diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/components/discuss_sidebar_category/discuss_sidebar_category.xml b/addons/mail/static/src/components/discuss_sidebar_category/discuss_sidebar_category.xml
index 70e7df02b5b..5e504302f17 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/components/discuss_sidebar_category/discuss_sidebar_category.xml
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/components/discuss_sidebar_category/discuss_sidebar_category.xml
@@ -2,57 +2,59 @@
 
 <templates xml:space="preserve">
     <t t-name="mail.DiscussSidebarCategory" owl="1">
-        <div class="o_DiscussSidebarCategory" t-attf-class="{{ className }}" t-att-data-category-local-id="category.localId" t-ref="root">
-            <div class="o_DiscussSidebarCategory_header">
-                <div class="o_DiscussSidebarCategory_title o_DiscussSidebarCategory_headerItem" t-on-click="category.onClick">
-                    <i class="o_DiscussSidebarCategory_titleIcon" t-att-class="category.isOpen ? 'fa fa-chevron-down' : 'fa fa-chevron-right'"/>
-                    <span class="o_DiscussSidebarCategory_titleText"><t t-esc="category.name"/></span>
-                </div>
-                <div class="o-autogrow o_DiscussSidebarCategory_headerItem"/>
-                <div class="o_DiscussSidebarCategory_commands o_DiscussSidebarCategory_headerItem">
-                    <t t-if="category.hasViewCommand">
-                        <i class="o_DiscussSidebarCategory_command o_DiscussSidebarCategory_commandView fa fa-cog" title="View or join channels" t-on-click="category.onClickCommandView" role="img"/>
-                    </t>
-                    <t t-if="category.hasAddCommand and category.isOpen">
-                        <i class="o_DiscussSidebarCategory_command o_DiscussSidebarCategory_commandAdd fa fa-plus" t-on-click="category.onClickCommandAdd" t-att-title="category.commandAddTitleText" role="img"/>
-                    </t>
-                </div>
-                <t t-if="!category.isOpen and category.counter > 0">
-                    <div class="o_DiscussSidebarCategory_counter o_DiscussSidebarCategory_headerItem badge badge-pill">
-                        <t t-esc="category.counter"/>
+        <t t-if="category">
+            <div class="o_DiscussSidebarCategory" t-attf-class="{{ className }}" t-att-data-category-local-id="category.localId" t-ref="root">
+                <div class="o_DiscussSidebarCategory_header">
+                    <div class="o_DiscussSidebarCategory_title o_DiscussSidebarCategory_headerItem" t-on-click="category.onClick">
+                        <i class="o_DiscussSidebarCategory_titleIcon" t-att-class="category.isOpen ? 'fa fa-chevron-down' : 'fa fa-chevron-right'"/>
+                        <span class="o_DiscussSidebarCategory_titleText"><t t-esc="category.name"/></span>
                     </div>
-                </t>
-            </div>
-            <div class="o_DiscussSidebarCategory_content">
-                <t t-if="category.isOpen">
-                    <t t-if="category.isAddingItem">
-                        <div class="o_DiscussSidebarCategory_addingItem d-flex mb-2">
-                            <AutocompleteInput
-                                className="'o_DiscussSidebarCategory_addingItemInput flex-grow-1'"
-                                customClass="category === messaging.discuss.categoryChannel ? 'o_DiscussSidebarCategory_newChannelAutocompleteSuggestions' : False"
-                                isFocusOnMount="true"
-                                isHtml="category === messaging.discuss.categoryChannel ? true : False"
-                                placeholder="category.newItemPlaceholderText"
-                                select="category.onAddItemAutocompleteSelect"
-                                source="category.onAddItemAutocompleteSource"
-                                onHide="category.onHideAddingItem"
-                            />
+                    <div class="o-autogrow o_DiscussSidebarCategory_headerItem"/>
+                    <div class="o_DiscussSidebarCategory_commands o_DiscussSidebarCategory_headerItem">
+                        <t t-if="category.hasViewCommand">
+                            <i class="o_DiscussSidebarCategory_command o_DiscussSidebarCategory_commandView fa fa-cog" title="View or join channels" t-on-click="category.onClickCommandView" role="img"/>
+                        </t>
+                        <t t-if="category.hasAddCommand and category.isOpen">
+                            <i class="o_DiscussSidebarCategory_command o_DiscussSidebarCategory_commandAdd fa fa-plus" t-on-click="category.onClickCommandAdd" t-att-title="category.commandAddTitleText" role="img"/>
+                        </t>
+                    </div>
+                    <t t-if="!category.isOpen and category.counter > 0">
+                        <div class="o_DiscussSidebarCategory_counter o_DiscussSidebarCategory_headerItem badge badge-pill">
+                            <t t-esc="category.counter"/>
                         </div>
                     </t>
-                    <t t-foreach="category.filteredCategoryItems" t-as="item" t-key="item.localId">
+                </div>
+                <div class="o_DiscussSidebarCategory_content">
+                    <t t-if="category.isOpen">
+                        <t t-if="category.isAddingItem">
+                            <div class="o_DiscussSidebarCategory_addingItem d-flex mb-2">
+                                <AutocompleteInput
+                                    className="'o_DiscussSidebarCategory_addingItemInput flex-grow-1'"
+                                    customClass="category === messaging.discuss.categoryChannel ? 'o_DiscussSidebarCategory_newChannelAutocompleteSuggestions' : False"
+                                    isFocusOnMount="true"
+                                    isHtml="category === messaging.discuss.categoryChannel ? true : False"
+                                    placeholder="category.newItemPlaceholderText"
+                                    select="category.onAddItemAutocompleteSelect"
+                                    source="category.onAddItemAutocompleteSource"
+                                    onHide="category.onHideAddingItem"
+                                />
+                            </div>
+                        </t>
+                        <t t-foreach="category.filteredCategoryItems" t-as="item" t-key="item.localId">
+                            <DiscussSidebarCategoryItem
+                                className="'o_DiscussSidebarCategory_item'"
+                                localId="item.localId"
+                            />
+                        </t>
+                    </t>
+                    <t t-if="!category.isOpen and category.activeItem">
                         <DiscussSidebarCategoryItem
                             className="'o_DiscussSidebarCategory_item'"
-                            localId="item.localId"
+                            localId="category.activeItem.localId"
                         />
                     </t>
-                </t>
-                <t t-if="!category.isOpen and category.activeItem">
-                    <DiscussSidebarCategoryItem
-                        className="'o_DiscussSidebarCategory_item'"
-                        localId="category.activeItem.localId"
-                    />
-                </t>
+                </div>
             </div>
-        </div>
+        </t>
     </t>
 </templates>