diff --git a/openerp/addons/base/module/module.py b/openerp/addons/base/module/module.py
index 42b57b7c661..dbb8d6a3f40 100644
--- a/openerp/addons/base/module/module.py
+++ b/openerp/addons/base/module/module.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import urllib
 import zipimport
 
 from openerp import modules, pooler, release, tools, addons
+from openerp.modules.db import create_categories
 from openerp.tools.parse_version import parse_version
 from openerp.tools.translate import _
 from openerp.osv import fields, osv, orm
@@ -638,21 +639,8 @@ class module(osv.osv):
 
         categs = category.split('/')
         if categs != current_category_path:
-            p_id = None
-            while categs:
-                if p_id is not None:
-                    cr.execute('SELECT id FROM ir_module_category WHERE name=%s AND parent_id=%s', (categs[0], p_id))
-                else:
-                    cr.execute('SELECT id FROM ir_module_category WHERE name=%s AND parent_id is NULL', (categs[0],))
-                c_id = cr.fetchone()
-                if not c_id:
-                    cr.execute('INSERT INTO ir_module_category (name, parent_id) VALUES (%s, %s) RETURNING id', (categs[0], p_id))
-                    c_id = cr.fetchone()[0]
-                else:
-                    c_id = c_id[0]
-                p_id = c_id
-                categs = categs[1:]
-            self.write(cr, uid, [mod_browse.id], {'category_id': p_id})
+            cat_id = create_categories(cr, categs)
+            mod_browse.write({'category_id': cat_id})
 
     def update_translations(self, cr, uid, ids, filter_lang=None, context=None):
         if not filter_lang:
diff --git a/openerp/modules/db.py b/openerp/modules/db.py
index 6318bd954f3..f13708a8a9b 100644
--- a/openerp/modules/db.py
+++ b/openerp/modules/db.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #
 #    OpenERP, Open Source Management Solution
 #    Copyright (C) 2004-2009 Tiny SPRL (<http://tiny.be>).
-#    Copyright (C) 2010 OpenERP s.a. (<http://openerp.com>).
+#    Copyright (C) 2010-2012 OpenERP s.a. (<http://openerp.com>).
 #
 #    This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
 #    it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as
@@ -119,21 +119,17 @@ def create_categories(cr, categories):
     category = []
     while categories:
         category.append(categories[0])
-        if p_id is not None:
-            cr.execute('SELECT id \
-                       FROM ir_module_category \
-                       WHERE name=%s AND parent_id=%s', (categories[0], p_id))
-        else:
-            cr.execute('SELECT id \
-                       FROM ir_module_category \
-                       WHERE name=%s AND parent_id IS NULL', (categories[0],))
+        xml_id = 'module_category_' + ('_'.join(map(lambda x: x.lower(), category))).replace('&', 'and').replace(' ', '_')
+        # search via xml_id (because some categories are renamed)
+        cr.execute("SELECT res_id FROM ir_model_data WHERE name=%s AND module=%s AND model=%s",
+                   (xml_id, "base", "ir.module.category"))
+
         c_id = cr.fetchone()
         if not c_id:
             cr.execute('INSERT INTO ir_module_category \
                     (name, parent_id) \
                     VALUES (%s, %s) RETURNING id', (categories[0], p_id))
             c_id = cr.fetchone()[0]
-            xml_id = 'module_category_' + ('_'.join(map(lambda x: x.lower(), category))).replace('&', 'and').replace(' ', '_')
             cr.execute('INSERT INTO ir_model_data (module, name, res_id, model) \
                        VALUES (%s, %s, %s, %s)', ('base', xml_id, c_id, 'ir.module.category'))
         else: