diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/edit-topic-status-update.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/edit-topic-status-update.js.es6
index de3b147324e..3dbeddeca51 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/edit-topic-status-update.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/edit-topic-status-update.js.es6
@@ -59,6 +59,11 @@ export default Ember.Controller.extend(ModalFunctionality, {
     return Ember.isEmpty(updateTime) || updateTimeInvalid || loading;
   },
 
+  @computed("model.visible")
+  excludeCategoryId(visible) {
+    if (visible) return this.get('model.category_id');
+  },
+
   @observes("topicStatusUpdate.execute_at", "topicStatusUpdate.duration")
   _setUpdateTime() {
     let time = null;
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/modal/edit-topic-status-update.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/modal/edit-topic-status-update.hbs
index 60e417f607c..8fca98f4132 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/modal/edit-topic-status-update.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/modal/edit-topic-status-update.hbs
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
       {{else if publishToCategory}}
         <div class="control-group">
           <label>{{i18n 'topic.topic_status_update.publish_to'}}</label>
-          {{category-chooser valueAttribute="id" value=categoryId excludeCategoryId=model.category_id}}
+          {{category-chooser valueAttribute="id" value=categoryId excludeCategoryId=excludeCategoryId}}
         </div>
 
         {{auto-update-input