diff --git a/hscontrol/policy/v2/filter.go b/hscontrol/policy/v2/filter.go
index 8b9124095..3f9902d91 100644
--- a/hscontrol/policy/v2/filter.go
+++ b/hscontrol/policy/v2/filter.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"net/netip"
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types"
@@ -132,12 +133,29 @@ func (pol *Policy) compileFilterRules(
 	nodes views.Slice[types.NodeView],
 ) []tailcfg.FilterRule {
 	if pol == nil || (pol.ACLs == nil && pol.Grants == nil) {
-		return tailcfg.FilterAllowAll
+		return noRulesFilter(users, nodes)
 	}
 
 	return globalFilterRules(pol.compileGrants(users, nodes))
 }
 
+// allowAllPolicy is the rule a policy without acls or grants stands for.
+var allowAllPolicy = sync.OnceValue(func() *Policy {
+	pol, err := unmarshalPolicy([]byte(`{"acls":[{"action":"accept","src":["*"],"dst":["*:*"]}]}`))
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+
+	return pol
+})
+
+// noRulesFilter is the filter of a policy without acls or grants. As on SaaS,
+// its sources are the tailnet's ranges and approved routes, not every address,
+// or a host on an exit node's network could open connections to its clients.
+func noRulesFilter(users types.Users, nodes views.Slice[types.NodeView]) []tailcfg.FilterRule {
+	return globalFilterRules(allowAllPolicy().compileGrants(users, nodes))
+}
+
 func (pol *Policy) destinationsToNetPortRange(
 	users types.Users,
 	nodes views.Slice[types.NodeView],
@@ -201,7 +219,7 @@ func (pol *Policy) compileFilterRulesForNode(
 	nodes views.Slice[types.NodeView],
 ) []tailcfg.FilterRule {
 	if pol == nil {
-		return tailcfg.FilterAllowAll
+		return noRulesFilter(users, nodes)
 	}
 
 	grants := pol.compileGrants(users, nodes)
diff --git a/hscontrol/policy/v2/filter_test.go b/hscontrol/policy/v2/filter_test.go
index fbde1ff2b..0eae6965d 100644
--- a/hscontrol/policy/v2/filter_test.go
+++ b/hscontrol/policy/v2/filter_test.go
@@ -3687,7 +3687,7 @@ func TestFilterAllowAllFix(t *testing.T) {
 
 			rules := tt.pol.compileFilterRules(users, nodes)
 
-			isFilterAllowAll := cmp.Diff(tailcfg.FilterAllowAll, rules) == ""
+			isFilterAllowAll := cmp.Diff(noRulesFilter(users, nodes), rules) == ""
 			assert.Equal(t, tt.wantFilterAllow, isFilterAllowAll,
 				"FilterAllowAll mismatch: got rules=%v", rules)
 		})
diff --git a/hscontrol/policy/v2/policy.go b/hscontrol/policy/v2/policy.go
index a3c9e8c47..ae35bfc99 100644
--- a/hscontrol/policy/v2/policy.go
+++ b/hscontrol/policy/v2/policy.go
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ func (pm *PolicyManager) updateLocked() (bool, error) {
 
 	var filter []tailcfg.FilterRule
 	if pm.pol == nil || (pm.pol.ACLs == nil && pm.pol.Grants == nil) {
-		filter = tailcfg.FilterAllowAll
+		filter = noRulesFilter(pm.users, pm.nodes)
 	} else {
 		filter = globalFilterRules(pm.compiledGrants)
 	}
diff --git a/hscontrol/policy/v2/policy_test.go b/hscontrol/policy/v2/policy_test.go
index 06d8ab5c6..916fb9996 100644
--- a/hscontrol/policy/v2/policy_test.go
+++ b/hscontrol/policy/v2/policy_test.go
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ func TestPolicyManager(t *testing.T) {
 			name:         "empty-policy",
 			pol:          "{}",
 			nodes:        types.Nodes{},
-			wantFilter:   tailcfg.FilterAllowAll,
-			wantMatchers: matcher.MatchesFromFilterRules(tailcfg.FilterAllowAll),
+			wantFilter:   noRulesFilter(users, types.Nodes{}.ViewSlice()),
+			wantMatchers: matcher.MatchesFromFilterRules(noRulesFilter(users, types.Nodes{}.ViewSlice())),
 		},
 		{
 			name:         "empty-acls-denies-all",
diff --git a/hscontrol/policy/v2/tailscale_acl_data_compat_test.go b/hscontrol/policy/v2/tailscale_acl_data_compat_test.go
index e1508c1a9..3c628ef2a 100644
--- a/hscontrol/policy/v2/tailscale_acl_data_compat_test.go
+++ b/hscontrol/policy/v2/tailscale_acl_data_compat_test.go
@@ -208,15 +208,6 @@ func loadACLTestFile(t *testing.T, path string) *testcapture.Capture {
 // aclSkipReasons lists checks where headscale differs from SaaS, keyed
 // <test_id>[/<node>]/<check>.
 var aclSkipReasons = map[string]string{
-	"acl-n01/beedrill/filter":   allowAllForm,
-	"acl-n01/bulbasaur/filter":  allowAllForm,
-	"acl-n01/charmander/filter": allowAllForm,
-	"acl-n01/ivysaur/filter":    allowAllForm,
-	"acl-n01/kakuna/filter":     allowAllForm,
-	"acl-n01/squirtle/filter":   allowAllForm,
-	"acl-n01/venusaur/filter":   allowAllForm,
-	"acl-n01/weedle/filter":     allowAllForm,
-
 	"acl-au06/beedrill/filter":   srcAddressForm,
 	"acl-k03/beedrill/filter":    srcAddressForm,
 	"acl-k03/bulbasaur/filter":   srcAddressForm,
@@ -246,7 +237,6 @@ var aclSkipReasons = map[string]string{
 }
 
 const (
-	allowAllForm            = "ALLOW_ALL_FORM: SaaS writes the allow-all default's sources as the tailnet ranges, headscale as \"*\""
 	srcAddressForm          = "FILTER_ADDRESS_FORM: SaaS lists contiguous source addresses one by one, headscale as a range"
 	srcAndSelfDstForm       = "FILTER_ADDRESS_FORM+SELF_DST_REPEAT: sources listed one by one, the autogroup:self destination written once per source alias"
 	aclDefaultRouteAccepted = "ACL_DEFAULT_ROUTE_ACCEPTED: headscale accepts literal 0.0.0.0/0 and ::/0 ACL destinations; SaaS rejects them and requires * or autogroup:internet"
diff --git a/hscontrol/policy/v2/test.go b/hscontrol/policy/v2/test.go
index c0518657c..2cb32a82f 100644
--- a/hscontrol/policy/v2/test.go
+++ b/hscontrol/policy/v2/test.go
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ func evaluateTests(pol *Policy, users []types.User, nodes views.Slice[types.Node
 
 	var filter []tailcfg.FilterRule
 	if pol.ACLs == nil && pol.Grants == nil {
-		filter = tailcfg.FilterAllowAll
+		filter = noRulesFilter(users, nodes)
 	} else {
 		filter = globalFilterRules(grants)
 	}