diff --git a/editor/components/post-taxonomies/flat-term-selector.js b/editor/components/post-taxonomies/flat-term-selector.js
index b6d99a1783eba..4b414f28bfd2c 100644
--- a/editor/components/post-taxonomies/flat-term-selector.js
+++ b/editor/components/post-taxonomies/flat-term-selector.js
@@ -106,8 +106,13 @@ class FlatTermSelector extends Component {
 				.then( resolve, ( xhr ) => {
 					const errorCode = xhr.responseJSON && xhr.responseJSON.code;
 					if ( errorCode === 'term_exists' ) {
-						return new Model( { id: xhr.responseJSON.data } )
-							.fetch().then( resolve, reject );
+						// search the new category created since last fetch
+						this.addRequest = new Model().fetch(
+							{ data: { ...DEFAULT_QUERY, search: termName } }
+						);
+						return this.addRequest.then( searchResult => {
+							resolve( find( searchResult, result => result.name === termName ) );
+						}, reject );
 					}
 					reject( xhr );
 				} );