diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/initializers/url-redirects.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/initializers/url-redirects.js
index 69bdff1ee4a..819c1d112b7 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/initializers/url-redirects.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/initializers/url-redirects.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import DiscourseURL from "discourse/lib/url";
+import { initializeDefaultHomepage } from "discourse/lib/utilities";
 
 export default {
   name: "url-redirects",
@@ -6,7 +7,6 @@ export default {
 
   initialize(container) {
     const currentUser = container.lookup("current-user:main");
-
     if (currentUser) {
       const username = currentUser.get("username");
       DiscourseURL.rewrite(
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ export default {
       );
     }
 
+    // Initialize default homepage
+    let siteSettings = container.lookup("site-settings:main");
+    initializeDefaultHomepage(siteSettings);
+
     DiscourseURL.rewrite(/^\/u\/([^\/]+)\/?$/, "/u/$1/summary", {
       exceptions: [
         "/u/account-created",
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/utilities.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/utilities.js
index f105b3bca03..f9e073dc7a3 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/utilities.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/utilities.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import toMarkdown from "discourse/lib/to-markdown";
 import Handlebars from "handlebars";
 import { default as getURL, getURLWithCDN } from "discourse-common/lib/get-url";
 
-const homepageSelector = "meta[name=discourse_current_homepage]";
+let _defaultHomepage;
 
 export function translateSize(size) {
   switch (size) {
@@ -213,23 +213,24 @@ export function setCaretPosition(ctrl, pos) {
   }
 }
 
-export function defaultHomepage() {
-  let homepage = null;
-  let elem = _.first($(homepageSelector));
-  if (elem) {
-    homepage = elem.content;
+export function initializeDefaultHomepage(siteSettings) {
+  let homepage;
+  let sel = document.querySelector("meta[name='discourse_current_homepage']");
+  if (sel) {
+    homepage = sel.getAttribute("content");
   }
   if (!homepage) {
-    homepage = Discourse.SiteSettings.top_menu.split("|")[0].split(",")[0];
+    homepage = siteSettings.top_menu.split("|")[0].split(",")[0];
   }
-  return homepage;
+  setDefaultHomepage(homepage);
+}
+
+export function defaultHomepage() {
+  return _defaultHomepage;
 }
 
 export function setDefaultHomepage(homepage) {
-  let elem = _.first($(homepageSelector));
-  if (elem) {
-    elem.content = homepage;
-  }
+  _defaultHomepage = homepage;
 }
 
 export function determinePostReplaceSelection({
@@ -328,7 +329,7 @@ export function clipboardHelpers(e, opts) {
   const canUploadImage =
     canUpload && files.filter(f => f.type.match("^image/"))[0];
   const canPasteHtml =
-    Discourse.SiteSettings.enable_rich_text_paste &&
+    opts.siteSettings.enable_rich_text_paste &&
     types.includes("text/html") &&
     !canUploadImage;
 
diff --git a/test/javascripts/acceptance/login-redirect-test.js b/test/javascripts/acceptance/login-redirect-test.js
index 752549307f3..aef58f7228e 100644
--- a/test/javascripts/acceptance/login-redirect-test.js
+++ b/test/javascripts/acceptance/login-redirect-test.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import { acceptance } from "helpers/qunit-helpers";
 
-acceptance("Login redirect", {});
-
+acceptance("Login redirect");
 QUnit.test("redirects login to default homepage", async function(assert) {
   await visit("/login");
   assert.equal(
@@ -9,8 +8,15 @@ QUnit.test("redirects login to default homepage", async function(assert) {
     "discovery.latest",
     "it works when latest is the homepage"
   );
-  this.siteSettings.top_menu = "categories|latest|top|hot";
+});
 
+acceptance("Login redirect - categories default", {
+  settings: {
+    top_menu: "categories|latest|top|hot"
+  }
+});
+
+QUnit.test("when site setting is categories", async function(assert) {
   await visit("/login");
   assert.equal(
     currentPath(),
diff --git a/test/javascripts/lib/utilities-test.js b/test/javascripts/lib/utilities-test.js
index b401ba634c3..6821ce5c78d 100644
--- a/test/javascripts/lib/utilities-test.js
+++ b/test/javascripts/lib/utilities-test.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
   avatarUrl,
   getRawSize,
   avatarImg,
+  initializeDefaultHomepage,
   defaultHomepage,
   setDefaultHomepage,
   caretRowCol,
@@ -132,17 +133,12 @@ QUnit.test("avatarImg", assert => {
   setDevicePixelRatio(oldRatio);
 });
 
-QUnit.test("defaultHomepage", function(assert) {
-  this.siteSettings.top_menu = "latest|top|hot";
-  assert.equal(
-    defaultHomepage(),
-    "latest",
-    "default homepage is the first item in the top_menu site setting"
-  );
-  var meta = document.createElement("meta");
+QUnit.test("defaultHomepage via meta tag", function(assert) {
+  let meta = document.createElement("meta");
   meta.name = "discourse_current_homepage";
   meta.content = "hot";
   document.body.appendChild(meta);
+  initializeDefaultHomepage(this.siteSettings);
   assert.equal(
     defaultHomepage(),
     "hot",
@@ -151,18 +147,21 @@ QUnit.test("defaultHomepage", function(assert) {
   document.body.removeChild(meta);
 });
 
-QUnit.test("setDefaultHomepage", assert => {
-  var meta = document.createElement("meta");
-  meta.name = "discourse_current_homepage";
-  meta.content = "hot";
-  document.body.appendChild(meta);
-  setDefaultHomepage("top");
+QUnit.test("defaultHomepage via site settings", function(assert) {
+  this.siteSettings.top_menu = "top|latest|hot";
+  initializeDefaultHomepage(this.siteSettings);
   assert.equal(
-    meta.content,
+    defaultHomepage(),
     "top",
-    "default homepage set by setDefaultHomepage"
+    "default homepage is the first item in the top_menu site setting"
   );
-  document.body.removeChild(meta);
+});
+
+QUnit.test("setDefaultHomepage", function(assert) {
+  initializeDefaultHomepage(this.siteSettings);
+  assert.equal(defaultHomepage(), "latest");
+  setDefaultHomepage("top");
+  assert.equal(defaultHomepage(), "top");
 });
 
 QUnit.test("caretRowCol", assert => {