diff --git a/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb b/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb
index fa7eada8..846c5469 100644
--- a/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class TopicsController < ApplicationController
     @topic = Topic.find(params[:id])
     authorize @topic
 
-    @alltopics = [@topic].concat(policy_scope(Topic.relatives1(@topic.id, current_user)).to_a).concat(policy_scope(Topic.relatives2(@topic.id, current_user)).to_a)
+    @alltopics = [@topic].concat(policy_scope(Topic.relatives(@topic.id, current_user)).to_a)
     @allsynapses = policy_scope(Synapse.for_topic(@topic.id))
 
     @allcreators = @alltopics.map(&:user).uniq
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class TopicsController < ApplicationController
 
     topicsAlreadyHas = params[:network] ? params[:network].split(',').map(&:to_i) : []
 
-    @alltopics = policy_scope(Topic.relatives1(@topic.id)).to_a.concat(policy_scope(Topic.relatives2(@topic.id)).to_a).uniq
+    @alltopics = policy_scope(Topic.relatives(@topic.id, current_user)).to_a
     @alltopics.delete_if do |topic|
       !topicsAlreadyHas.index(topic.id).nil?
     end
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ class TopicsController < ApplicationController
 
     topicsAlreadyHas = params[:network] ? params[:network].split(',').map(&:to_i) : []
 
-    alltopics = policy_scope(Topic.relatives1(@topic.id)).to_a.concat(policy_scope(Topic.relatives2(@topic.id)).to_a).uniq
+    alltopics = policy_scope(Topic.relatives(@topic.id)).to_a
     alltopics.delete_if do |topic|
       !topicsAlreadyHas.index(topic.id.to_s).nil?
     end
diff --git a/app/models/topic.rb b/app/models/topic.rb
index 6ca214fe..a91c75fc 100644
--- a/app/models/topic.rb
+++ b/app/models/topic.rb
@@ -43,41 +43,13 @@ class Topic < ActiveRecord::Base
   end
 
   scope :relatives, ->(topic_id = nil, user = nil) {
+    # should only see topics through *visible* synapses
+    # e.g. Topic A (commons) -> synapse (private) -> Topic B (commons) must be filtered out
     synapses = Pundit.policy_scope(user, Synapse.where(node1_id: topic_id)).pluck(:node2_id)
     synapses += Pundit.policy_scope(user, Synapse.where(node2_id: topic_id)).pluck(:node1_id)
     where(id: synapses.uniq)
   }
 
-  scope :relatives1, ->(topic_id = nil, user = nil) {
-     visible = %w(public commons)
-     permission = 'synapses.permission IN (?)'
-     if user
-       synapse_permission = permission + ' OR synapses.defer_to_map_id IN (?) OR synapses.user_id = ?' 
-       return includes(:topics1)
-         .where('synapses.node1_id = ? AND (' + synapse_permission + ')', topic_id, visible, user.shared_maps.map(&:id), user.id)
-         .references(:synapses)
-     else
-       return includes(:topics1)
-         .where('synapses.node1_id = ? AND (' + permission + ')', topic_id, visible)
-         .references(:synapses)
-     end
-  }
-
-  scope :relatives2, ->(topic_id = nil, user = nil) {
-     visible = %w(public commons)
-     permission = 'synapses.permission IN (?)'
-     if user
-       synapse_permission = permission + ' OR synapses.defer_to_map_id IN (?) OR synapses.user_id = ?' 
-       return includes(:topics2)
-         .where('synapses.node2_id = ? AND (' + synapse_permission + ')', topic_id, visible, user.shared_maps.map(&:id), user.id)
-         .references(:synapses)
-     else
-       return includes(:topics2)
-         .where('synapses.node2_id = ? AND (' + permission + ')', topic_id, visible)
-         .references(:synapses)
-     end
-  }
-
   delegate :name, to: :user, prefix: true
 
   def user_image