diff --git a/app/jobs/regular/publish_topic_to_category.rb b/app/jobs/regular/publish_topic_to_category.rb
index 31a838a2c85..c67adde491b 100644
--- a/app/jobs/regular/publish_topic_to_category.rb
+++ b/app/jobs/regular/publish_topic_to_category.rb
@@ -8,7 +8,13 @@ module Jobs
       return if topic.blank?
 
       PostTimestampChanger.new(timestamp: Time.zone.now, topic: topic).change! do
-        topic.change_category_to_id(topic_status_update.category_id)
+        if topic.private_message?
+          topic = TopicConverter.new(topic, Discourse.system_user)
+            .convert_to_public_topic(topic_status_update.category_id)
+        else
+          topic.change_category_to_id(topic_status_update.category_id)
+        end
+
         topic.update_columns(visible: true)
         topic_status_update.trash!(Discourse.system_user)
       end
diff --git a/app/models/topic_converter.rb b/app/models/topic_converter.rb
index ddbda3a6903..dd5bc30559c 100644
--- a/app/models/topic_converter.rb
+++ b/app/models/topic_converter.rb
@@ -7,9 +7,19 @@ class TopicConverter
     @user = user
   end
 
-  def convert_to_public_topic
+  def convert_to_public_topic(category_id = nil)
     Topic.transaction do
-      @topic.category_id = SiteSetting.allow_uncategorized_topics ? SiteSetting.uncategorized_category_id : Category.where(read_restricted: false).first.id
+      @topic.category_id =
+        if category_id
+          category_id
+        elsif SiteSetting.allow_uncategorized_topics
+          SiteSetting.uncategorized_category_id
+        else
+          Category.where(read_restricted: false)
+            .where.not(id: SiteSetting.uncategorized_category_id)
+            .first.id
+        end
+
       @topic.archetype = Archetype.default
       @topic.save
       update_user_stats
diff --git a/spec/jobs/publish_topic_to_category_spec.rb b/spec/jobs/publish_topic_to_category_spec.rb
index e49a3190979..976735cc2de 100644
--- a/spec/jobs/publish_topic_to_category_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/jobs/publish_topic_to_category_spec.rb
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ RSpec.describe Jobs::PublishTopicToCategory do
     end
   end
 
-  it 'should publish the topic to the new category correctly' do
+  it 'should publish the topic to the new category' do
     Timecop.travel(1.hour.ago) { topic.update!(visible: false) }
 
     message = MessageBus.track_publish do
@@ -56,4 +56,32 @@ RSpec.describe Jobs::PublishTopicToCategory do
     expect(message.data[:reload_topic]).to be_present
     expect(message.data[:refresh_stream]).to be_present
   end
+
+  describe 'when topic is a private message' do
+    before do
+      expect { topic.convert_to_private_message(Discourse.system_user) }
+        .to change { topic.private_message? }.to(true)
+    end
+
+
+    it 'should publish the topic to the new category' do
+      described_class.new.execute(topic_status_update_id: topic.topic_status_update.id)
+
+      message = MessageBus.track_publish do
+        described_class.new.execute(topic_status_update_id: topic.topic_status_update.id)
+      end.first
+
+      topic.reload
+      expect(topic.category).to eq(another_category)
+      expect(topic.visible).to eq(true)
+      expect(topic.private_message?).to eq(false)
+
+      %w{created_at bumped_at updated_at last_posted_at}.each do |attribute|
+        expect(topic.public_send(attribute)).to be_within(1.second).of(Time.zone.now)
+      end
+
+      expect(message.data[:reload_topic]).to be_present
+      expect(message.data[:refresh_stream]).to be_present
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/models/topic_converter_spec.rb b/spec/models/topic_converter_spec.rb
index 96bd61e9153..cee779633be 100644
--- a/spec/models/topic_converter_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/topic_converter_spec.rb
@@ -5,13 +5,42 @@ describe TopicConverter do
   context 'convert_to_public_topic' do
     let(:admin) { Fabricate(:admin) }
     let(:author) { Fabricate(:user) }
+    let(:category) { Fabricate(:category) }
     let(:private_message) { Fabricate(:private_message_topic, user: author) }
 
     context 'success' do
       it "converts private message to regular topic" do
-        topic = private_message.convert_to_public_topic(admin)
+        SiteSetting.allow_uncategorized_topics = true
+        topic = described_class.new(private_message, admin).convert_to_public_topic
+        topic.reload
+
         expect(topic).to be_valid
         expect(topic.archetype).to eq("regular")
+        expect(topic.category_id).to eq(SiteSetting.uncategorized_category_id)
+      end
+
+      describe 'when uncategorized category is not allowed' do
+        before do
+          SiteSetting.allow_uncategorized_topics = false
+          category.update!(read_restricted: false)
+        end
+
+        it 'should convert private message into the right category' do
+          topic = described_class.new(private_message, admin).convert_to_public_topic
+          topic.reload
+
+          expect(topic).to be_valid
+          expect(topic.archetype).to eq("regular")
+          expect(topic.category_id).to eq(category.id)
+        end
+      end
+
+      describe 'when a custom category_id is given' do
+        it 'should convert private message into the right category' do
+          topic = described_class.new(private_message, admin).convert_to_public_topic(category.id)
+
+          expect(topic.reload.category).to eq(category)
+        end
       end
 
       it "updates user stats" do