diff --git a/app/controllers/list_controller.rb b/app/controllers/list_controller.rb
index c03b760e09b..2f7740d1c85 100644
--- a/app/controllers/list_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/list_controller.rb
@@ -83,7 +83,9 @@ class ListController < ApplicationController
   end
 
   def request_is_for_uncategorized?
-    params[:category] == Slug.for(SiteSetting.uncategorized_name) || params[:category] == SiteSetting.uncategorized_name
+    params[:category] == Slug.for(SiteSetting.uncategorized_name) ||
+      params[:category] == SiteSetting.uncategorized_name ||
+      params[:category] == 'uncategorized'
   end
 
   def build_topic_list_options
diff --git a/spec/controllers/list_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/list_controller_spec.rb
index c8a5a74c4b3..1f24d374d97 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/list_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/list_controller_spec.rb
@@ -85,10 +85,20 @@ describe ListController do
         response.should be_success
       end
 
-      it "responds with success when SiteSetting.uncategorized_name is non standard" do
-        SiteSetting.uncategorized_name = "testing"
-        xhr :get, :category, category: SiteSetting.uncategorized_name
-        response.should be_success
+      context 'SiteSetting.uncategorized_name is non standard' do
+        before do
+          SiteSetting.stubs(:uncategorized_name).returns('testing')
+        end
+
+        it "responds with success given SiteSetting.uncategorized_name" do
+          xhr :get, :category, category: SiteSetting.uncategorized_name
+          response.should be_success
+        end
+
+        it 'responds with success given "uncategorized"' do
+          xhr :get, :category, category: 'uncategorized'
+          response.should be_success
+        end
       end
     end