diff --git a/administrator/components/com_content/src/Model/ArticleModel.php b/administrator/components/com_content/src/Model/ArticleModel.php
index 72f440b073676..d9ed91e78050f 100644
--- a/administrator/components/com_content/src/Model/ArticleModel.php
+++ b/administrator/components/com_content/src/Model/ArticleModel.php
@@ -524,22 +524,20 @@ public function getForm($data = array(), $loadData = true)
 					? (int) reset($assignedCatids)
 					: (int) $assignedCatids;
 
-				// Try to get the category from the html code of the field
+				// Try to get the category from the category field
 				if (empty($assignedCatids))
 				{
 					$assignedCatids = $formField->getAttribute('default', null);
 
-					// Choose the first category available
-					$xml = new \DOMDocument;
-					libxml_use_internal_errors(true);
-					$xml->loadHTML($formField->__get('input'));
-					libxml_clear_errors();
-					libxml_use_internal_errors(false);
-					$options = $xml->getElementsByTagName('option');
-
-					if (!$assignedCatids && $firstChoice = $options->item(0))
+					if (!$assignedCatids)
 					{
-						$assignedCatids = $firstChoice->getAttribute('value');
+						// Choose the first category available
+						$catOptions = $formField->options;
+
+						if ($catOptions && !empty($catOptions[0]->value))
+						{
+							$assignedCatids = (int) $catOptions[0]->value;
+						}
 					}
 				}
 
diff --git a/administrator/components/com_fields/src/Helper/FieldsHelper.php b/administrator/components/com_fields/src/Helper/FieldsHelper.php
index 06138479a76c3..f76d1af08e50d 100644
--- a/administrator/components/com_fields/src/Helper/FieldsHelper.php
+++ b/administrator/components/com_fields/src/Helper/FieldsHelper.php
@@ -316,17 +316,15 @@ public static function prepareForm($context, Form $form, $data)
 		{
 			$assignedCatids = $formField->getAttribute('default', null);
 
-			// Choose the first category available
-			$xml = new \DOMDocument;
-			libxml_use_internal_errors(true);
-			$xml->loadHTML($formField->__get('input'));
-			libxml_clear_errors();
-			libxml_use_internal_errors(false);
-			$options = $xml->getElementsByTagName('option');
-
-			if (!$assignedCatids && $firstChoice = $options->item(0))
+			if (!$assignedCatids)
 			{
-				$assignedCatids = $firstChoice->getAttribute('value');
+				// Choose the first category available
+				$catOptions = $formField->options;
+
+				if ($catOptions && !empty($catOptions[0]->value))
+				{
+					$assignedCatids = (int) $catOptions[0]->value;
+				}
 			}
 
 			$data->fieldscatid = $assignedCatids;
diff --git a/libraries/src/MVC/Model/WorkflowBehaviorTrait.php b/libraries/src/MVC/Model/WorkflowBehaviorTrait.php
index 29aea89551f3a..788d00324ec42 100644
--- a/libraries/src/MVC/Model/WorkflowBehaviorTrait.php
+++ b/libraries/src/MVC/Model/WorkflowBehaviorTrait.php
@@ -411,17 +411,15 @@ protected function getStageForNewItem(Form $form, $data)
 		{
 			$catId = $field->getAttribute('default', null);
 
-			// Choose the first category available
-			$xml = new \DOMDocument;
-			libxml_use_internal_errors(true);
-			$xml->loadHTML($field->__get('input'));
-			libxml_clear_errors();
-			libxml_use_internal_errors(false);
-			$options = $xml->getElementsByTagName('option');
-
-			if (!$catId && $firstChoice = $options->item(0))
+			if (!$catId)
 			{
-				$catId = $firstChoice->getAttribute('value');
+				// Choose the first category available
+				$catOptions = $field->options;
+
+				if ($catOptions && !empty($catOptions[0]->value))
+				{
+					$catId = (int) $catOptions[0]->value;
+				}
 			}
 		}