diff --git a/enrol/imsenterprise/lib.php b/enrol/imsenterprise/lib.php
index f9ac4cad75d..43db0f39023 100644
--- a/enrol/imsenterprise/lib.php
+++ b/enrol/imsenterprise/lib.php
@@ -415,10 +415,10 @@ function process_group_tag($tagcontents) {
                         } else {
                             // If not found and not allowed to create, stick with default
                             $this->log_line('Category '.$group->category.' not found in Moodle database, so using default category instead.');
-                            $course->category = 1;
+                            $course->category = $this->get_default_category_id();
                         }
                     } else {
-                        $course->category = 1;
+                        $course->category = $this->get_default_category_id();
                     }
                     $course->timecreated = time();
                     $course->startdate = time();
@@ -834,6 +834,27 @@ function load_role_mappings() {
     }
 
 
+    /**
+     * Get the default category id (often known as 'Miscellaneous'),
+     * statically cached to avoid multiple DB lookups on big imports.
+     *
+     * @return int id of default category.
+     */
+    private function get_default_category_id() {
+        global $CFG;
+        require_once($CFG->libdir.'/coursecatlib.php');
+
+        static $defaultcategoryid = null;
+
+        if ($defaultcategoryid === null) {
+            $category = coursecat::get_default();
+            $defaultcategoryid = $category->id;
+        }
+
+        return $defaultcategoryid;
+    }
+
+
 } // end of class
 
 
diff --git a/enrol/imsenterprise/tests/imsenterprise_test.php b/enrol/imsenterprise/tests/imsenterprise_test.php
index a49ba89e961..f160955fb19 100644
--- a/enrol/imsenterprise/tests/imsenterprise_test.php
+++ b/enrol/imsenterprise/tests/imsenterprise_test.php
@@ -153,6 +153,32 @@ class enrol_imsenterprise_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
         $this->assertEquals(($prevncourses + 2), $DB->count_records('course'));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Add new course without a category.
+     */
+    public function test_course_add_default_category() {
+        global $DB, $CFG;
+        require_once($CFG->libdir.'/coursecatlib.php');
+
+        $this->imsplugin->set_config('createnewcategories', false);
+
+        // Delete the default category, to ensure the plugin handles this gracefully.
+        $defaultcat = coursecat::get_default();
+        $defaultcat->delete_full(false);
+
+        // Create an course with the IMS plugin without a category.
+        $course1 = new stdClass();
+        $course1->idnumber = 'id1';
+        $course1->imsshort = 'id1';
+        $course1->category = '';
+        $this->set_xml_file(false, array($course1));
+        $this->imsplugin->cron();
+
+        // Check the course has been created.
+        $dbcourse = $DB->get_record('course', array('idnumber' => $course1->idnumber), '*', MUST_EXIST);
+        // Check that it belongs to a category which exists.
+        $this->assertTrue($DB->record_exists('course_categories', array('id' => $dbcourse->category)));
+    }
 
     /**
      * Course attributes mapping to IMS enterprise group description tags