diff --git a/lib/navigationlib.php b/lib/navigationlib.php
index 40a453e459b..a4e392e7475 100644
--- a/lib/navigationlib.php
+++ b/lib/navigationlib.php
@@ -3016,6 +3016,7 @@ class navbar extends navigation_node {
      * @return array
      */
     public function get_items() {
+        global $CFG;
         $items = array();
         // Make sure that navigation is initialised
         if (!$this->has_items()) {
@@ -3052,6 +3053,9 @@ class navbar extends navigation_node {
                     if (!$navigationactivenode->mainnavonly) {
                         $items[] = $navigationactivenode;
                     }
+                    if (!empty($CFG->navshowcategories) && $navigationactivenode->type === self::TYPE_COURSE && $navigationactivenode->parent->key === 'currentcourse') {
+                        $items = array_merge($items, $this->get_course_categories());
+                    }
                     $navigationactivenode = $navigationactivenode->parent;
                 }
             } else if ($navigationactivenode) {
@@ -3060,6 +3064,9 @@ class navbar extends navigation_node {
                     if (!$navigationactivenode->mainnavonly) {
                         $items[] = $navigationactivenode;
                     }
+                    if (!empty($CFG->navshowcategories) && $navigationactivenode->type === self::TYPE_COURSE && $navigationactivenode->parent->key === 'currentcourse') {
+                        $items = array_merge($items, $this->get_course_categories());
+                    }
                     $navigationactivenode = $navigationactivenode->parent;
                 }
             } else if ($settingsactivenode) {
@@ -3084,6 +3091,29 @@ class navbar extends navigation_node {
         return $this->items;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Get the list of categories leading to this course.
+     *
+     * This function is used by {@link navbar::get_items()} to add back the "courses"
+     * node and category chain leading to the current course.  Note that this is only ever
+     * called for the current course, so we don't need to bother taking in any parameters.
+     *
+     * @return array
+     */
+    private function get_course_categories() {
+        $categories = array();
+        $id = $this->page->course->category;
+        while ($id) {
+            $category = get_course_category($id);
+            $url = new moodle_url('/course/category.php', array('id' => $id));
+            $name = format_string($category->name, true, context_coursecat::instance($category->id));
+            $categories[] = navigation_node::create($name, $url, self::TYPE_CATEGORY, null, $id);
+            $id = $category->parent;
+        }
+        $categories[] = $this->page->navigation->get('courses');
+        return $categories;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Add a new navigation_node to the navbar, overrides parent::add
      *