diff --git a/router/middleware/session/repo.go b/router/middleware/session/repo.go
index 34dd047c5..6962bdb4b 100644
--- a/router/middleware/session/repo.go
+++ b/router/middleware/session/repo.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package session
 
 import (
 	"net/http"
+	"os"
 
 	"github.com/drone/drone/model"
 	"github.com/drone/drone/remote"
@@ -104,6 +105,8 @@ func Perm(c *gin.Context) *model.Perm {
 }
 
 func SetPerm() gin.HandlerFunc {
+	PUBLIC_MODE := os.Getenv("PUBLIC_MODE")
+
 	return func(c *gin.Context) {
 		user := User(c)
 		repo := Repo(c)
@@ -164,6 +167,11 @@ func SetPerm() gin.HandlerFunc {
 			}
 		}
 
+		// all build logs are visible in public mode
+		if PUBLIC_MODE != "" {
+			perm.Pull = true
+		}
+
 		if user != nil {
 			log.Debugf("%s granted %+v permission to %s",
 				user.Login, perm, repo.FullName)
diff --git a/router/middleware/session/repo_test.go b/router/middleware/session/repo_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6d524a9b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/router/middleware/session/repo_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+package session
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/drone/drone/model"
+	"github.com/franela/goblin"
+	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
+)
+
+func TestSetPerm(t *testing.T) {
+	g := goblin.Goblin(t)
+	g.Describe("SetPerm", func() {
+		g.BeforeEach(func() {
+			os.Unsetenv("PUBLIC_MODE")
+		})
+		g.It("Should set pull to false (private repo, user not logged in)", func() {
+			c := gin.Context{}
+			c.Set("repo", &model.Repo{
+				IsPrivate: true,
+			})
+			SetPerm()(&c)
+			v, ok := c.Get("perm")
+			g.Assert(ok).IsTrue("perm was not set")
+			p, ok := v.(*model.Perm)
+			g.Assert(ok).IsTrue("perm was the wrong type")
+			g.Assert(p.Pull).IsFalse("pull should be false")
+		})
+		g.It("Should set pull to true (private repo, user not logged in, public mode)", func() {
+			os.Setenv("PUBLIC_MODE", "true")
+			c := gin.Context{}
+			c.Set("repo", &model.Repo{
+				IsPrivate: true,
+			})
+			SetPerm()(&c)
+			v, ok := c.Get("perm")
+			g.Assert(ok).IsTrue("perm was not set")
+			p, ok := v.(*model.Perm)
+			g.Assert(ok).IsTrue("perm was the wrong type")
+			g.Assert(p.Pull).IsTrue("pull should be true")
+		})
+	})
+}