diff --git a/addons/mail/mail_group_view.xml b/addons/mail/mail_group_view.xml
index 31beba80ecc..bac7c22ee09 100644
--- a/addons/mail/mail_group_view.xml
+++ b/addons/mail/mail_group_view.xml
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@
                         </group>
                     </sheet>
                     <div class="oe_chatter">
+                        <field name="message_is_follower" invisible="1"/>
                         <field name="message_ids" widget="mail_thread"
                                 options='{"thread_level": 1}'/>
                         <field name="message_follower_ids" widget="mail_followers"/>
diff --git a/addons/mail/mail_thread.py b/addons/mail/mail_thread.py
index 6b4db7bc7d1..ea6f795bc61 100644
--- a/addons/mail/mail_thread.py
+++ b/addons/mail/mail_thread.py
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ class mail_thread(osv.AbstractModel):
 
     def _get_message_data(self, cr, uid, ids, name, args, context=None):
         res = dict((id, dict(message_unread=False, message_summary='')) for id in ids)
-        user = self.pool.get('res.users').browse(cr, uid, uid, context=context)
+        partner_id = self.pool.get('res.users').read(cr, uid, uid, ['partner_id'], context=context)['partner_id'][0]
 
         # search for unread messages, by reading directly mail.notification, as SUPERUSER
         notif_obj = self.pool.get('mail.notification')
@@ -132,10 +132,10 @@ class mail_thread(osv.AbstractModel):
         for notif in notif_obj.browse(cr, SUPERUSER_ID, notif_ids, context=context):
             res[notif.message_id.res_id]['message_unread'] = True
 
-        for thread in self.browse(cr, uid, ids, context=context):
-            cls = res[thread.id]['message_unread'] and ' class="oe_kanban_mail_new"' or ''
-            res[thread.id]['message_summary'] = "<span%s><span class='oe_e'>9</span> %d</span> <span><span class='oe_e'>+</span> %d</span>" % (cls, len(thread.message_comment_ids), len(thread.message_follower_ids))
-            res[thread.id]['message_is_follower'] = user.partner_id.id in [follower.id for follower in thread.message_follower_ids]
+        for thread in self.read(cr, uid, ids, ['message_follower_ids', 'message_comment_ids', 'message_ids'], context=context):
+            cls = res[thread['id']]['message_unread'] and ' class="oe_kanban_mail_new"' or ''
+            res[thread['id']]['message_summary'] = "<span%s><span class='oe_e'>9</span> %d</span> <span><span class='oe_e'>+</span> %d</span>" % (cls, len(thread['message_comment_ids']), len(thread['message_follower_ids']))
+            res[thread['id']]['message_is_follower'] = partner_id in thread['message_follower_ids']
         return res
 
     def _search_unread(self, cr, uid, obj=None, name=None, domain=None, context=None):
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/js/mail_followers.js b/addons/mail/static/src/js/mail_followers.js
index cf33bd64640..c3c59428920 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/js/mail_followers.js
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/js/mail_followers.js
@@ -88,7 +88,24 @@ openerp_mail_followers = function(session, mail) {
         },
 
         fetch_followers: function (value_) {
-            return this.ds_follow.call('read', [value_, ['name', 'user_ids']]).pipe(this.proxy('display_followers'));
+            this.value = value_;
+            this.message_is_follower = this.getParent().fields.message_is_follower && this.getParent().fields.message_is_follower.get_value() || undefined;
+            return this.ds_follow.call('read', [value_, ['name', 'user_ids']]).pipe(this.proxy('display_followers'), this.proxy('display_generic'));
+        },
+
+
+        /* Display generic info about follower, for people not having access to res_partner */
+        display_generic: function (error, event) {
+            event.preventDefault();
+            var node_user_list = this.$el.find('ul.oe_mail_followers_display').empty();
+            this.$el.find('div.oe_mail_recthread_followers h4').html(this.options.title + ' (' + this.value.length + ')');
+            if (this.message_is_follower) {
+                this.$el.find('button.oe_mail_button_follow').hide();
+                this.$el.find('button.oe_mail_button_unfollow').show(); }
+            else {
+                this.$el.find('button.oe_mail_button_follow').show();
+                this.$el.find('button.oe_mail_button_unfollow').hide(); }
+            return $.when();
         },
 
         /** Display the followers, evaluate is_follower directly */