diff --git a/app/serializers/category_serializer.rb b/app/serializers/category_serializer.rb
index 583ee138651..6fb52855cd3 100644
--- a/app/serializers/category_serializer.rb
+++ b/app/serializers/category_serializer.rb
@@ -81,6 +81,10 @@ class CategorySerializer < SiteCategorySerializer
     scope && scope.can_edit?(object)
   end
 
+  def include_notification_level?
+    scope && scope.user
+  end
+
   def notification_level
     user = scope && scope.user
     object.notification_level ||
diff --git a/spec/models/category_spec.rb b/spec/models/category_spec.rb
index f122673c0a9..cab079d3cc0 100644
--- a/spec/models/category_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/category_spec.rb
@@ -1134,6 +1134,24 @@ describe Category do
     end
   end
 
+  describe "messageBus" do
+    it "does not publish notification level when publishing to /categories" do
+      category = Fabricate(:category)
+      category.name = "Amazing category"
+      messages = MessageBus.track_publish("/categories") do
+        category.save!
+      end
+
+      expect(messages.length).to eq(1)
+      message = messages.first
+
+      category_hash = message.data[:categories].first
+
+      expect(category_hash[:name]).to eq(category.name)
+      expect(category_hash.key?(:notification_level)).to eq(false)
+    end
+  end
+
   describe "#ensure_consistency!" do
     it "creates category topic" do
 
diff --git a/spec/serializers/category_serializer_spec.rb b/spec/serializers/category_serializer_spec.rb
index e2a3399990b..9e81726f555 100644
--- a/spec/serializers/category_serializer_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/serializers/category_serializer_spec.rb
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ describe CategorySerializer do
     expect(json[:custom_fields]).to be_present
   end
 
-  it "includes the default notification level" do
+  it "does not include the default notification level when there is no user" do
     json = described_class.new(category, scope: Guardian.new, root: false).as_json
-    expect(json[:notification_level]).to eq(CategoryUser.default_notification_level)
+    expect(json.key?(:notification_level)).to eq(false)
   end
 
   describe "user notification level" do