diff --git a/app/controllers/list_controller.rb b/app/controllers/list_controller.rb
index bd0a1c1b3f6..86d953dfe45 100644
--- a/app/controllers/list_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/list_controller.rb
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ class ListController < ApplicationController
   def build_topic_list_options
     # html format means we need to parse exclude category (aka filter) from the site options top menu
     menu_items = SiteSetting.top_menu_items
-    menu_item = menu_items.select { |item| item.query_should_exclude_category?(action_name, params[:format]) }.first
+    menu_item = menu_items.select { |item| item.query_should_exclude_category?(action_name) }.first
 
     # exclude_category = 1. from params / 2. parsed from top menu / 3. nil
     options = {
diff --git a/app/models/top_menu_item.rb b/app/models/top_menu_item.rb
index 98dfb758b20..c7b4ff44a82 100644
--- a/app/models/top_menu_item.rb
+++ b/app/models/top_menu_item.rb
@@ -43,12 +43,8 @@ class TopMenuItem
     name.split('/')[1]
   end
 
-  def query_should_exclude_category?(action_name, format)
-    if format.blank? || format == "html"
-      matches_action?(action_name) && has_filter?
-    else
-      false
-    end
+  def query_should_exclude_category?(action_name)
+    matches_action?(action_name) && has_filter?
   end
 
   def matches_action?(action_name)
diff --git a/spec/models/top_menu_item_spec.rb b/spec/models/top_menu_item_spec.rb
index 7e2c12edb40..084e7790f0e 100644
--- a/spec/models/top_menu_item_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/top_menu_item_spec.rb
@@ -59,11 +59,7 @@ describe TopMenuItem do
     end
 
     it "excludes category" do
-      expect(items[0].query_should_exclude_category?(nil, nil)).to be_true
-    end
-
-    it "does not exclude for json format" do
-      expect(items[0].query_should_exclude_category?(nil, 'json')).to be_false
+      expect(items[0].query_should_exclude_category?(nil)).to be_true
     end
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end