diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/forum/views.py b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/forum/views.py
index ff711c237c..c5b4a19d3a 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/forum/views.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/forum/views.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ from datehelper import time_ago_in_words
 
 import django_comment_client.utils as utils
 from urllib import urlencode
+from django_comment_client.permissions import check_permissions_by_view
 
 import json
 import comment_client as cc
@@ -159,6 +160,26 @@ def forum_form_discussion(request, course_id):
         }
         return render_to_response('discussion/index.html', context)
 
+def get_annotated_content_info(course_id, content, user, is_thread):
+    permissions = {
+        'editable': check_permissions_by_view(user, course_id, content, "update_thread" if is_thread else "update_comment"),
+        'can_reply': check_permissions_by_view(user, course_id, content, "create_comment" if is_thread else "create_sub_comment"),
+        'can_endorse': check_permissions_by_view(user, course_id, content, "endorse_comment") if not is_thread else False,
+        'can_delete': check_permissions_by_view(user, course_id, content, "delete_thread" if is_thread else "delete_comment"),
+        'can_openclose': check_permissions_by_view(user, course_id, content, "openclose_thread") if is_thread else False,
+        'can_vote': check_permissions_by_view(user, course_id, content, "vote_for_thread" if is_thread else "vote_for_comment"),
+    }
+    return permissions
+
+def get_annotated_content_infos(course_id, thread, user, is_thread=True):
+    infos = {}
+    def _annotate(content, is_thread=is_thread):
+        infos[str(content['id'])] = get_annotated_content_info(course_id, content, user, is_thread)
+        for child in content.get('children', []):
+            _annotate(child, is_thread=False)
+    _annotate(thread)
+    return infos
+
 def render_single_thread(request, discussion_id, course_id, thread_id):
     
     thread = cc.Thread.find(thread_id).retrieve(recursive=True)
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/permissions.py b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/permissions.py
index 9ca2b46af0..f9d9580412 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/permissions.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/permissions.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ from django.dispatch import receiver
 from student.models import CourseEnrollment
 
 import logging
+from util.cache import cache
 
 
 @receiver(post_save, sender=CourseEnrollment)
@@ -17,9 +18,20 @@ def assign_default_role(sender, instance, **kwargs):
     logging.info("assign_default_role: adding %s as %s" % (instance.user, role))
     instance.user.roles.add(role)
 
+def cached_has_permission(user, permission, course_id=None):
+    """
+    Call has_permission if it's not cached. A change in a user's role or
+    a role's permissions will only become effective after CACHE_LIFESPAN seconds. 
+    """
+    CACHE_LIFESPAN = 60
+    key = "permission_%d_%s_%s" % (user.id, str(course_id), permission)
+    val = cache.get(key, None)
+    if val not in [True, False]:
+        val = has_permission(user, permission, course_id=course_id)
+        cache.set(key, val, CACHE_LIFESPAN)
+    return val
+
 def has_permission(user, permission, course_id=None):
-    # if user.permissions.filter(name=permission).exists():
-    #     return True
     for role in user.roles.filter(course_id=course_id):
         if role.has_permission(permission):
             return True
@@ -60,7 +72,7 @@ def check_conditions_permissions(user, permissions, course_id, **kwargs):
         if isinstance(per, basestring):
             if per in CONDITIONS:
                 return check_condition(user, per, course_id, kwargs)
-            return has_permission(user, per, course_id=course_id)
+            return cached_has_permission(user, per, course_id=course_id)
         elif isinstance(per, list) and operator in ["and", "or"]:
             results = [test(user, x, operator="and") for x in per]
             if operator == "or":
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/utils.py b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/utils.py
index aac409435a..1aeef06ec7 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/utils.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/utils.py
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ from xmodule.modulestore import Location
 from xmodule.modulestore.django import modulestore
 from django.http import HttpResponse
 from django.utils import simplejson
-
+from django.db import connection
+import logging
 from django.conf import settings
 import operator
 import itertools
@@ -128,6 +129,31 @@ class ViewNameMiddleware(object):
     def process_view(self, request, view_func, view_args, view_kwargs):  
         request.view_name = view_func.__name__
 
+class QueryCountDebugMiddleware(object):
+    """
+    This middleware will log the number of queries run
+    and the total time taken for each request (with a
+    status code of 200). It does not currently support
+    multi-db setups.
+    """
+    def process_response(self, request, response):
+        if response.status_code == 200:
+            total_time = 0
+
+            for query in connection.queries:
+                query_time = query.get('time')
+                if query_time is None:
+                    # django-debug-toolbar monkeypatches the connection
+                    # cursor wrapper and adds extra information in each
+                    # item in connection.queries. The query time is stored
+                    # under the key "duration" rather than "time" and is
+                    # in milliseconds, not seconds.
+                    query_time = query.get('duration', 0) / 1000
+                total_time += float(query_time)
+
+            logging.info('%s queries run, total %s seconds' % (len(connection.queries), total_time))
+        return response
+
 def get_annotated_content_info(course_id, content, user, type):
     return {
         'editable': check_permissions_by_view(user, course_id, content, "update_thread" if type == 'thread' else "update_comment"),
diff --git a/lms/envs/common.py b/lms/envs/common.py
index 931a88e0c7..eaa05f4a70 100644
--- a/lms/envs/common.py
+++ b/lms/envs/common.py
@@ -329,6 +329,7 @@ MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES = (
     # 'debug_toolbar.middleware.DebugToolbarMiddleware',
 
     'django_comment_client.utils.ViewNameMiddleware',
+    'django_comment_client.utils.QueryCountDebugMiddleware',
 )
 
 ############################### Pipeline #######################################
diff --git a/lms/static/coffee/src/discussion/content.coffee b/lms/static/coffee/src/discussion/content.coffee
index c5931ddda5..2e26e191b0 100644
--- a/lms/static/coffee/src/discussion/content.coffee
+++ b/lms/static/coffee/src/discussion/content.coffee
@@ -402,3 +402,5 @@ initializeFollowThread = (thread) ->
       $local(".admin-delete").remove()
     if not Discussion.getContentInfo id, 'can_openclose'
       $local(".discussion-openclose").remove()
+    if not Discussion.getContentInfo id, 'can_vote'
+      $local(".discussion-vote").css "visibility", "hidden"