diff --git a/course/externallib.php b/course/externallib.php
index 32214693cbe..d19a5dfc765 100644
--- a/course/externallib.php
+++ b/course/externallib.php
@@ -1644,12 +1644,6 @@ class core_course_external extends external_api {
                 }
             }
 
-            // Check category depth is <= maxdepth (do not check for user who can manage categories).
-            if ((!empty($CFG->maxcategorydepth) && count($parents) > $CFG->maxcategorydepth)
-                    and !has_capability('moodle/category:manage', $context)) {
-                $excludedcats[$category->id] = 'depth';
-            }
-
             // Check the user can use the category context.
             $context = context_coursecat::instance($category->id);
             try {
diff --git a/course/tests/externallib_test.php b/course/tests/externallib_test.php
index 083e558e795..aebdf878657 100644
--- a/course/tests/externallib_test.php
+++ b/course/tests/externallib_test.php
@@ -278,8 +278,19 @@ class core_course_externallib_testcase extends externallib_advanced_testcase {
 
         $this->assertEquals($DB->count_records('course_categories'), count($categories));
 
-        // Call without required capability (it will fail cause of the search on idnumber).
         $this->unassignUserCapability('moodle/category:manage', $context->id, $roleid);
+
+        // Ensure maxdepthcategory is 2 and retrieve all categories without category:manage capability. It should retrieve all
+        // visible categories as well.
+        set_config('maxcategorydepth', 2);
+        $categories = core_course_external::get_categories();
+
+        // We need to execute the return values cleaning process to simulate the web service server.
+        $categories = external_api::clean_returnvalue(core_course_external::get_categories_returns(), $categories);
+
+        $this->assertEquals($DB->count_records('course_categories', array('visible' => 1)), count($categories));
+
+        // Call without required capability (it will fail cause of the search on idnumber).
         $this->expectException('moodle_exception');
         $categories = core_course_external::get_categories(array(
             array('key' => 'id', 'value' => $category1->id),