diff --git a/administrator/components/com_categories/models/fields/categoryedit.php b/administrator/components/com_categories/models/fields/categoryedit.php
index a3b47f43c7051..581f038320c24 100644
--- a/administrator/components/com_categories/models/fields/categoryedit.php
+++ b/administrator/components/com_categories/models/fields/categoryedit.php
@@ -232,18 +232,13 @@ protected function getOptions()
 				}
 			}
 
-			if ($options[$i]->level != 0)
-			{
-				$options[$i]->level = $options[$i]->level -1;
-			}
-
 			if ($options[$i]->published == 1)
 			{
-				$options[$i]->text = str_repeat('- ', $options[$i]->level) . $options[$i]->text;
+				$options[$i]->text = str_repeat('- ', !$options[$i]->level ? 0 : $options[$i]->level - 1) . $options[$i]->text;
 			}
 			else
 			{
-				$options[$i]->text = str_repeat('- ', $options[$i]->level) . '[' . $options[$i]->text . ']';
+				$options[$i]->text = str_repeat('- ', !$options[$i]->level ? 0 : $options[$i]->level - 1) . '[' . $options[$i]->text . ']';
 			}
 
 			// Displays language code if not set to All