diff --git a/addons/website_sale/controllers/main.py b/addons/website_sale/controllers/main.py
index 17c7f3a574a..caa9aad7846 100644
--- a/addons/website_sale/controllers/main.py
+++ b/addons/website_sale/controllers/main.py
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ class Ecommerce(http.Controller):
             'range': range,
             'search': {
                 'search': search,
-                'category': category,
+                'category': category and category.id,
                 'filters': filters,
             },
             'pager': pager,
diff --git a/addons/website_sale/views/website_sale.xml b/addons/website_sale/views/website_sale.xml
index c4e25644e1d..ae740484537 100644
--- a/addons/website_sale/views/website_sale.xml
+++ b/addons/website_sale/views/website_sale.xml
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 <!-- List of categories -->
 
 <template id="categories_recursive" name="Category list">
-  <li t-att-class="str(category.id) == search.get('category') and 'active' or ''">
+  <li t-att-class="category.id == search.get('category') and 'active' or ''">
       <a t-href="/shop/category/#{ slug(category) }/" t-field="category.name"></a>
       <ul t-if="category.child_id" class="nav nav-pills nav-stacked nav-hierarchy">
           <t t-foreach="category.child_id" t-as="category">