diff --git a/api/memo.go b/api/memo.go
index 43d8f773..0d49399e 100644
--- a/api/memo.go
+++ b/api/memo.go
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ type MemoCreate struct {
 	CreatedTs *int64 `json:"createdTs"`
 
 	// Domain specific fields
-	Content    string     `json:"content"`
-	Visibility Visibility `json:"visibility"`
+	Content    string      `json:"content"`
+	Visibility *Visibility `json:"visibility"`
 }
 
 type MemoPatch struct {
diff --git a/server/memo.go b/server/memo.go
index babe1ce2..25df508f 100644
--- a/server/memo.go
+++ b/server/memo.go
@@ -22,8 +22,10 @@ func (s *Server) registerMemoRoutes(g *echo.Group) {
 			return echo.NewHTTPError(http.StatusBadRequest, "Malformatted post memo request").SetInternal(err)
 		}
 
-		// TODO(steven): remove this line after frontend is ready
-		memoCreate.Visibility = api.Privite
+		if memoCreate.Visibility == nil || *memoCreate.Visibility == "" {
+			private := api.Privite
+			memoCreate.Visibility = &private
+		}
 
 		memo, err := s.Store.CreateMemo(memoCreate)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/store/memo.go b/store/memo.go
index 1019daa9..7512d93c 100644
--- a/store/memo.go
+++ b/store/memo.go
@@ -118,10 +118,13 @@ func (s *Store) DeleteMemo(delete *api.MemoDelete) error {
 }
 
 func createMemoRaw(db *sql.DB, create *api.MemoCreate) (*memoRaw, error) {
-	set := []string{"creator_id", "content", "visibility"}
-	placeholder := []string{"?", "?", "?"}
-	args := []interface{}{create.CreatorID, create.Content, create.Visibility}
+	set := []string{"creator_id", "content"}
+	placeholder := []string{"?", "?"}
+	args := []interface{}{create.CreatorID, create.Content}
 
+	if v := create.Visibility; v != nil {
+		set, placeholder, args = append(set, "visibility"), append(placeholder, "?"), append(args, *v)
+	}
 	if v := create.CreatedTs; v != nil {
 		set, placeholder, args = append(set, "created_ts"), append(placeholder, "?"), append(args, *v)
 	}
diff --git a/web/src/types/modules/memo.d.ts b/web/src/types/modules/memo.d.ts
index 6b4e1e8c..867cb794 100644
--- a/web/src/types/modules/memo.d.ts
+++ b/web/src/types/modules/memo.d.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ interface Memo {
 
 interface MemoCreate {
   content: string;
+  visibility?: Visibility;
   createdTs?: TimeStamp;
 }