diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/composer.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/composer.js
index b5f002501e2..2343286033a 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/composer.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/composer.js
@@ -126,7 +126,12 @@ Discourse.Composer = Discourse.Model.extend({
     // reply is always required
     if (this.get('missingReplyCharacters') > 0) return true;
 
-    if (this.get('canCategorize') && !Discourse.SiteSettings.allow_uncategorized_topics && !this.get('categoryId')) return true;
+    if (this.get('canCategorize') &&
+        !Discourse.SiteSettings.allow_uncategorized_topics &&
+        !this.get('categoryId') &&
+        !Discourse.User.currentProp('staff')) {
+      return true;
+    }
 
     return false;
   }.property('loading', 'canEditTitle', 'titleLength', 'targetUsernames', 'replyLength', 'categoryId', 'missingReplyCharacters'),
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/category_chooser_view.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/category_chooser_view.js
index 005ff0c642a..1ef513876ea 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/category_chooser_view.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/category_chooser_view.js
@@ -25,12 +25,12 @@ Discourse.CategoryChooserView = Discourse.ComboboxView.extend({
   },
 
   none: function() {
-    if (!Discourse.SiteSettings.allow_uncategorized_topics) {
-      return 'category.choose';
-    } else if (Discourse.SiteSettings.allow_uncategorized_topics || this.get('showUncategorized')) {
+    if (Discourse.User.currentProp('staff') || Discourse.SiteSettings.allow_uncategorized_topics) {
       return 'category.none';
+    } else {
+      return 'category.choose';
     }
-  }.property('showUncategorized'),
+  }.property(),
 
   template: function(text, templateData) {
     if (!templateData.color) return text;
diff --git a/app/models/topic.rb b/app/models/topic.rb
index 83aef6bc5aa..a64cc86202c 100644
--- a/app/models/topic.rb
+++ b/app/models/topic.rb
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ class Topic < ActiveRecord::Base
                                      :if => Proc.new { |t|
                                            (t.new_record? || t.category_id_changed?) &&
                                            !SiteSetting.allow_uncategorized_topics &&
-                                           (t.archetype.nil? || t.archetype == Archetype.default)
+                                           (t.archetype.nil? || t.archetype == Archetype.default) &&
+                                           (!t.user_id || !t.user.staff?)
                                        }