diff --git a/app/controllers/favorites_controller.rb b/app/controllers/favorites_controller.rb
index 38376ed24ef..45aa906eb15 100644
--- a/app/controllers/favorites_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/favorites_controller.rb
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ class FavoritesController < ApplicationController
   def list_favorite_courses
     includes = Set.new(Array(params[:include]))
     opts = {}
-    opts[:observee_user] = params[:observed_user].to_i if params.key?(:observed_user)
+    opts[:observee_user] = User.find_by(id: params[:observed_user].to_i) || @current_user if params.key?(:observed_user)
 
     courses = @current_user.menu_courses(nil, opts)
     if courses.any? && value_to_boolean(params[:exclude_blueprint_courses])
diff --git a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
index c87459c169a..a6d8c3af930 100644
--- a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
 
   def dashboard_cards
     opts = {}
-    opts[:observee_user] = params[:observed_user].to_i if params.key?(:observed_user)
+    opts[:observee_user] = User.find_by(id: params[:observed_user].to_i) || @current_user if params.key?(:observed_user)
     dashboard_courses = map_courses_for_menu(@current_user.menu_courses(nil, opts), tabs: DASHBOARD_CARD_TABS)
     published, unpublished = dashboard_courses.partition { |course| course[:published] }
     Rails.cache.write(['last_known_dashboard_cards_published_count', @current_user.global_id].cache_key, published.count)
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index c00f7aeb218..2364f867de1 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -425,12 +425,12 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
   after_save :self_enroll_if_necessary
 
   def courses_for_enrollments(enrollment_scope, associated_user = nil)
-    if associated_user && associated_user != id
+    if associated_user && associated_user != self
       Course.active.joins(:observer_enrollments)
             .merge(enrollment_scope.except(:joins))
-            .where(enrollments: { associated_user_id: associated_user })
+            .where(enrollments: { associated_user_id: associated_user.id })
     else
-      enrollments_to_include = associated_user == id ? :non_observer_enrollments : :all_enrollments
+      enrollments_to_include = associated_user == self ? :non_observer_enrollments : :all_enrollments
       Course.active.joins(enrollments_to_include).merge(enrollment_scope.except(:joins)).distinct
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/models/user_spec.rb b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
index 9122ef29941..2a2f21827ce 100644
--- a/spec/models/user_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
@@ -806,16 +806,16 @@ describe User do
         observer_enrollment2.save!
 
         @teacher_course = course_factory(:course_name => "English ", :active_course => true)
-        teacher_entollment = @teacher_course.enroll_user(@user, 'TeacherEnrollment', :enrollment_state => 'active')
-        teacher_entollment.save!
+        teacher_enrollment = @teacher_course.enroll_user(@user, 'TeacherEnrollment', :enrollment_state => 'active')
+        teacher_enrollment.save!
 
         @student_course = course_factory(:course_name => "Leadership", :active_course => true)
-        teacher_entollment = @student_course.enroll_user(@user, 'StudentEnrollment', :enrollment_state => 'active')
-        teacher_entollment.save!
+        student_enrollment = @student_course.enroll_user(@user, 'StudentEnrollment', :enrollment_state => 'active')
+        student_enrollment.save!
       end
 
       it "returns observed courses related to the associated_user" do
-        expect(@observer.courses_with_primary_enrollment(:current_and_invited_courses, nil, :observee_user => @student.id)
+        expect(@observer.courses_with_primary_enrollment(:current_and_invited_courses, nil, :observee_user => @student)
         .map { |c| [c.id, c.primary_enrollment_type] }).to eq [
           [@observer_course2.id, 'ObserverEnrollment'],
           [@observer_course.id, 'ObserverEnrollment']
@@ -824,12 +824,39 @@ describe User do
 
       it "returns only own courses if the associated_user is the current user" do
         expect(@observer
-        .courses_with_primary_enrollment(:current_and_invited_courses, nil, :observee_user => @observer.id)
+        .courses_with_primary_enrollment(:current_and_invited_courses, nil, :observee_user => @observer)
         .map { |c| [c.id, c.primary_enrollment_type] }).to eq [
           [@teacher_course.id, 'TeacherEnrollment'],
           [@student_course.id, 'StudentEnrollment']
         ]
       end
+
+      describe "with cross sharding" do
+        specs_require_sharding
+
+        before(:once) do
+          @shard2.activate do
+            account = Account.create!
+            course_with_teacher(account: account, active_all: true)
+
+            observer_enrollment = @observer_course.enroll_user(@teacher, 'ObserverEnrollment', :enrollment_state => 'active')
+            observer_enrollment.associated_user_id = @student.id
+            observer_enrollment.save!
+          end
+        end
+
+        it "returns the user's courses across shards when they are the observee" do
+          own_courses = @teacher.courses_with_primary_enrollment(:current_and_invited_courses, nil, :observee_user => @teacher)
+          expect(own_courses.count).to be 1
+          expect(own_courses.first.id).to be @course.id
+        end
+
+        it "returns the observer's courses across shards when observing someone else" do
+          observed_courses = @teacher.courses_with_primary_enrollment(:current_and_invited_courses, nil, :observee_user => @student)
+          expect(observed_courses.count).to be 1
+          expect(observed_courses.first.id).to be @observer_course.id
+        end
+      end
     end
 
     it "includes invitations to temporary users" do