diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/forum/views.py b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/forum/views.py
index b8f767e8bd..d4f6fda3c0 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/forum/views.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/forum/views.py
@@ -149,12 +149,14 @@ def forum_form_discussion(request, course_id, discussion_id):
 
 
 def get_annotated_content_info(course_id, content, user, is_thread):
-    return {
+    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,
     }
+    return permissions
 
 def get_annotated_content_infos(course_id, thread, user, is_thread=True):
     infos = {}
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/permissions.py b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/permissions.py
index eae67a8361..0645d57a05 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/permissions.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/permissions.py
@@ -67,11 +67,10 @@ def check_conditions_permissions(user, permissions, course_id, **kwargs):
 
 
 VIEW_PERMISSIONS = {
-    'update_thread'     :       ['edit_content', ['update_thread', 'is_open', 'author']],
-    # 'create_comment'    :       [["create_comment", "is_open"]],
-    'create_comment'    :       ["create_comment"],
+    'update_thread'     :       ['edit_content', ['update_thread', 'is_open', 'is_author']],
+    'create_comment'    :       [["create_comment", "is_open"]],
     'delete_thread'     :       ['delete_thread'],
-    'update_comment'    :       ['edit_content', ['update_comment', 'is_open', 'author']],
+    'update_comment'    :       ['edit_content', ['update_comment', 'is_open', 'is_author']],
     'endorse_comment'   :       ['endorse_comment'],
     'openclose_thread'  :       ['openclose_thread'],
     'create_sub_comment':       [['create_sub_comment', 'is_open']],
diff --git a/lms/static/coffee/src/discussion/content.coffee b/lms/static/coffee/src/discussion/content.coffee
index 878d8c1789..245511b827 100644
--- a/lms/static/coffee/src/discussion/content.coffee
+++ b/lms/static/coffee/src/discussion/content.coffee
@@ -372,3 +372,5 @@ initializeFollowThread = (thread) ->
       $local(".discussion-endorse-control").remove()
     if not Discussion.getContentInfo id, 'can_delete'
       $local(".discussion-delete").remove()
+    if not Discussion.getContentInfo id, 'can_openclose'
+      $local(".discussion-openclose").remove()
diff --git a/lms/templates/discussion/_search_bar.html b/lms/templates/discussion/_search_bar.html
index 9fa60d57a7..e93b46efb2 100644
--- a/lms/templates/discussion/_search_bar.html
+++ b/lms/templates/discussion/_search_bar.html
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ def base_url_for_search():
   % if query_params.get('tags', None):
     <input class="search-input" type="text" value="[${tags}]${text}" id="keywords" autocomplete="off"/>
   % else:
-    <input class="search-input" type="text" value="[${tags}]${text}" id="keywords" autocomplete="off"/>
+    <input class="search-input" type="text" value="${text}" id="keywords" autocomplete="off"/>
   % endif
   <div class="discussion-link discussion-search-link" href="javascript:void(0)">Search posts</div>
 </form>
diff --git a/lms/templates/discussion/_thread.html b/lms/templates/discussion/_thread.html
index c22e41eaad..6ba88c1b67 100644
--- a/lms/templates/discussion/_thread.html
+++ b/lms/templates/discussion/_thread.html
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@
       <label class="discussion-link" for="discussion-endorse-${content['id']}">Endorsed</label>
     </span>
 
-    % if type == "thread" and request.user.is_staff:
+    % if type == "thread":
       % if content['closed']:
         <a class="discussion-openclose" id="discussion-openclose-${content['id']}" href="javascript:void(0);">Re-open thread</a>
       % else: