diff --git a/lib/navigationlib.php b/lib/navigationlib.php
index cd8d996096a..eb6661fae2c 100644
--- a/lib/navigationlib.php
+++ b/lib/navigationlib.php
@@ -3088,12 +3088,14 @@ class navbar extends navigation_node {
         } else if ($this->hasitems !== false) {
             return true;
         }
-        $this->page->navigation->initialise($this->page);
-
-        $activenodefound = ($this->page->navigation->contains_active_node() ||
-                            $this->page->settingsnav->contains_active_node());
-
-        $outcome = (count($this->children) > 0 || count($this->prependchildren) || (!$this->ignoreactive && $activenodefound));
+        if (count($this->children) > 0 || count($this->prependchildren) > 0) {
+            // There have been manually added items - there are definitely items.
+            $outcome = true;
+        } else if (!$this->ignoreactive) {
+            // We will need to initialise the navigation structure to check if there are active items.
+            $this->page->navigation->initialise($this->page);
+            $outcome = ($this->page->navigation->contains_active_node() || $this->page->settingsnav->contains_active_node());
+        }
         $this->hasitems = $outcome;
         return $outcome;
     }
@@ -3148,11 +3150,10 @@ class navbar extends navigation_node {
             $items = array_reverse($this->children);
         }
 
-        $navigationactivenode = $this->page->navigation->find_active_node();
-        $settingsactivenode = $this->page->settingsnav->find_active_node();
-
         // Check if navigation contains the active node
         if (!$this->ignoreactive) {
+            $navigationactivenode = $this->page->navigation->find_active_node();
+            $settingsactivenode = $this->page->settingsnav->find_active_node();
 
             if ($navigationactivenode && $settingsactivenode) {
                 // Parse a combined navigation tree
diff --git a/login/index.php b/login/index.php
index 587eb0efec4..ab2b802f153 100644
--- a/login/index.php
+++ b/login/index.php
@@ -93,6 +93,10 @@ foreach($authsequence as $authname) {
 /// Define variables used in page
 $site = get_site();
 
+// Ignore any active pages in the navigation/settings.
+// We do this because there won't be an active page there, and by ignoring the active pages the
+// navigation and settings won't be initialised unless something else needs them.
+$PAGE->navbar->ignore_active();
 $loginsite = get_string("loginsite");
 $PAGE->navbar->add($loginsite);