diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/look_feel_tabs/tb_hierarchy.py b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/look_feel_tabs/tb_hierarchy.py
index 6f93dfa6d0..eeb7c333c7 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/look_feel_tabs/tb_hierarchy.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/look_feel_tabs/tb_hierarchy.py
@@ -59,12 +59,14 @@ class TbHierarchyTab(ConfigTabWidget, Ui_Form):
 
     def genesis(self, gui):
         self.gui = gui
+        self.tab_opened = False
         self.tb_search_order_up_button.clicked.connect(self.move_tb_search_up)
         self.tb_search_order_down_button.clicked.connect(self.move_tb_search_down)
         self.tb_search_order.set_movement_functions(self.move_tb_search_up, self.move_tb_search_down)
         self.tb_search_order_reset_button.clicked.connect(self.reset_tb_search_order)
 
     def lazy_populate_content(self):
+        self.tab_opened = True
         self.fill_tb_search_order_box()
 
         self.tb_hierarchical_cats_model = TBHierarchicalFields(self.gui.current_db, self.tb_hierarchical_cats,
@@ -170,5 +172,6 @@ class TbHierarchyTab(ConfigTabWidget, Ui_Form):
                              _('<p>Could not read field list. Error:<br>%s')%err, show=True)
 
     def commit(self):
-        self.tb_search_order_commit()
-        self.tb_hierarchical_cats_model.commit()
+        if self.tab_opened:
+            self.tb_search_order_commit()
+            self.tb_hierarchical_cats_model.commit()