diff --git a/course/pending.php b/course/pending.php
index 0f865386a8f..5de5ab42a4e 100644
--- a/course/pending.php
+++ b/course/pending.php
@@ -22,10 +22,13 @@
 
             // place at beginning of category
             fix_course_sortorder();
-            if (empty($CFG->defaultrequestedcategory)) {
-                $CFG->defaultrequestedcategory = 1; //yuk, but default to miscellaneous.
+
+            if (empty($CFG->defaultrequestcategory) or !record_exists('course_categories', 'id', $CFG->defaultrequestcategory)) {
+                // default to first top level directory, hacky but means things don't break
+                $CFG->defaultrequestcategory = get_field('course_categories', 'id', 'parent', '0');
             }
-            $course->category = $CFG->defaultrequestedcategory;
+
+            $course->category = $CFG->defaultrequestcategory;
             $course->sortorder = get_field_sql("SELECT min(sortorder)-1 FROM {$CFG->prefix}course WHERE category=$course->category");
             if (empty($course->sortorder)) {
                 $course->sortorder = 1000;