diff --git a/course/edit.php b/course/edit.php
index c549cc1..1fadcc5 100644
--- a/course/edit.php
+++ b/course/edit.php
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ if ($editform->is_cancelled()) {
         }
     } else {
         // Save any changes to the files used in the editor
-        update_course($data, $editoroptions);
+        update_course($data, $editoroptions,$categoryid!=$category->id);
     }
 
     // Redirect user to newly created/updated course.
diff --git a/course/lib.php b/course/lib.php
index 6ed5bb5..75ff3d6 100644
--- a/course/lib.php
+++ b/course/lib.php
@@ -2345,9 +2345,11 @@ function create_course($data, $editoroptions = NULL) {
  *
  * @param object $data  - all the data needed for an entry in the 'course' table
  * @param array $editoroptions course description editor options
+ * @param boolean $update_sortorder set to false if the caller *knows* we have not changed
+        sort order, thus skipping expensive call to fix_course_sortorder()
  * @return void
  */
-function update_course($data, $editoroptions = NULL) {
+function update_course($data, $editoroptions = NULL, $update_sortorder=true) {
     global $CFG, $DB;
 
     $data->timemodified = time();
@@ -2402,7 +2404,9 @@ function update_course($data, $editoroptions = NULL) {
         context_moved($context, $newparent);
     }
 
-    fix_course_sortorder();
+    if($update_sortorder){
+        fix_course_sortorder();
+    }
     // purge appropriate caches in case fix_course_sortorder() did not change anything
     cache_helper::purge_by_event('changesincourse');
     if ($changesincoursecat) {