diff --git a/src/applications/files/query/PhabricatorFileQuery.php b/src/applications/files/query/PhabricatorFileQuery.php
--- a/src/applications/files/query/PhabricatorFileQuery.php
+++ b/src/applications/files/query/PhabricatorFileQuery.php
@@ -137,10 +137,16 @@
 
     $objects = array();
     if ($object_phids) {
+      // NOTE: We're explicitly turning policy exceptions off, since the rule
+      // here is "you can see the file if you can see ANY associated object".
+      // Without this explicit flag, we'll incorrectly throw unless you can
+      // see ALL associated objects.
+
       $objects = id(new PhabricatorObjectQuery())
         ->setParentQuery($this)
         ->setViewer($this->getViewer())
         ->withPHIDs($object_phids)
+        ->setRaisePolicyExceptions(false)
         ->execute();
       $objects = mpull($objects, null, 'getPHID');
     }
diff --git a/src/infrastructure/query/policy/PhabricatorPolicyAwareQuery.php b/src/infrastructure/query/policy/PhabricatorPolicyAwareQuery.php
--- a/src/infrastructure/query/policy/PhabricatorPolicyAwareQuery.php
+++ b/src/infrastructure/query/policy/PhabricatorPolicyAwareQuery.php
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
 abstract class PhabricatorPolicyAwareQuery extends PhabricatorOffsetPagedQuery {
 
   private $viewer;
-  private $raisePolicyExceptions;
   private $parentQuery;
   private $rawResultLimit;
   private $capabilities;
@@ -37,6 +36,15 @@
   private $policyFilteredPHIDs = array();
   private $canUseApplication;
 
+  /**
+   * Should we continue or throw an exception when a query result is filtered
+   * by policy rules?
+   *
+   * Values are `true` (raise exceptions), `false` (do not raise exceptions)
+   * and `null` (inherit from parent query, with no exceptions by default).
+   */
+  private $raisePolicyExceptions;
+
 
 /* -(  Query Configuration  )------------------------------------------------ */
 
@@ -186,7 +194,7 @@
     }
 
     $parent_query = $this->getParentQuery();
-    if ($parent_query) {
+    if ($parent_query && ($this->raisePolicyExceptions === null)) {
       $this->setRaisePolicyExceptions(
         $parent_query->shouldRaisePolicyExceptions());
     }