diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/user/shelf.html b/bookwyrm/templates/user/shelf.html
index 5173da07..cc4d8d37 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/user/shelf.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/user/shelf.html
@@ -20,10 +20,13 @@
     <div class="column">
         <div class="tabs">
             <ul>
+            <li class="{% if shelf.identifier == 'all' %}is-active{% endif %}">
+                <a href="{% url 'user-shelves' user|username %}"{% if shelf.identifier == 'all' %} aria-current="page"{% endif %}>{% trans "All books" %}</a>
+            </li>
             {% for shelf_tab in shelves %}
             <li class="{% if shelf_tab.identifier == shelf.identifier %}is-active{% endif %}">
                 <a href="{{ shelf_tab.local_path }}"{% if shelf_tab.identifier == shelf.identifier %} aria-current="page"{% endif %}>{% if shelf_tab.identifier == 'to-read' %}{% trans "To Read" %}{% elif shelf_tab.identifier == 'reading' %}{% trans "Currently Reading" %}{% elif shelf_tab.identifier == 'read' %}{% trans "Read" %}{% else %}{{ shelf_tab.name }}{% endif %}</a>
-                </li>
+            </li>
             {% endfor %}
             </ul>
         </div>
@@ -81,7 +84,6 @@
             {% endif %}
         </tr>
         {% for book in books %}
-        {% with book=book.book %}
         <tr class="book-preview">
             <td>
                 <a href="{{ book.local_path }}">{% include 'snippets/book_cover.html' with book=book size="small" %}</a>
@@ -113,13 +115,12 @@
             </td>
             {% endif %}
         </tr>
-        {% endwith %}
         {% endfor %}
         </table>
         </div>
         {% else %}
         <p>{% trans "This shelf is empty." %}</p>
-        {% if shelf.editable %}
+        {% if shelf.id and shelf.editable %}
         <form name="delete-shelf" action="/delete-shelf/{{ shelf.id }}" method="post">
             {% csrf_token %}
             <input type="hidden" name="user" value="{{ request.user.id }}">
diff --git a/bookwyrm/urls.py b/bookwyrm/urls.py
index cd7a4e41..27fb678f 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/urls.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/urls.py
@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@ urlpatterns = [
     re_path(
         r"^list/(?P<list_id>\d+)/curate/?$", views.Curate.as_view(), name="list-curate"
     ),
-    # shelf
-    re_path(r"%s/books/?$" % user_path, views.user_shelves_page, name="user-shelves"),
+    # Uyser books
+    re_path(r"%s/books/?$" % user_path, views.Shelf.as_view(), name="user-shelves"),
     re_path(
         r"^%s/(helf|books)/(?P<shelf_identifier>[\w-]+)(.json)?/?$" % user_path,
         views.Shelf.as_view(),
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py b/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py
index 693a7744..fead2a32 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ from .rss_feed import RssFeed
 from .password import PasswordResetRequest, PasswordReset, ChangePassword
 from .search import Search
 from .shelf import Shelf
-from .shelf import user_shelves_page, create_shelf, delete_shelf
+from .shelf import create_shelf, delete_shelf
 from .shelf import shelve, unshelve
 from .site import Site
 from .status import CreateStatus, DeleteStatus
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/shelf.py b/bookwyrm/views/shelf.py
index 75d915cd..ad1128e2 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/shelf.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/shelf.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 """ shelf views"""
+from collections import namedtuple
+
 from django.db import IntegrityError
 from django.contrib.auth.decorators import login_required
 from django.core.paginator import Paginator
@@ -6,6 +8,7 @@ from django.http import HttpResponseBadRequest, HttpResponseNotFound
 from django.shortcuts import get_object_or_404, redirect
 from django.template.response import TemplateResponse
 from django.utils.decorators import method_decorator
+from django.utils.translation import gettext as _
 from django.views import View
 from django.views.decorators.http import require_POST
 
@@ -13,14 +16,14 @@ from bookwyrm import forms, models
 from bookwyrm.activitypub import ActivitypubResponse
 from bookwyrm.settings import PAGE_LENGTH
 from .helpers import is_api_request, get_edition, get_user_from_username
-from .helpers import handle_reading_status
+from .helpers import handle_reading_status, privacy_filter, object_visible_to_user
 
 
 # pylint: disable= no-self-use
 class Shelf(View):
     """ shelf page """
 
-    def get(self, request, username, shelf_identifier):
+    def get(self, request, username, shelf_identifier=None):
         """ display a shelf """
         try:
             user = get_user_from_username(request.user, username)
@@ -32,35 +35,28 @@ class Shelf(View):
         except ValueError:
             page = 1
 
+        shelves = privacy_filter(request.user, user.shelf_set)
+
+        # get the shelf and make sure the logged in user should be able to see it
         if shelf_identifier:
             shelf = user.shelf_set.get(identifier=shelf_identifier)
+            if not object_visible_to_user(request.user, shelf):
+                return HttpResponseNotFound()
+        # this is a constructed "all books" view, with a fake "shelf" obj
         else:
-            shelf = user.shelf_set.first()
+            FakeShelf = namedtuple("Shelf", ("identifier", "name", "user", "books"))
+            books = models.Edition.objects.filter(
+                shelfbook__shelf__in=shelves.all()
+            ).distinct()
+            shelf = FakeShelf("all", _("All books"), user, books)
 
         is_self = request.user == user
 
-        shelves = user.shelf_set
-        if not is_self:
-            follower = user.followers.filter(id=request.user.id).exists()
-            # make sure the user has permission to view the shelf
-            if shelf.privacy == "direct" or (
-                shelf.privacy == "followers" and not follower
-            ):
-                return HttpResponseNotFound()
-
-            # only show other shelves that should be visible
-            if follower:
-                shelves = shelves.filter(privacy__in=["public", "followers"])
-            else:
-                shelves = shelves.filter(privacy="public")
-
         if is_api_request(request):
             return ActivitypubResponse(shelf.to_activity(**request.GET))
 
         paginated = Paginator(
-            models.ShelfBook.objects.filter(user=user, shelf=shelf)
-            .order_by("-updated_date")
-            .all(),
+            shelf.books.order_by("-updated_date").all(),
             PAGE_LENGTH,
         )
 
@@ -95,11 +91,6 @@ class Shelf(View):
         return redirect(shelf.local_path)
 
 
-def user_shelves_page(request, username):
-    """ default shelf """
-    return Shelf.as_view()(request, username, None)
-
-
 @login_required
 @require_POST
 def create_shelf(request):
@@ -176,7 +167,8 @@ def shelve(request):
             models.ShelfBook.objects.create(
                 book=book, shelf=desired_shelf, user=request.user
             )
-        # The book is already on this shelf. Might be good to alert, or reject the action?
+        # The book is already on this shelf.
+        # Might be good to alert, or reject the action?
         except IntegrityError:
             pass
     return redirect(request.headers.get("Referer", "/"))