diff --git a/readthedocs/projects/views/public.py b/readthedocs/projects/views/public.py
index fbf98fabc62..dde398af7ea 100644
--- a/readthedocs/projects/views/public.py
+++ b/readthedocs/projects/views/public.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 from readthedocs.core.utils.extend import SettingsOverrideObject
 from readthedocs.projects.models import Project
 from readthedocs.projects.templatetags.projects_tags import sort_version_aware
-from readthedocs.proxito.views.mixins import ServeDocsMixin
+from readthedocs.proxito.views.mixins import ServeDocsMixin, ServeDocsPermissionsMixin
 from readthedocs.proxito.views.utils import _get_project_data_from_request
 
 from .base import ProjectOnboardMixin
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ def project_downloads(request, project_slug):
     )
 
 
-class ProjectDownloadMediaBase(ServeDocsMixin, View):
+class ProjectDownloadMediaBase(ServeDocsPermissionsMixin, ServeDocsMixin, View):
 
     # Use new-style URLs (same domain as docs) or old-style URLs (dashboard URL)
     same_domain_url = False
@@ -354,6 +354,10 @@ def get(
             download=True,
         )
 
+    def allowed_user(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        # always grant permissions to community users
+        return True
+
 
 class ProjectDownloadMedia(SettingsOverrideObject):
     _default_class = ProjectDownloadMediaBase
diff --git a/readthedocs/proxito/views/mixins.py b/readthedocs/proxito/views/mixins.py
index 944d6df3df4..4e34c2dfc55 100644
--- a/readthedocs/proxito/views/mixins.py
+++ b/readthedocs/proxito/views/mixins.py
@@ -120,9 +120,6 @@ def _serve_401(self, request, project):
         log.debug('Unauthorized access to %s documentation', project.slug)
         return res
 
-    def allowed_user(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        return True
-
 
 class ServeRedirectMixin:
 
@@ -175,3 +172,38 @@ def get_redirect_response(self, request, redirect_path, proxito_path, http_statu
             return HttpResponsePermanentRedirect(new_path)
 
         return HttpResponseRedirect(new_path)
+
+
+class ServeDocsPermissionsMixin:
+
+    """
+    Mixin to handle documentation permissions.
+
+    To use this mixin, the method that serve the docs should call
+    ``allowed_user`` first to check if the user requesting to read the page is
+    allowed. If allowed, the flow should continue.
+
+    On the other hand, if the user is not allowed, the serve docs method MUST
+    break the flow and return a call to ``get_unauthed_response``.
+    """
+
+    def allowed_user(self, request, project, version_slug):
+        """
+        Return whether the user is allowed to read this documentation's version.
+
+        :returns: ``True`` if allowed. ``False`` otherwise.
+        :rtype: bool
+        """
+        return False
+
+    def get_unauthed_response(self, request, project):
+        """
+        Return response for an unauthed hit at a documentation's version.
+
+        When a user does not have access to read documentation, we need to
+        return a response showing the proper message. This method produces that
+        reponse.
+
+        :rtype: django.http.HttpResponse
+        """
+        return self._serve_401(request, project)
diff --git a/readthedocs/proxito/views/serve.py b/readthedocs/proxito/views/serve.py
index 99a2b321b27..363fcfa0ab7 100644
--- a/readthedocs/proxito/views/serve.py
+++ b/readthedocs/proxito/views/serve.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 from readthedocs.projects.templatetags.projects_tags import sort_version_aware
 from readthedocs.redirects.exceptions import InfiniteRedirectException
 
-from .mixins import ServeDocsMixin, ServeRedirectMixin
+from .mixins import ServeDocsMixin, ServeRedirectMixin, ServeDocsPermissionsMixin
 
 from .decorators import map_project_slug
 from .redirects import redirect_project_slug
@@ -31,7 +31,12 @@
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)  # noqa
 
 
-class ServeDocsBase(ServeRedirectMixin, ServeDocsMixin, View):
+class ServeDocsBase(
+        ServeRedirectMixin,
+        ServeDocsPermissionsMixin,
+        ServeDocsMixin,
+        View,
+):
 
     version_type = INTERNAL
 
@@ -143,6 +148,10 @@ def get(self,
             path=final_url,
         )
 
+    def allowed_user(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        # always grant permissions to community users
+        return True
+
 
 class ServeDocs(SettingsOverrideObject):
     _default_class = ServeDocsBase