diff --git a/course/format/renderer.php b/course/format/renderer.php
index 33ab76e87ed..e9919a55b88 100644
--- a/course/format/renderer.php
+++ b/course/format/renderer.php
@@ -539,6 +539,11 @@ abstract class format_section_renderer_base extends plugin_renderer_base {
             } else {
                 // This will create a course section if it doesn't exist..
                 $thissection = get_course_section($section, $course->id);
+
+                // The returned section is only a bare database object rather than
+                // a section_info object - we will need at least the uservisible
+                // field in it.
+                $thissection->uservisible = true;
             }
             // Show the section if the user is permitted to access it, OR if it's not available
             // but showavailability is turned on
diff --git a/course/lib.php b/course/lib.php
index 2613ee5b145..c80f179b591 100644
--- a/course/lib.php
+++ b/course/lib.php
@@ -2751,8 +2751,10 @@ function get_course_section($section, $courseid) {
     $cw->summaryformat = FORMAT_HTML;
     $cw->sequence = "";
     $id = $DB->insert_record("course_sections", $cw);
+    rebuild_course_cache($courseid, true);
     return $DB->get_record("course_sections", array("id"=>$id));
 }
+
 /**
  * Given a full mod object with section and course already defined, adds this module to that section.
  *