diff --git a/bug_report_page.php b/bug_report_page.php
index e0674ab52e..bcaf8bf563 100644
--- a/bug_report_page.php
+++ b/bug_report_page.php
@@ -260,11 +260,12 @@
 	event_signal( 'EVENT_REPORT_BUG_FORM_TOP', array( $t_project_id ) );
 
 	if( $t_show_category ) {
+		$t_allow_no_category = config_get( 'allow_no_category' );
 ?>
 	<tr>
 		<th class="category" width="30%">
 			<?php
-			echo config_get( 'allow_no_category' ) ? '' : '<span class="required">*</span> ';
+			echo $t_allow_no_category ? '' : '<span class="required">*</span> ';
 			echo '<label for="category_id">';
 			print_documentation_link( 'category' );
 			echo '</label>';
@@ -274,14 +275,18 @@
 			<?php if( $t_changed_project ) {
 				echo '[' . project_get_field( $t_bug->project_id, 'name' ) . '] ';
 			} ?>
-			<select <?php echo helper_get_tab_index() ?> id="category_id" name="category_id" class="autofocus input-sm">
+			<select id="category_id" name="category_id" class="autofocus input-sm" <?php
+				echo helper_get_tab_index();
+				echo $t_allow_no_category ? '' : ' required';
+			?>>
 				<?php
 					print_category_option_list( $f_category_id );
 				?>
 			</select>
 		</td>
 	</tr>
-<?php }
+<?php
+	}
 
 	if( $t_show_reproducibility ) {
 ?>
diff --git a/core/print_api.php b/core/print_api.php
index 101b22cf1e..99c5992d3b 100644
--- a/core/print_api.php
+++ b/core/print_api.php
@@ -759,25 +759,32 @@ function print_category_option_list( $p_category_id = 0, $p_project_id = null )
 		echo '<option value="0"';
 		check_selected( $p_category_id, 0 );
 		echo '>';
-		echo category_full_name( 0, false ), '</option>';
+		echo category_full_name( 0, false );
+		echo '</option>', PHP_EOL;
 	} else {
 		if( 0 == $p_category_id ) {
 			if( count( $t_cat_arr ) == 1 ) {
 				$p_category_id = (int) $t_cat_arr[0]['id'];
 			} else {
-				echo '<option value="0"';
-				echo check_selected( $p_category_id, 0 );
+				echo '<option value="0" disabled hidden';
+				check_selected( $p_category_id, 0 );
 				echo '>';
-				echo string_attribute( lang_get( 'select_option' ) ) . '</option>';
+				echo string_attribute( lang_get( 'select_option' ) );
+				echo '</option>', PHP_EOL;
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
 	foreach( $t_cat_arr as $t_category_row ) {
 		$t_category_id = (int)$t_category_row['id'];
+		$t_category_name = category_full_name(
+			$t_category_id,
+			$t_category_row['project_id'] != $t_project_id
+		);
 		echo '<option value="' . $t_category_id . '"';
 		check_selected( $p_category_id, $t_category_id );
-		echo '>' . string_attribute( category_full_name( $t_category_id, $t_category_row['project_id'] != $t_project_id ) ) . '</option>';
+		echo '>';
+		echo string_attribute( $t_category_name ), '</option>', PHP_EOL;
 	}
 }