diff --git a/common/eventcontent.go b/common/eventcontent.go
index c07c56276..f3817ba68 100644
--- a/common/eventcontent.go
+++ b/common/eventcontent.go
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ func InitialPowerLevelsContent(roomCreator string) (c gomatrixserverlib.PowerLev
 		"m.room.history_visibility": 100,
 		"m.room.canonical_alias":    50,
 		"m.room.avatar":             50,
+		"m.room.aliases":            0, // anyone can publish aliases by default. Has to be 0 else state_default is used.
 	}
 	c.Users = map[string]int64{roomCreator: 100}
 	return c
diff --git a/publicroomsapi/directory/directory.go b/publicroomsapi/directory/directory.go
index 1e305f3ca..837018e64 100644
--- a/publicroomsapi/directory/directory.go
+++ b/publicroomsapi/directory/directory.go
@@ -92,9 +92,9 @@ func SetVisibility(
 		util.GetLogger(req.Context()).WithError(err).Error("could not query events from room")
 		return jsonerror.InternalServerError()
 	}
-	power, _ := gomatrixserverlib.NewPowerLevelContentFromEvent(queryEventsRes.StateEvents[0].Event)
 
-	// Check if the user's power is greater than power required to change m.room.aliases event
+	// NOTSPEC: Check if the user's power is greater than power required to change m.room.aliases event
+	power, _ := gomatrixserverlib.NewPowerLevelContentFromEvent(queryEventsRes.StateEvents[0].Event)
 	if power.UserLevel(dev.UserID) < power.EventLevel(gomatrixserverlib.MRoomAliases, true) {
 		return util.JSONResponse{
 			Code: http.StatusForbidden,