diff --git a/lib/topic_query.rb b/lib/topic_query.rb
index 134e50fb607..123e47f348b 100644
--- a/lib/topic_query.rb
+++ b/lib/topic_query.rb
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ class TopicQuery
           c.id
         FROM categories c
         #{has_sub_sub_categories ? "LEFT JOIN categories parent_categories ON parent_categories.id = c.parent_category_id" : ""}
-        WHERE (c.parent_category_id IS NULL AND c.id IN (#{tracked_category_ids_sql}))
+        WHERE (c.id IN (#{tracked_category_ids_sql}))
         OR c.parent_category_id IN (#{tracked_category_ids_sql})
         #{has_sub_sub_categories ? "OR (parent_categories.id IS NOT NULL AND parent_categories.parent_category_id IN (#{tracked_category_ids_sql}))" : ""}
       )
diff --git a/spec/lib/topic_query_spec.rb b/spec/lib/topic_query_spec.rb
index 66a12cb294c..37275cb3e87 100644
--- a/spec/lib/topic_query_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/topic_query_spec.rb
@@ -197,24 +197,34 @@ describe TopicQuery do
       sub_category = Fabricate(:category, parent_category_id: parent_category.id)
       topic3 = Fabricate(:topic, category_id: sub_category.id)
 
+      parent_category_2 = Fabricate(:category)
+      sub_category_2 = Fabricate(:category, parent_category: parent_category_2)
+      topic4 = Fabricate(:topic, category: sub_category_2)
+
       CategoryUser.create!(
         category_id: parent_category.id,
         user_id: user.id,
         notification_level: NotificationLevels.all[:tracking]
       )
 
-      query = TopicQuery.new(user, filter: 'tracked').list_latest
-
-      expect(query.topics.map(&:id)).to contain_exactly(topic.id, topic2.id, topic3.id)
-
-      # includes sub-subcategories of tracked categories
-      SiteSetting.max_category_nesting = 3
-      sub_sub_category = Fabricate(:category, parent_category_id: sub_category.id)
-      topic4 = Fabricate(:topic, category_id: sub_sub_category.id)
+      CategoryUser.create!(
+        category_id: sub_category_2.id,
+        user_id: user.id,
+        notification_level: NotificationLevels.all[:tracking]
+      )
 
       query = TopicQuery.new(user, filter: 'tracked').list_latest
 
       expect(query.topics.map(&:id)).to contain_exactly(topic.id, topic2.id, topic3.id, topic4.id)
+
+      # includes sub-subcategories of tracked categories
+      SiteSetting.max_category_nesting = 3
+      sub_sub_category = Fabricate(:category, parent_category_id: sub_category.id)
+      topic5 = Fabricate(:topic, category_id: sub_sub_category.id)
+
+      query = TopicQuery.new(user, filter: 'tracked').list_latest
+
+      expect(query.topics.map(&:id)).to contain_exactly(topic.id, topic2.id, topic3.id, topic4.id, topic5.id)
     end
   end