diff --git a/spec/system/streaming/channel_subscriptions_spec.rb b/spec/system/streaming/channel_subscriptions_spec.rb
index 54e125c29..447ea64f2 100644
--- a/spec/system/streaming/channel_subscriptions_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/system/streaming/channel_subscriptions_spec.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 
 require 'rails_helper'
-require 'debug'
 
 RSpec.describe 'Channel Subscriptions', :inline_jobs, :streaming do
   let(:application) { Fabricate(:application, confidential: false) }
@@ -15,6 +14,25 @@ RSpec.describe 'Channel Subscriptions', :inline_jobs, :streaming do
     streaming_client.close
   end
 
+  context 'when the access token has insufficient scope to read statuses' do
+    let(:scopes) { 'profile' }
+
+    it 'cannot subscribe to the public:local channel' do
+      streaming_client.authenticate(access_token.token)
+
+      streaming_client.connect
+      streaming_client.subscribe('public:local')
+
+      # Receive the error back from the subscription attempt:
+      message = streaming_client.wait_for_message
+
+      expect(message).to include(
+        error: 'Access token does not have the required scopes',
+        status: 401
+      )
+    end
+  end
+
   context 'when the access token has read scope' do
     let(:scopes) { 'read' }
 
@@ -39,11 +57,52 @@ RSpec.describe 'Channel Subscriptions', :inline_jobs, :streaming do
         )
       )
     end
+
+    it 'can subscribing to the user:notifications channel' do
+      streaming_client.authenticate(access_token.token)
+
+      streaming_client.connect
+      streaming_client.subscribe('user:notification')
+
+      # We need to perform an action that triggers a notification as there is
+      # no positive acknowledgement of subscriptions:
+      first_status = PostStatusService.new.call(user_account, text: 'Test')
+      ReblogService.new.call(bob_account, first_status)
+
+      message = streaming_client.wait_for_message
+
+      expect(message).to include(
+        event: 'notification',
+        stream: ['user:notification']
+      )
+    end
   end
 
-  context 'when the access token cannot read notifications' do
+  context 'when the access token has read:statuses scope' do
     let(:scopes) { 'read:statuses' }
 
+    it 'can subscribing to the public:local channel' do
+      streaming_client.authenticate(access_token.token)
+
+      streaming_client.connect
+      streaming_client.subscribe('public:local')
+
+      # We need to publish a status as there is no positive acknowledgement of
+      # subscriptions:
+      status = PostStatusService.new.call(bob_account, text: 'Hello @alice')
+
+      # And then we want to receive that status:
+      message = streaming_client.wait_for_message
+
+      expect(message).to include(
+        stream: be_an(Array).and(contain_exactly('public:local')),
+        event: 'update',
+        payload: include(
+          id: status.id.to_s
+        )
+      )
+    end
+
     it 'cannot subscribing to the user:notifications channel' do
       streaming_client.authenticate(access_token.token)
 
@@ -59,4 +118,27 @@ RSpec.describe 'Channel Subscriptions', :inline_jobs, :streaming do
       )
     end
   end
+
+  context 'when the access token has read:notifications scope' do
+    let(:scopes) { 'read:notifications' }
+
+    it 'can subscribing to the user:notifications channel' do
+      streaming_client.authenticate(access_token.token)
+
+      streaming_client.connect
+      streaming_client.subscribe('user:notification')
+
+      # We need to perform an action that triggers a notification as there is
+      # no positive acknowledgement of subscriptions:
+      first_status = PostStatusService.new.call(user_account, text: 'Test')
+      ReblogService.new.call(bob_account, first_status)
+
+      message = streaming_client.wait_for_message
+
+      expect(message).to include(
+        event: 'notification',
+        stream: ['user:notification']
+      )
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/streaming/index.js b/streaming/index.js
index 84806acd1..e618e3e53 100644
--- a/streaming/index.js
+++ b/streaming/index.js
@@ -78,17 +78,6 @@ const parseJSON = (json, req) => {
   }
 };
 
-const PUBLIC_CHANNELS = [
-  'public',
-  'public:media',
-  'public:local',
-  'public:local:media',
-  'public:remote',
-  'public:remote:media',
-  'hashtag',
-  'hashtag:local',
-];
-
 // Used for priming the counters/gauges for the various metrics that are
 // per-channel
 const CHANNEL_NAMES = [
@@ -97,7 +86,14 @@ const CHANNEL_NAMES = [
   'user:notification',
   'list',
   'direct',
-  ...PUBLIC_CHANNELS
+  'public',
+  'public:media',
+  'public:local',
+  'public:local:media',
+  'public:remote',
+  'public:remote:media',
+  'hashtag',
+  'hashtag:local',
 ];
 
 const startServer = async () => {
@@ -434,12 +430,6 @@ const startServer = async () => {
   const checkScopes = (req, logger, channelName) => new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     logger.debug(`Checking OAuth scopes for ${channelName}`);
 
-    // When accessing public channels, no scopes are needed
-    if (channelName && PUBLIC_CHANNELS.includes(channelName)) {
-      resolve();
-      return;
-    }
-
     // The `read` scope has the highest priority, if the token has it
     // then it can access all streams
     const requiredScopes = ['read'];