diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/models/group.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/models/group.js
index 220c131f446..9ae1df34713 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/models/group.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/models/group.js
@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@ export default class Group extends RestModel {
   get watchingCategories() {
     if (
       this.site.lazy_load_categories &&
+      this.watching_category_ids &&
       !Category.hasAsyncFoundAll(this.watching_category_ids)
     ) {
       Category.asyncFindByIds(this.watching_category_ids).then(() =>
@@ -244,6 +245,7 @@ export default class Group extends RestModel {
   get trackingCategories() {
     if (
       this.site.lazy_load_categories &&
+      this.tracking_category_ids &&
       !Category.hasAsyncFoundAll(this.tracking_category_ids)
     ) {
       Category.asyncFindByIds(this.tracking_category_ids).then(() =>
@@ -265,6 +267,7 @@ export default class Group extends RestModel {
   get watchingFirstPostCategories() {
     if (
       this.site.lazy_load_categories &&
+      this.watching_first_post_category_ids &&
       !Category.hasAsyncFoundAll(this.watching_first_post_category_ids)
     ) {
       Category.asyncFindByIds(this.watching_first_post_category_ids).then(() =>
@@ -286,6 +289,7 @@ export default class Group extends RestModel {
   get regularCategories() {
     if (
       this.site.lazy_load_categories &&
+      this.regular_category_ids &&
       !Category.hasAsyncFoundAll(this.regular_category_ids)
     ) {
       Category.asyncFindByIds(this.regular_category_ids).then(() =>
@@ -307,6 +311,7 @@ export default class Group extends RestModel {
   get mutedCategories() {
     if (
       this.site.lazy_load_categories &&
+      this.muted_category_ids &&
       !Category.hasAsyncFoundAll(this.muted_category_ids)
     ) {
       Category.asyncFindByIds(this.muted_category_ids).then(() =>
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/models/user.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/models/user.js
index 11721e59bbd..f3c9f7f590f 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/models/user.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/models/user.js
@@ -845,6 +845,7 @@ export default class User extends RestModel.extend(Evented) {
   get mutedCategories() {
     if (
       this.site.lazy_load_categories &&
+      this.muted_category_ids &&
       !Category.hasAsyncFoundAll(this.muted_category_ids)
     ) {
       Category.asyncFindByIds(this.muted_category_ids).then(() =>
@@ -866,6 +867,7 @@ export default class User extends RestModel.extend(Evented) {
   get regularCategories() {
     if (
       this.site.lazy_load_categories &&
+      this.regular_category_ids &&
       !Category.hasAsyncFoundAll(this.regular_category_ids)
     ) {
       Category.asyncFindByIds(this.regular_category_ids).then(() =>
@@ -887,6 +889,7 @@ export default class User extends RestModel.extend(Evented) {
   get trackedCategories() {
     if (
       this.site.lazy_load_categories &&
+      this.tracked_category_ids &&
       !Category.hasAsyncFoundAll(this.tracked_category_ids)
     ) {
       Category.asyncFindByIds(this.tracked_category_ids).then(() =>
@@ -908,6 +911,7 @@ export default class User extends RestModel.extend(Evented) {
   get watchedCategories() {
     if (
       this.site.lazy_load_categories &&
+      this.watched_category_ids &&
       !Category.hasAsyncFoundAll(this.watched_category_ids)
     ) {
       Category.asyncFindByIds(this.watched_category_ids).then(() =>
@@ -929,6 +933,7 @@ export default class User extends RestModel.extend(Evented) {
   get watchedFirstPostCategories() {
     if (
       this.site.lazy_load_categories &&
+      this.watched_first_post_category_ids &&
       !Category.hasAsyncFoundAll(this.watched_first_post_category_ids)
     ) {
       Category.asyncFindByIds(this.watched_first_post_category_ids).then(() =>