diff --git a/lib/api.rb b/lib/api.rb
index 881a0cae15c..69c563d50ed 100644
--- a/lib/api.rb
+++ b/lib/api.rb
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ module Api
 
       if ["Course", "Group", "Account", "User"].include?(obj.context_type)
         opts = {:only_path => true}
-        opts.merge!(:verifier => obj.uuid) unless respond_to?(:in_app?, true) && in_app?
+        opts.merge!(:verifier => obj.uuid) unless respond_to?(:in_app?, true) && in_app? && !is_public
         if match.rest.start_with?("/preview")
           url = self.send("#{obj.context_type.downcase}_file_preview_url", obj.context_id, obj.id, opts)
         else
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ module Api
         end
       else
         opts = {:download => '1', :only_path => true}
-        opts.merge!(:verifier => obj.uuid) unless respond_to?(:in_app?, true) && in_app?
+        opts.merge!(:verifier => obj.uuid) unless respond_to?(:in_app?, true) && in_app? && !is_public
         url = file_download_url(obj.id, opts)
       end
       url
diff --git a/spec/integration/syllabus_spec.rb b/spec/integration/syllabus_spec.rb
index d65e1bb7c63..b61c4563db6 100644
--- a/spec/integration/syllabus_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/integration/syllabus_spec.rb
@@ -40,39 +40,54 @@ describe "syllabus" do
     anonymous_syllabus_access_allowed :public_syllabus
   end
 
-  it "should allow viewing available files in a public syllabus" do
-    course(:active_all => true)
-    attachment_model
-    @course.syllabus_body = "<a href=\"/courses/#{@course.id}/files/#{@attachment.id}/download\">linky</a>"
-    @course.public_syllabus = true
-    @course.save!
+  shared_examples_for "public syllabus file verifiers" do
+    it "should allow viewing available files in a public syllabus" do
+      course(:active_all => true)
+      attachment_model
+      @course.syllabus_body = "<a href=\"/courses/#{@course.id}/files/#{@attachment.id}/download\">linky</a>"
+      @course.public_syllabus = true
+      @course.save!
 
-    get "/courses/#{@course.id}/assignments/syllabus"
+      get "/courses/#{@course.id}/assignments/syllabus"
 
-    expect(response).to be_success
-    page = Nokogiri::HTML(response.body)
-    expect(page.css('#identity a[href="/login"]')).not_to be_nil
-    link = page.at_css('#course_syllabus a')
-    expect(link.attributes['href'].value).to include("verifier=#{@attachment.uuid}")
+      expect(response).to be_success
+      page = Nokogiri::HTML(response.body)
+      expect(page.css('#identity a[href="/login"]')).not_to be_nil
+      link = page.at_css('#course_syllabus a')
+      expect(link.attributes['href'].value).to include("verifier=#{@attachment.uuid}")
+    end
+
+    it "should not allow viewing locked files in a public syllabus" do
+      course(:active_all => true)
+      attachment_model
+      @attachment.locked = true
+      @attachment.save!
+
+      @course.syllabus_body = "<a href=\"/courses/#{@course.id}/files/#{@attachment.id}/download\">linky</a>"
+      @course.public_syllabus = true
+      @course.save!
+
+      get "/courses/#{@course.id}/assignments/syllabus"
+
+      expect(response).to be_success
+      page = Nokogiri::HTML(response.body)
+      expect(page.css('#identity a[href="/login"]')).not_to be_nil
+      link = page.at_css('#course_syllabus a')
+      expect(link.attributes['href'].value).to_not include("verifier=#{@attachment.uuid}")
+    end
+  end
+  
+  context "as an anonymous user" do
+    include_examples "public syllabus file verifiers"
   end
 
-  it "should not allow viewing locked files in a public syllabus" do
-    course(:active_all => true)
-    attachment_model
-    @attachment.locked = true
-    @attachment.save!
+  context "as an authenticated non-course user" do
+    before :each do
+      user(:active_all => true)
+      user_session(@user)
+    end
 
-    @course.syllabus_body = "<a href=\"/courses/#{@course.id}/files/#{@attachment.id}/download\">linky</a>"
-    @course.public_syllabus = true
-    @course.save!
-
-    get "/courses/#{@course.id}/assignments/syllabus"
-
-    expect(response).to be_success
-    page = Nokogiri::HTML(response.body)
-    expect(page.css('#identity a[href="/login"]')).not_to be_nil
-    link = page.at_css('#course_syllabus a')
-    expect(link.attributes['href'].value).to_not include("verifier=#{@attachment.uuid}")
+    include_examples "public syllabus file verifiers"
   end
 
   it "should display syllabus description on syllabus course home pages" do