionreturn = $params['sectionreturn'];
 
+        // Set of permissions an editing user may have.
+        $contextarray = [
+            'moodle/course:update',
+            'moodle/course:manageactivities',
+            'moodle/course:activityvisibility',
+            'moodle/course:sectionvisibility',
+            'moodle/course:movesections',
+            'moodle/course:setcurrentsection',
+        ];
+        $PAGE->set_other_editing_capability($contextarray);
+
         // Validate access to the course (note, this is html for the course view page, we don't validate access to the module).
         list($course, $cm) = get_course_and_cm_from_cmid($id);
         self::validate_context(context_course::instance($course->id));