diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/models/topic-list.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/models/topic-list.js
index bb56578ce17..93ca8a55f9d 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/models/topic-list.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/models/topic-list.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { isEmpty } from "@ember/utils";
 import { Promise } from "rsvp";
 import { ajax } from "discourse/lib/ajax";
 import RestModel from "discourse/models/rest";
+import Site from "discourse/models/site";
 import User from "discourse/models/user";
 import deprecated from "discourse-common/lib/deprecated";
 import { getOwnerWithFallback } from "discourse-common/lib/get-owner";
@@ -168,6 +169,12 @@ TopicList.reopenClass({
     const users = extractByKey(result.users, User);
     const groups = extractByKey(result.primary_groups, EmberObject);
 
+    if (result.topic_list.categories) {
+      result.topic_list.categories.forEach((c) => {
+        Site.current().updateCategory(c);
+      });
+    }
+
     return result.topic_list[listKey].map((t) => {
       t.posters.forEach((p) => {
         p.user = users[p.user_id];
diff --git a/app/models/topic_list.rb b/app/models/topic_list.rb
index de50712dc79..4e021e87369 100644
--- a/app/models/topic_list.rb
+++ b/app/models/topic_list.rb
@@ -76,6 +76,10 @@ class TopicList
     @topics ||= load_topics
   end
 
+  def categories
+    @categories ||= topics.map { |t| [t.category, t.category.parent_category] }.uniq.flatten.compact
+  end
+
   def load_topics
     @topics = @topics_input
 
@@ -128,7 +132,12 @@ class TopicList
       ft.topic_list = self
     end
 
-    topic_preloader_associations = [:image_upload, { topic_thumbnails: :optimized_image }]
+    topic_preloader_associations = [
+      :image_upload,
+      { topic_thumbnails: :optimized_image },
+      { category: :parent_category },
+    ]
+
     topic_preloader_associations.concat(DiscoursePluginRegistry.topic_preloader_associations.to_a)
 
     ActiveRecord::Associations::Preloader.new(
diff --git a/app/serializers/topic_category_serializer.rb b/app/serializers/topic_category_serializer.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e2961eb84c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/serializers/topic_category_serializer.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+class TopicCategorySerializer < ApplicationSerializer
+  attributes :id,
+             :name,
+             :color,
+             :text_color,
+             :slug,
+             :description_text,
+             :read_restricted,
+             :parent_category_id
+
+  def include_parent_category_id?
+    parent_category_id
+  end
+
+  def name
+    if object.uncategorized?
+      I18n.t("uncategorized_category_name", locale: SiteSetting.default_locale)
+    else
+      object.name
+    end
+  end
+
+  def description_text
+    if object.uncategorized?
+      I18n.t("category.uncategorized_description", locale: SiteSetting.default_locale)
+    else
+      object.description_text
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/serializers/topic_list_serializer.rb b/app/serializers/topic_list_serializer.rb
index 5e78f344a3e..814118877d9 100644
--- a/app/serializers/topic_list_serializer.rb
+++ b/app/serializers/topic_list_serializer.rb
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ class TopicListSerializer < ApplicationSerializer
   has_many :topics, serializer: TopicListItemSerializer, embed: :objects
   has_many :shared_drafts, serializer: TopicListItemSerializer, embed: :objects
   has_many :tags, serializer: TagSerializer, embed: :objects
+  has_many :categories, serializer: TopicCategorySerializer, embed: :objects
 
   def can_create_topic
     scope.can_create?(Topic)
@@ -36,4 +37,8 @@ class TopicListSerializer < ApplicationSerializer
   def include_tags?
     SiteSetting.tagging_enabled && object.tags.present?
   end
+
+  def include_categories?
+    SiteSetting.lazy_load_categories
+  end
 end
diff --git a/config/site_settings.yml b/config/site_settings.yml
index 307624f556a..bab5c11bae8 100644
--- a/config/site_settings.yml
+++ b/config/site_settings.yml
@@ -2174,6 +2174,9 @@ developer:
   instrument_gc_stat_per_request:
     default: false
     hidden: true
+  lazy_load_categories:
+    default: false
+    hidden: true
 
 navigation:
   navigation_menu:
diff --git a/spec/requests/list_controller_spec.rb b/spec/requests/list_controller_spec.rb
index dae18310b1c..0590c26a648 100644
--- a/spec/requests/list_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/list_controller_spec.rb
@@ -223,6 +223,38 @@ RSpec.describe ListController do
         expect(response.body).not_to include(restricted_tag.name)
       end
     end
+
+    context "with lazy_load_categories" do
+      fab!(:category) { Fabricate(:category) }
+      fab!(:subcategory) { Fabricate(:category, parent_category: category) }
+
+      before { topic.update!(category: subcategory) }
+
+      it "returns categories and parent categories if true" do
+        SiteSetting.lazy_load_categories = true
+
+        get "/latest.json"
+
+        expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+        expect(response.parsed_body["topic_list"]["topics"].length).to eq(1)
+        expect(response.parsed_body["topic_list"]["topics"][0]["id"]).to eq(topic.id)
+        expect(response.parsed_body["topic_list"]["categories"].length).to eq(2)
+        expect(
+          response.parsed_body["topic_list"]["categories"].map { |c| c["id"] },
+        ).to contain_exactly(category.id, subcategory.id)
+      end
+
+      it "does not return categories if not true" do
+        SiteSetting.lazy_load_categories = false
+
+        get "/latest.json"
+
+        expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+        expect(response.parsed_body["topic_list"]["topics"].length).to eq(1)
+        expect(response.parsed_body["topic_list"]["topics"][0]["id"]).to eq(topic.id)
+        expect(response.parsed_body["topic_list"]["categories"]).to eq(nil)
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   describe "categories and X" do