diff --git a/src/courseware/course/sequence/Sequence.jsx b/src/courseware/course/sequence/Sequence.jsx
index e34283d8..14a62ff4 100644
--- a/src/courseware/course/sequence/Sequence.jsx
+++ b/src/courseware/course/sequence/Sequence.jsx
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ function Sequence({
   const logEvent = (eventName, widgetPlacement, targetUnitId) => {
     // Note: tabs are tracked with a 1-indexed position
     // as opposed to a 0-index used throughout this MFE
-    const currentIndex = sequence.unitIds.indexOf(unitId);
+    const currentIndex = sequence.unitIds.length > 0 ? sequence.unitIds.indexOf(unitId) : 0;
     const payload = {
       current_tab: currentIndex + 1,
       id: unitId,
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ function Sequence({
 
   const gated = sequence.gatedContent !== undefined && sequence.gatedContent.gated;
 
-  if (sequenceStatus === 'loaded' && unit) {
+  if (sequenceStatus === 'loaded') {
     return (
       <div className="sequence">
         <SequenceNavigation
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ function Sequence({
               />
             </Suspense>
           )}
-          {!gated && (
+          {!gated && unitId !== null && (
             <Unit
               key={unitId}
               id={unitId}
diff --git a/src/courseware/course/sequence/sequence-navigation/SequenceNavigation.jsx b/src/courseware/course/sequence/sequence-navigation/SequenceNavigation.jsx
index 8408628a..a8ca9f30 100644
--- a/src/courseware/course/sequence/sequence-navigation/SequenceNavigation.jsx
+++ b/src/courseware/course/sequence/sequence-navigation/SequenceNavigation.jsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { FontAwesomeIcon } from '@fortawesome/react-fontawesome';
 import { faChevronLeft, faChevronRight } from '@fortawesome/free-solid-svg-icons';
 import { FormattedMessage } from '@edx/frontend-platform/i18n';
 
+import { useSelector } from 'react-redux';
 import UnitButton from './UnitButton';
 import SequenceNavigationTabs from './SequenceNavigationTabs';
 import { useSequenceNavigationMetadata } from './hooks';
@@ -22,8 +23,30 @@ export default function SequenceNavigation({
   const sequence = useModel('sequences', sequenceId);
   const { isFirstUnit, isLastUnit } = useSequenceNavigationMetadata(sequenceId, unitId);
   const isLocked = sequence.gatedContent !== undefined && sequence.gatedContent.gated;
+  const sequenceStatus = useSelector(state => state.courseware.sequenceStatus);
 
-  return (
+  const renderUnitButtons = () => {
+    if (isLocked) {
+      return (
+        <UnitButton unitId={unitId} title="" contentType="lock" isActive onClick={() => {}} />
+      );
+    }
+    if (sequence.unitIds.length === 0 || unitId === null) {
+      return (
+        <div style={{ flexBasis: '100%', minWidth: 0, borderBottom: 'solid 1px #EAEAEA' }} />
+      );
+    }
+    return (
+      <SequenceNavigationTabs
+        unitIds={sequence.unitIds}
+        unitId={unitId}
+        showCompletion={sequence.showCompletion}
+        onNavigate={onNavigate}
+      />
+    );
+  };
+
+  return sequenceStatus === 'loaded' && (
     <nav className={classNames('sequence-navigation', className)}>
       <Button className="previous-btn" onClick={previousSequenceHandler} disabled={isFirstUnit}>
         <FontAwesomeIcon icon={faChevronLeft} className="mr-2" size="sm" />
@@ -33,16 +56,7 @@ export default function SequenceNavigation({
           description="The Previous button in the sequence nav"
         />
       </Button>
-
-      {isLocked ? <UnitButton unitId={unitId} title="" contentType="lock" isActive onClick={() => {}} /> : (
-        <SequenceNavigationTabs
-          unitIds={sequence.unitIds}
-          unitId={unitId}
-          showCompletion={sequence.showCompletion}
-          onNavigate={onNavigate}
-        />
-      )}
-
+      {renderUnitButtons()}
       <Button className="next-btn" onClick={nextSequenceHandler} disabled={isLastUnit}>
         <FormattedMessage
           defaultMessage="Next"
@@ -56,8 +70,8 @@ export default function SequenceNavigation({
 }
 
 SequenceNavigation.propTypes = {
-  unitId: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
   sequenceId: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+  unitId: PropTypes.string,
   className: PropTypes.string,
   onNavigate: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
   nextSequenceHandler: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
@@ -66,4 +80,5 @@ SequenceNavigation.propTypes = {
 
 SequenceNavigation.defaultProps = {
   className: null,
+  unitId: null,
 };
diff --git a/src/data/api.js b/src/data/api.js
index 4c63f80e..f4137e3a 100644
--- a/src/data/api.js
+++ b/src/data/api.js
@@ -41,14 +41,14 @@ function normalizeBlocks(courseUsageKey, blocks) {
         models.courses[block.id] = {
           id: courseUsageKey,
           title: block.display_name,
-          sectionIds: block.children,
+          sectionIds: block.children || [],
         };
         break;
       case 'chapter':
         models.sections[block.id] = {
           id: block.id,
           title: block.display_name,
-          sequenceIds: block.children,
+          sequenceIds: block.children || [],
         };
         break;
 
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ function normalizeBlocks(courseUsageKey, blocks) {
           id: block.id,
           title: block.display_name,
           lmsWebUrl: block.lms_web_url,
-          unitIds: block.children,
+          unitIds: block.children || [],
         };
         break;
       case 'vertical':
diff --git a/src/data/thunks.js b/src/data/thunks.js
index 375f7f99..f8ae61f2 100644
--- a/src/data/thunks.js
+++ b/src/data/thunks.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import {
   getSequenceMetadata,
 } from './api';
 import {
-  addModelsMap, updateModel, updateModels,
+  addModelsMap, updateModel, updateModels, updateModelsMap,
 } from '../model-store';
 import {
   fetchCourseRequest,
@@ -40,11 +40,12 @@ export function fetchCourse(courseUsageKey) {
         modelType: 'sections',
         modelsMap: sections,
       }));
-      dispatch(addModelsMap({
+      // We update for sequences and units because the sequence metadata may have come back first.
+      dispatch(updateModelsMap({
         modelType: 'sequences',
         modelsMap: sequences,
       }));
-      dispatch(addModelsMap({
+      dispatch(updateModelsMap({
         modelType: 'units',
         modelsMap: units,
       }));