diff --git a/static/js/application.js b/static/js/application.js
index 6a2e883917..876a926ff3 100644
--- a/static/js/application.js
+++ b/static/js/application.js
@@ -52,11 +52,12 @@
       function Navigation() {}
 
       Navigation.bind = function() {
-        var navigation;
+        var active, navigation;
         if ($('#accordion').length) {
           navigation = new Navigation;
+          active = $('#accordion ul:has(li.active)').index('#accordion ul');
           $('#accordion').bind('accordionchange', navigation.log).accordion({
-            active: $('#accordion ul:has(li.active)').index('#accordion ul'),
+            active: active >= 0 ? active : 1,
             header: 'h3',
             autoHeight: false
           });
diff --git a/templates/coffee/spec/courseware_spec.coffee b/templates/coffee/spec/courseware_spec.coffee
index 5a5cabac0e..5933e3e686 100644
--- a/templates/coffee/spec/courseware_spec.coffee
+++ b/templates/coffee/spec/courseware_spec.coffee
@@ -12,14 +12,25 @@ describe 'Courseware', ->
 
     describe 'bind', ->
       describe 'when the #accordion exists', ->
-        it 'activate the accordion with correct active section', ->
-          spyOn $.fn, 'accordion'
-          $('#accordion').append('<ul><li></li></ul><ul><li class="active"></li></ul>')
-          Courseware.Navigation.bind()
-          expect($('#accordion').accordion).toHaveBeenCalledWith
-            active: 1
-            header: 'h3'
-            autoHeight: false
+        describe 'when there is an active section', ->
+          it 'activate the accordion with correct active section', ->
+            spyOn $.fn, 'accordion'
+            $('#accordion').append('<ul><li></li></ul><ul><li class="active"></li></ul>')
+            Courseware.Navigation.bind()
+            expect($('#accordion').accordion).toHaveBeenCalledWith
+              active: 1
+              header: 'h3'
+              autoHeight: false
+
+        describe 'when there is no active section', ->
+          it 'activate the accordian with section 1 as active', ->
+            spyOn $.fn, 'accordion'
+            $('#accordion').append('<ul><li></li></ul><ul><li></li></ul>')
+            Courseware.Navigation.bind()
+            expect($('#accordion').accordion).toHaveBeenCalledWith
+              active: 1
+              header: 'h3'
+              autoHeight: false
 
         it 'binds the accordionchange event', ->
           Courseware.Navigation.bind()
diff --git a/templates/coffee/spec/courseware_spec.js b/templates/coffee/spec/courseware_spec.js
index 195ea7b73b..7070fa0028 100644
--- a/templates/coffee/spec/courseware_spec.js
+++ b/templates/coffee/spec/courseware_spec.js
@@ -16,14 +16,28 @@
       });
       describe('bind', function() {
         describe('when the #accordion exists', function() {
-          it('activate the accordion with correct active section', function() {
-            spyOn($.fn, 'accordion');
-            $('#accordion').append('<ul><li></li></ul><ul><li class="active"></li></ul>');
-            Courseware.Navigation.bind();
-            return expect($('#accordion').accordion).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
-              active: 1,
-              header: 'h3',
-              autoHeight: false
+          describe('when there is an active section', function() {
+            return it('activate the accordion with correct active section', function() {
+              spyOn($.fn, 'accordion');
+              $('#accordion').append('<ul><li></li></ul><ul><li class="active"></li></ul>');
+              Courseware.Navigation.bind();
+              return expect($('#accordion').accordion).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+                active: 1,
+                header: 'h3',
+                autoHeight: false
+              });
+            });
+          });
+          describe('when there is no active section', function() {
+            return it('activate the accordian with section 1 as active', function() {
+              spyOn($.fn, 'accordion');
+              $('#accordion').append('<ul><li></li></ul><ul><li></li></ul>');
+              Courseware.Navigation.bind();
+              return expect($('#accordion').accordion).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+                active: 1,
+                header: 'h3',
+                autoHeight: false
+              });
             });
           });
           it('binds the accordionchange event', function() {
diff --git a/templates/coffee/src/courseware.coffee b/templates/coffee/src/courseware.coffee
index 7772c1e533..a4c93ec0b4 100644
--- a/templates/coffee/src/courseware.coffee
+++ b/templates/coffee/src/courseware.coffee
@@ -6,8 +6,9 @@ class window.Courseware
     @bind: ->
       if $('#accordion').length
         navigation = new Navigation
+        active = $('#accordion ul:has(li.active)').index('#accordion ul')
         $('#accordion').bind('accordionchange', navigation.log).accordion
-          active: $('#accordion ul:has(li.active)').index('#accordion ul')
+          active: if active >= 0 then active else 1
           header: 'h3'
           autoHeight: false
         $('#open_close_accordion a').click navigation.toggle