diff --git a/backup/backuplib.php b/backup/backuplib.php
index 2571e1cf469..1dffdb42dfe 100644
--- a/backup/backuplib.php
+++ b/backup/backuplib.php
@@ -85,7 +85,6 @@
 
     //Returns every needed user (participant) in a course
     //It uses the xxxx_get_participants() function
-    //plus users needed to backup scales.
     //Also it search for users having messages and
     //users having blogs
     //WARNING: It returns only NEEDED users, not every
@@ -124,21 +123,6 @@
             }
         }
 
-        //Now, add scale users (from site and course scales)
-        //Get users
-        $scaleusers = get_records_sql("SELECT DISTINCT userid,userid
-                                       FROM {$CFG->prefix}scale
-                                       WHERE courseid = '0' or courseid = '$courseid'");
-        //Add scale users to results
-        if ($scaleusers) {
-            foreach ($scaleusers as $scaleuser) {
-                //If userid != 0
-                if ($scaleuser->userid != 0) {
-                    $result[$scaleuser->userid]->id = $scaleuser->userid;
-                }
-            }
-        }
-
         //Now, add message users if necessary
         if ($includemessages) {
             include_once("$CFG->dirroot/message/lib.php");
@@ -184,7 +168,7 @@
         // get all users with moodle/course:view capability, this will include people
         // assigned at cat level, or site level
         // but it should be ok if they have no direct assignment at course, mod, block level
-        return get_users_by_capability(get_context_instance(CONTEXT_COURSE, $courseid), 'moodle/course:view');
+        return get_users_by_capability(get_context_instance(CONTEXT_COURSE, $courseid), 'moodle/course:view', '', '', '', '', '', '', false);
     }
 
     //Returns all users ids (every record in users table)
diff --git a/backup/restorelib.php b/backup/restorelib.php
index a0e9fa0dca3..a526e8f1936 100644
--- a/backup/restorelib.php
+++ b/backup/restorelib.php
@@ -3273,7 +3273,7 @@ define('RESTORE_GROUPS_GROUPINGS', 3);
     //This function creates all the scales
     function restore_create_scales($restore,$xml_file) {
 
-        global $CFG, $db;
+        global $CFG, $USER, $db;
 
         $status = true;
         //Check it exists
@@ -3289,16 +3289,11 @@ define('RESTORE_GROUPS_GROUPINGS', 3);
         //Now, if we have anything in scales, we have to restore that
         //scales
         if ($scales) {
-            //Get admin->id for later use
-            $admin = get_admin();
-            $adminid = $admin->id;
             if ($scales !== true) {
                 //Iterate over each scale
                 foreach ($scales as $scale) {
                     //Get record from backup_ids
                     $data = backup_getid($restore->backup_unique_code,"scale",$scale->id);
-                    //Init variables
-                    $create_scale = false;
 
                     if ($data) {
                         //Now get completed xmlized object
@@ -3316,49 +3311,41 @@ define('RESTORE_GROUPS_GROUPINGS', 3);
                         $sca->description = backup_todb($info['SCALE']['#']['DESCRIPTION']['0']['#']);
                         $sca->timemodified = backup_todb($info['SCALE']['#']['TIMEMODIFIED']['0']['#']);
 
-                        //Now search if that scale exists (by scale field) in course 0 (Standar scale)
-                        //or in restore->course_id course (Personal scale)
-                        if ($sca->courseid == 0) {
-                            $course_to_search = 0;
-                        } else {
-                            $course_to_search = $restore->course_id;
-                        }
-
+                        // Look for scale (by 'scale' both in standard (course=0) and current course
+                        // with priority to standard scales (ORDER clause)
                         // scale is not course unique, use get_record_sql to suppress warning
-                        //Going to compare LOB columns so, use the cross-db sql_compare_text() in both sides.
+                        // Going to compare LOB columns so, use the cross-db sql_compare_text() in both sides.
                         $compare_scale_clause = sql_compare_text('scale')  . "=" .  sql_compare_text("'" . $sca->scale . "'");
-                        $sca_db = get_record_sql("SELECT * FROM {$CFG->prefix}scale
-                                                           WHERE $compare_scale_clause
-                                                           AND courseid = $course_to_search", true);
+                        // Scale doesn't exist, create it
+                        if (!$sca_db = get_record_sql("SELECT *
+                                                         FROM {$CFG->prefix}scale
+                                                        WHERE $compare_scale_clause
+                                                          AND courseid IN (0, $restore->course_id)
+                                                     ORDER BY courseid", true)) {
 
-                        //If it doesn't exist, create
-                        if (!$sca_db) {
-                            $create_scale = true;
-                        }
-                        //If we must create the scale
-                        if ($create_scale) {
-                            //Me must recode the courseid if it's <> 0 (common scale)
-                            if ($sca->courseid != 0) {
-                                $sca->courseid = $restore->course_id;
-                            }
-                            //We must recode the userid
+                            // Try to recode the user field, defaulting to current user if not found
                             $user = backup_getid($restore->backup_unique_code,"user",$sca->userid);
                             if ($user) {
                                 $sca->userid = $user->new_id;
                             } else {
-                                //Assign it to admin
-                                $sca->userid = $adminid;
+                                $sca->userid = $USER->id;
+                            }
+                            // If scale is standard, if user lacks perms to manage standar scales
+                            // 'downgrade' them to course scales
+                            if ($sca->courseid == 0 and !has_capability('moodle/course:managescales', get_context_instance(CONTEXT_SYSTEM), $sca->userid)) {
+                                $sca->courseid = $restore->course_id;
                             }
                             //The structure is equal to the db, so insert the scale
                             $newid = insert_record ("scale",$sca);
+
+                        // Scale exists, reuse it
                         } else {
-                            //get current scale id
                             $newid = $sca_db->id;
                         }
+
                         if ($newid) {
                             //We have the newid, update backup_ids
-                            backup_putid($restore->backup_unique_code,"scale",
-                                         $scale->id, $newid);
+                            backup_putid($restore->backup_unique_code,"scale", $scale->id, $newid);
                         }
                     }
                 }