diff --git a/etemplate/inc/class.etemplate_widget_tree.inc.php b/etemplate/inc/class.etemplate_widget_tree.inc.php
index ccb892e868..e65e3bcdbc 100644
--- a/etemplate/inc/class.etemplate_widget_tree.inc.php
+++ b/etemplate/inc/class.etemplate_widget_tree.inc.php
@@ -125,6 +125,20 @@ class etemplate_widget_tree extends etemplate_widget
 		return false;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Check if given $id is cat_id attribute of one of given array members
+	 *
+	 * @param int $id
+	 * @param array $cats
+	 * @return boolean
+	 */
+	public static function in_cats($id, array $cats)
+	{
+		return (boolean)array_filter($cats, function($cat) use($id){
+			return $cat['id'] == $id;
+		});
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Validate input
 	 *
@@ -149,7 +163,7 @@ class etemplate_widget_tree extends etemplate_widget
 				$allowed += self::selOptions($form_name);
 				foreach((array) $value as $val)
 				{
-					if ($this->type == 'tree-cat' && !($this->attrs['multiple'] && !$val) && !isset($allowed[$val]) ||
+					if ($this->type == 'tree-cat' && !($this->attrs['multiple'] && !$val) && !self::in_cats($val, $allowed) ||
 						$this->type == 'tree' && !self::in_tree($val, $allowed))
 					{
 						self::set_validation_error($form_name,lang("'%1' is NOT allowed%2)!", $val,
@@ -169,7 +183,7 @@ class etemplate_widget_tree extends etemplate_widget
 				self::set_validation_error($form_name,lang('Field must not be empty !!!',$value),'');
 			}
 			$valid =& self::get_array($validated, $form_name, true);
-			$valid = $value;
+			if (true) $valid = $value;
 			//error_log(__METHOD__."() $form_name: ".array2string($value_in).' --> '.array2string($value).', allowed='.array2string($allowed));
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/etemplate/js/et2_widget_tree.js b/etemplate/js/et2_widget_tree.js
index 4a253ddf40..f48cea78d0 100644
--- a/etemplate/js/et2_widget_tree.js
+++ b/etemplate/js/et2_widget_tree.js
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ var et2_tree = et2_inputWidget.extend(
 
 			// Try again according to ID
 			if(!content_options) content_options = this.getArrayMgr("sel_options").getEntry(this.id);
-			if(_attrs["select_options"] && content_options)
+			if(_attrs["select_options"] && !jQuery.isEmptyObject(_attrs["select_options"]) && content_options)
 			{
 				_attrs["select_options"] = jQuery.extend({},_attrs["select_options"],content_options);
 			} else if (content_options) {
@@ -250,10 +250,11 @@ var et2_tree = et2_inputWidget.extend(
 		}
 
 		// Structure data for category tree
-		if(this._type == 'tree-cat' && !jQuery.isArray(options)) {
+		if(this._type == 'tree-cat')
+		{
 			var data = {id:0,item:[]};
-			var stack = [];
-			for(var key in options)
+			var stack = {};
+			for(var key=0; key < options.length; key++)
 			{
 				// See if item has an icon
 				if(options[key].data && typeof options[key].data.icon !== 'undefined' && options[key].data.icon)