diff --git a/discord/channel.py b/discord/channel.py
index 52f05bee1..fa5468905 100644
--- a/discord/channel.py
+++ b/discord/channel.py
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ class Channel(object):
         if member.id == self.server.owner.id:
             return Permissions.all()
 
-        default = self.server.get_default_role()
+        default = member.roles[0]
         base = deepcopy(default.permissions)
 
         # Apply server roles that the member has.
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ class Channel(object):
         # Apply channel specific role permission overwrites
         for overwrite in self._permission_overwrites:
             if overwrite.type == 'role':
-                if overwrite.id in member_role_ids or overwrite.id == self.server.id:
+                if overwrite.id in member_role_ids:
                     base.handle_overwrite(allow=overwrite.allow, deny=overwrite.deny)
 
         # Apply member specific permission overwrites
diff --git a/discord/member.py b/discord/member.py
index b8597e8ec..2fadc664d 100644
--- a/discord/member.py
+++ b/discord/member.py
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ class Member(User):
         is not currently in a voice channel.
     .. attribute:: roles
 
-        An array of :class:`Role` that the member belongs to.
+        A list of :class:`Role` that the member belongs to. Note that the first element of this
+        list is always the default '@everyone' role.
     .. attribute:: joined_at
 
         A datetime object that specifies the date and time in UTC that the member joined the server for
diff --git a/discord/server.py b/discord/server.py
index 6082fdf0f..f9febb2a4 100644
--- a/discord/server.py
+++ b/discord/server.py
@@ -94,12 +94,13 @@ class Server(object):
         self.unavailable = guild.get('unavailable', False)
         self.id = guild['id']
         self.roles = [Role(everyone=(self.id == r['id']), **r) for r in guild['roles']]
+        default_role = self.get_default_role()
 
         self.members = []
         self.owner = guild['owner_id']
 
         for data in guild['members']:
-            roles = []
+            roles = [default_role]
             for role_id in data['roles']:
                 role = utils.find(lambda r: r.id == role_id, self.roles)
                 if role is not None: