diff --git a/readthedocs/core/views/serve.py b/readthedocs/core/views/serve.py
index 36510440ae3..b63cc3a8a00 100644
--- a/readthedocs/core/views/serve.py
+++ b/readthedocs/core/views/serve.py
@@ -152,14 +152,19 @@ def serve_docs(
     """Exists to map existing proj, lang, version, filename views to the file format."""
     if not version_slug:
         version_slug = project.get_default_version()
+
     try:
-        version = project.versions.public(request.user).get(slug=version_slug)
+        version = project.versions.get(slug=version_slug)
     except Version.DoesNotExist:
-        # Properly raise a 404 if the version doesn't exist (or is inactive) and
-        # a 401 if it does
-        if project.versions.filter(slug=version_slug, active=True).exists():
-            return _serve_401(request, project)
         raise Http404('Version does not exist.')
+
+    # only project admins should see private versions
+    if not AdminPermission.is_member(user=request.user, obj=project):
+        if version.privacy_level == constants.PRIVATE:
+            return _serve_401(request, project)
+        if not version.active:
+            raise Http404('Version does not exist.')
+
     filename = resolve_path(
         subproject or project,  # Resolve the subproject if it exists
         version_slug=version_slug,
@@ -167,9 +172,6 @@ def serve_docs(
         filename=filename,
         subdomain=True,  # subdomain will make it a "full" path without a URL prefix
     )
-    if (version.privacy_level == constants.PRIVATE and
-            not AdminPermission.is_member(user=request.user, obj=project)):
-        return _serve_401(request, project)
     return _serve_symlink_docs(
         request,
         filename=filename,
diff --git a/readthedocs/rtd_tests/tests/test_redirects.py b/readthedocs/rtd_tests/tests/test_redirects.py
index 7595d147568..3f6d424e831 100644
--- a/readthedocs/rtd_tests/tests/test_redirects.py
+++ b/readthedocs/rtd_tests/tests/test_redirects.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import absolute_import
-from django.http import Http404
+from django.http import Http404, HttpResponse
+from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from django.test import TestCase
 from django.test.utils import override_settings
 
@@ -47,6 +48,18 @@ def test_proper_url(self):
         self.assertEqual(
             r['Location'], 'http://readthedocs.org/docs/pip/en/latest/')
 
+    def test_owner_with_multiple_projects_can_serve_the_requested_version(self):
+        # GH #4350
+        eric = User.objects.get(username='eric')
+        notpip = eric.projects.exclude(slug='pip').first()
+        notpip.versions.create_latest()
+
+        self.client.login(username='eric', password='test')
+        with patch('readthedocs.core.views.serve._serve_symlink_docs') as _serve_docs:
+            _serve_docs.return_value = HttpResponse()
+            self.client.get('/docs/pip/en/latest/')
+        self.assertTrue(_serve_docs.called)
+
     # Specific Page Redirects
     def test_proper_page_on_main_site(self):
         r = self.client.get('/docs/pip/page/test.html')