diff --git a/src/app/core/store/shopping/categories/categories.effects.ts b/src/app/core/store/shopping/categories/categories.effects.ts
index 694b67eb8e..3dd5f95dbb 100644
--- a/src/app/core/store/shopping/categories/categories.effects.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/store/shopping/categories/categories.effects.ts
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ export class CategoriesEffects {
         personalizationStatusDetermined
       ),
       switchMap(() =>
-        this.categoryService.getTopLevelCategories(this.mainNavigationMaxSubCategoriesDepth).pipe(
+        this.categoryService.getTopLevelCategories(SSR ? 0 : this.mainNavigationMaxSubCategoriesDepth).pipe(
           map(categories => loadTopLevelCategoriesSuccess({ categories })),
           mapErrorToAction(loadTopLevelCategoriesFail)
         )
diff --git a/src/app/shell/header/header-navigation/header-navigation.component.html b/src/app/shell/header/header-navigation/header-navigation.component.html
index 1325a9471a..80289cc619 100644
--- a/src/app/shell/header/header-navigation/header-navigation.component.html
+++ b/src/app/shell/header/header-navigation/header-navigation.component.html
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
     >
       {{ category.name }}
     </a>
-    <ng-container *ngIf="0 < mainNavigationMaxSubCategoriesDepth && category.hasChildren">
+    <ng-container *ngIf="!SSR && mainNavigationMaxSubCategoriesDepth > 0 && category.hasChildren">
       <a
         class="dropdown-toggle"
         (click)="toggleOpen(category.uniqueId)"
diff --git a/src/app/shell/header/header-navigation/header-navigation.component.ts b/src/app/shell/header/header-navigation/header-navigation.component.ts
index 4dce205398..d54b7c87a2 100644
--- a/src/app/shell/header/header-navigation/header-navigation.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/shell/header/header-navigation/header-navigation.component.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ export class HeaderNavigationComponent implements OnInit {
 
   private openedCategories: string[] = [];
 
+  // make variable SSR, that is used to check if the application is running in SSR or browser context, accessible in the template
+  SSR = SSR;
+
   constructor(
     private shoppingFacade: ShoppingFacade,
     @Inject(MAIN_NAVIGATION_MAX_SUB_CATEGORIES_DEPTH)