diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/composer.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/composer.js.es6
index fd1eb0d2789..65df35cae1f 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/composer.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/composer.js.es6
@@ -439,11 +439,8 @@ export default DiscourseController.extend({
       this.set('model.title', opts.topicTitle);
     }
 
-    if (opts.topicCategory) {
-      var category = Discourse.Category.list().findProperty('name', opts.topicCategory);
-      if (category && category.id) {
-        this.set('model.categoryId', category.id);
-      }
+    if (opts.topicCategoryId) {
+      this.set('model.categoryId', opts.topicCategoryId);
     }
 
     if (opts.topicBody) {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/mixins/open_composer.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/mixins/open_composer.js
index 58acafb6f99..64a79f7965d 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/mixins/open_composer.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/mixins/open_composer.js
@@ -17,12 +17,12 @@ Discourse.OpenComposer = Em.Mixin.create({
     });
   },
 
-  openComposerWithParams: function(controller, title, body, category) {
+  openComposerWithParams: function(controller, title, body, category_id) {
     this.controllerFor('composer').open({
       action: Discourse.Composer.CREATE_TOPIC,
       topicTitle: title,
       topicBody: body,
-      topicCategory: category,
+      topicCategoryId: category_id,
       draftKey: controller.get('draft_key'),
       draftSequence: controller.get('draft_sequence')
     });
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/application.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/application.js.es6
index 82078b6859f..4e6a61e1c01 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/application.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/application.js.es6
@@ -148,8 +148,8 @@ const ApplicationRoute = Discourse.Route.extend(Discourse.OpenComposer, {
       this.render(w, {into: 'modal/topic-bulk-actions', outlet: 'bulkOutlet', controller: factory ? controllerName : 'topic-bulk-actions'});
     },
 
-    createNewTopicViaParams: function(title, body, category) {
-      this.openComposerWithParams(this.controllerFor('discovery/topics'), title, body, category);
+    createNewTopicViaParams: function(title, body, category_id) {
+      this.openComposerWithParams(this.controllerFor('discovery/topics'), title, body, category_id);
     }
   },
 
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/new-topic.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/new-topic.js.es6
index c6c0ebcee55..f09dcae0289 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/new-topic.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/new-topic.js.es6
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ export default Discourse.Route.extend({
         if (self.controllerFor('navigation/default').get('canCreateTopic')) {
           // User can create topic
           Ember.run.next(function() {
-            e.send('createNewTopicViaParams', transition.queryParams.title, transition.queryParams.body, transition.queryParams.category);
+            e.send('createNewTopicViaParams', transition.queryParams.title, transition.queryParams.body, transition.queryParams.category_id);
           });
         }
       });