diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/discourse-categorydrop.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/discourse-categorydrop.js.handlebars
index c586619cc83..c7431539092 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/discourse-categorydrop.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/discourse-categorydrop.js.handlebars
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {{#if category}}
-  {{boundCategoryLink category}}
+  {{boundCategoryLink category allowUncategorized=true}}
 {{else}}
   <a href='/' class='badge-category home' {{bindAttr style="badgeStyle"}}><i class='icon icon-home'></i></a>
 {{/if}}
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@
 {{#if categories}}
   <a href='#' {{action expand}} class='badge-category category-dropdown-button' {{bindAttr style="badgeStyle"}}><i {{bindAttr class="iconClass"}}></i></a>
   <section {{bindAttr class="expanded::hidden :category-dropdown-menu"}} class='chooser'>
-    {{#each categories}}
-      <div class='cat'>{{categoryLink this}}</div>
-    {{/each}}
+    {{#each categories}}<div class='cat'>{{categoryLink this allowUncategorized=true}}</div>{{/each}}
   </section>
 {{/if}}
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/header.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/header.js.handlebars
index c3790dde11c..f5cc6a7422c 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/header.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/header.js.handlebars
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@
 
           {{#each categories}}
             <li class='category'>
-              {{categoryLink this}}
+              {{categoryLink this allowUncategorized=true}}
               <b>{{unbound topic_count}}</b></a>
             </li>
           {{/each}}