diff --git a/core/modules/block_content/src/BlockContentAccessControlHandler.php b/core/modules/block_content/src/BlockContentAccessControlHandler.php
index e738b3f..8f107c2 100644
--- a/core/modules/block_content/src/BlockContentAccessControlHandler.php
+++ b/core/modules/block_content/src/BlockContentAccessControlHandler.php
@@ -19,10 +19,15 @@ class BlockContentAccessControlHandler extends EntityAccessControlHandler {
    */
   protected function checkAccess(EntityInterface $entity, $operation, AccountInterface $account) {
     if ($operation === 'view') {
-      return AccessResult::allowedIfHasPermission($account, 'administer blocks');
-      return AccessResult::allowed();
+      $result = AccessResult::allowedIfHasPermission($account, 'access content');
     }
-    return parent::checkAccess($entity, $operation, $account);
+    else {
+      $result = parent::checkAccess($entity, $operation, $account);
+    }
+    if (!$result->isAllowed() && in_array($operation, ['view', 'update'], TRUE)) {
+      $result->setReason("The 'access content' permission is required for view, and 'administer blocks' permission is required for update BlockContent entity.");
+    }
+    return $result;
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/block_content/tests/src/Functional/BlockContentCacheTagsTest.php b/core/modules/block_content/tests/src/Functional/BlockContentCacheTagsTest.php
index 59f111b..bf4eb00 100644
--- a/core/modules/block_content/tests/src/Functional/BlockContentCacheTagsTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/block_content/tests/src/Functional/BlockContentCacheTagsTest.php
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 use Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\Language\LanguageInterface;
 use Drupal\system\Tests\Entity\EntityCacheTagsTestBase;
+use Drupal\user\Entity\Role;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request;
 
 /**
@@ -25,6 +26,19 @@ class BlockContentCacheTagsTest extends EntityCacheTagsTestBase {
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
+  protected function setUp() {
+    parent::setUp();
+
+    // Give anonymous users permission to access content, so that we can view
+    // BlockContent entity.
+    $anonymous_role = Role::load(Role::ANONYMOUS_ID);
+    $anonymous_role->grantPermission('access content');
+    $anonymous_role->save();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
   protected function createEntity() {
     $block_content_type = BlockContentType::create([
       'id' => 'basic',
diff --git a/core/modules/quickedit/src/Tests/QuickEditLoadingTest.php b/core/modules/quickedit/src/Tests/QuickEditLoadingTest.php
index 41f26a8..6f50d83 100644
--- a/core/modules/quickedit/src/Tests/QuickEditLoadingTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/quickedit/src/Tests/QuickEditLoadingTest.php
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ protected function setUp() {
     // editing
     $basic_permissions = ['access content', 'create article content', 'edit any article content', 'use text format filtered_html', 'access contextual links'];
     $this->authorUser = $this->drupalCreateUser($basic_permissions);
-    $this->editorUser = $this->drupalCreateUser(array_merge($basic_permissions, ['access in-place editing']));
+    $this->editorUser = $this->drupalCreateUser(array_merge($basic_permissions, ['access in-place editing', 'access content']));
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/core/modules/rest/tests/src/Functional/EntityResource/BlockContent/BlockContentResourceTestBase.php b/core/modules/rest/tests/src/Functional/EntityResource/BlockContent/BlockContentResourceTestBase.php
index f531c38..42d1ea2 100644
--- a/core/modules/rest/tests/src/Functional/EntityResource/BlockContent/BlockContentResourceTestBase.php
+++ b/core/modules/rest/tests/src/Functional/EntityResource/BlockContent/BlockContentResourceTestBase.php
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   protected function setUpAuthorization($method) {
-    $this->grantPermissionsToTestedRole(['administer blocks']);
+    $this->grantPermissionsToTestedRole(['administer blocks', 'access content']);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -153,4 +153,23 @@ protected function getNormalizedPostEntity() {
     ];
   }
 
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  protected function getExpectedUnauthorizedAccessMessage($method) {
+    if ($this->config('rest.settings')->get('bc_entity_resource_permissions')) {
+      return parent::getExpectedUnauthorizedAccessMessage($method);
+    }
+
+    switch ($method) {
+      case 'GET':
+      case 'PATCH':
+        return "The 'access content' permission is required for view, and 'administer blocks' permission is required for update BlockContent entity.";
+
+      default:
+        return parent::getExpectedUnauthorizedAccessMessage($method);
+    }
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Update/UpdatePathRC1TestBaseFilledTest.php b/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Update/UpdatePathRC1TestBaseFilledTest.php
index 9ee6d0c..0e0ab15 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Update/UpdatePathRC1TestBaseFilledTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/src/Tests/Update/UpdatePathRC1TestBaseFilledTest.php
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 use Drupal\node\Entity\Node;
 use Drupal\node\Entity\NodeType;
+use Drupal\user\Entity\Role;
 use Drupal\user\Entity\User;
 
 /**
@@ -16,6 +17,19 @@ class UpdatePathRC1TestBaseFilledTest extends UpdatePathRC1TestBaseTest {
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
+  protected function setUp() {
+    parent::setUp();
+
+    // Give anonymous users permission to access content, so that we can view
+    // BlockContent entity.
+    $anonymous_role = Role::load(Role::ANONYMOUS_ID);
+    $anonymous_role->grantPermission('access content');
+    $anonymous_role->save();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
   protected function setDatabaseDumpFiles() {
     parent::setDatabaseDumpFiles();
     $this->databaseDumpFiles[0] = __DIR__ . '/../../../tests/fixtures/update/drupal-8-rc1.filled.standard.php.gz';