diff --git a/common/static/common/js/discussion/views/new_post_view.js b/common/static/common/js/discussion/views/new_post_view.js
index 9ef0d5bd63..b7eca47b23 100644
--- a/common/static/common/js/discussion/views/new_post_view.js
+++ b/common/static/common/js/discussion/views/new_post_view.js
@@ -186,11 +186,13 @@
             };
 
             NewPostView.prototype.resetForm = function() {
+                var $general;
                 this.$('.forum-new-post-form')[0].reset();
                 DiscussionUtil.clearFormErrors(this.$('.post-errors'));
                 this.$('.wmd-preview p').html('');
                 if (this.isTabMode()) {
-                    this.topicView.setTopic(this.$('button.topic-title').first());
+                    $general = this.$('.post-topic option:contains(General)');
+                    this.topicView.setTopic($general || this.$('button.topic-title').first());
                 }
             };
 
diff --git a/common/static/common/js/spec/discussion/view/new_post_view_spec.js b/common/static/common/js/spec/discussion/view/new_post_view_spec.js
index 975352becb..ea5653cf18 100644
--- a/common/static/common/js/spec/discussion/view/new_post_view_spec.js
+++ b/common/static/common/js/spec/discussion/view/new_post_view_spec.js
@@ -240,6 +240,66 @@
                 });
             });
         });
+        describe('default topic ', function() {
+            beforeEach(function() {
+                this.course_settings = new DiscussionCourseSettings({
+                    allow_anonymous_to_peers: true,
+                    allow_anonymous: true,
+                    category_map: {
+                        subcategories: {
+                            'Week 1': {
+                                subcategories: {},
+                                children: [
+                                    ['Topic-Level Student-Visible Label', 'entry']
+                                ],
+                                entries: {
+                                    'Topic-Level Student-Visible Label': {
+                                        sort_key: null,
+                                        is_cohorted: false,
+                                        id: '2b3a858d0c884eb4b272dbbe3f2ffddd'
+                                    }
+                                }
+                            }
+                        },
+                        children: [
+                            ['First topic', 'entry'],
+                            ['Week 1', 'subcategory']
+                        ],
+                        entries: {
+                            'First topic': {
+                                sort_key: 'First topic',
+                                is_cohorted: false,
+                                id: 'i4x-waqastest-waqastest-course-waqastest'
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
+                });
+            });
+
+            it('should be the first topic if General is not found', function() {
+                var eventSpy, view;
+                view = new NewPostView({
+                    el: $('#fixture-element'),
+                    collection: this.discussion,
+                    course_settings: this.course_settings,
+                    mode: 'tab'
+                });
+                view.render();
+                eventSpy = jasmine.createSpy('eventSpy');
+                view.listenTo(view, 'newPost:cancel', eventSpy);
+                view.$('.post-errors').html("<li class='post-error'>Title can't be empty</li>");
+                view.$("label[for$='post-type-question']").click();
+                view.$('.js-post-title').val('Test Title');
+                view.$('.js-post-body textarea').val('Test body');
+                view.$('.wmd-preview p').html('Test body');
+                view.$('input[name=follow]').prop('checked', false);
+                view.$('input[name=anonymous]').prop('checked', true);
+                view.$('input[name=anonymous_to_peers]').prop('checked', true);
+                view.$("a[data-discussion-id='2b3a858d0c884eb4b272dbbe3f2ffddd']").click();
+                view.$('.cancel').click();
+                expect(view.$('.post-topic option:selected').text()).toEqual('First topic');
+            });
+        });
         it('posts to the correct URL', function() {
             var topicId, view;
             topicId = 'test_topic';