diff --git a/framework/modules/navigation/controllers/navigationController.php b/framework/modules/navigation/controllers/navigationController.php
index c3bb21867c..8400c719cf 100644
--- a/framework/modules/navigation/controllers/navigationController.php
+++ b/framework/modules/navigation/controllers/navigationController.php
@@ -762,10 +762,7 @@ public static function returnChildrenAsJSON2() {
             3 => 'addfreeform',
         );
 
-//        $id         = isset($_REQUEST['id']) ? intval($_REQUEST['id']) : 0;
         $navs        = $db->selectObjects('section', 'parent!=-1', 'rank');
-//        $navcount = count($jnav);
-//        for ($i = 0; $i < $navcount; $i++) {
         foreach ($navs as $i=>$nav) {
             $navs[$i]->parent = $nav->parent?$nav->parent:'#';
             $navs[$i]->text = $nav->name;
@@ -779,7 +776,12 @@ public static function returnChildrenAsJSON2() {
                 $view = $navs[$i]->public ? true : expPermissions::check('view', expCore::makeLocation('navigation', '', $navs[$i]->id));
             }
             $navs[$i]->link = expCore::makeLink(array('section' => $navs[$i]->id), '', $navs[$i]->sef_name);
-            if (!$view) unset($navs[$i]);
+            if (!$view) {
+//                unset($navs[$i]);  //FIXME this breaks jstree if we remove a parent and not the child
+                $attr = new stdClass();
+                $attr->class = 'hidden';  // bs3 class to hide elements
+                $navs[$i]->li_attr = $attr;
+            }
         }
         $navs= array_values($navs);
 //        header('Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf8');