diff --git a/lib/modinfolib.php b/lib/modinfolib.php
index 4aa3d6aa7f6..e0725f8120a 100644
--- a/lib/modinfolib.php
+++ b/lib/modinfolib.php
@@ -244,6 +244,10 @@ class course_modinfo extends stdClass {
     public function __construct($course, $userid) {
         global $CFG, $DB, $COURSE, $SITE;
 
+        if (!isset($course->modinfo) || !isset($course->sectioncache)) {
+            $course = get_course($course->id, false);
+        }
+
         // Check modinfo field is set. If not, build and load it.
         if (empty($course->modinfo) || empty($course->sectioncache)) {
             rebuild_course_cache($course->id);
@@ -1388,7 +1392,7 @@ function get_fast_modinfo($courseorid, $userid = 0, $resetonly = false) {
     if (is_object($courseorid)) {
         $course = $courseorid;
     } else {
-        $course = (object)array('id' => $courseorid, 'modinfo' => null, 'sectioncache' => null);
+        $course = (object)array('id' => $courseorid);
     }
 
     // Function is called with $reset = true
@@ -1419,14 +1423,6 @@ function get_fast_modinfo($courseorid, $userid = 0, $resetonly = false) {
         }
     }
 
-    if (!property_exists($course, 'modinfo')) {
-        debugging('Coding problem - missing course modinfo property in get_fast_modinfo() call');
-    }
-
-    if (!property_exists($course, 'sectioncache')) {
-        debugging('Coding problem - missing course sectioncache property in get_fast_modinfo() call');
-    }
-
     unset($cache[$course->id]); // prevent potential reference problems when switching users
 
     $cache[$course->id] = new course_modinfo($course, $userid);