diff --git a/app/controllers/eportfolios_controller.rb b/app/controllers/eportfolios_controller.rb
index 9519dc74d90..a84a3891759 100644
--- a/app/controllers/eportfolios_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/eportfolios_controller.rb
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class EportfoliosController < ApplicationController
       @portfolio = @current_user.eportfolios.build(params[:eportfolio])
       respond_to do |format|
         if @portfolio.save
-          @portfolio.setup_defaults
+          @portfolio.ensure_defaults
           flash[:notice] = t('notices.created', "Porfolio successfully created")
           format.html { redirect_to eportfolio_url(@portfolio) }
           format.json { render :json => @portfolio.as_json(:permissions => {:user => @current_user, :session => session}) }
@@ -60,8 +60,8 @@ class EportfoliosController < ApplicationController
       session[:permissions_key] = CanvasUUID.generate
     end
     if authorized_action(@portfolio, @current_user, :read)      
-      @category = @portfolio.eportfolio_categories.first rescue nil
-      @category ||= @portfolio.setup_defaults
+      @portfolio.ensure_defaults
+      @category = @portfolio.eportfolio_categories.first
       @page = @category.eportfolio_entries.first
       @owner_view = @portfolio.user == @current_user && params[:view] != 'preview'
       if @owner_view
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ class EportfoliosController < ApplicationController
     if authorized_action(@portfolio, @current_user, :update)
       respond_to do |format|
         if @portfolio.update_attributes(params[:eportfolio])
-          @portfolio.setup_defaults
+          @portfolio.ensure_defaults
           flash[:notice] = t('notices.updated', "Porfolio successfully updated")
           format.html { redirect_to eportfolio_url(@portfolio) }
           format.json { render :json => @portfolio.as_json(:permissions => {:user => @current_user, :session => session}) }
diff --git a/app/models/eportfolio.rb b/app/models/eportfolio.rb
index 06394ee0541..ea1dd6ac7b5 100644
--- a/app/models/eportfolio.rb
+++ b/app/models/eportfolio.rb
@@ -65,12 +65,13 @@ class Eportfolio < ActiveRecord::Base
     can :read
   end
   
-  def setup_defaults
-    cat = self.eportfolio_categories.create(:name => t(:first_category, "Home")) if self.eportfolio_categories.empty?
+  def ensure_defaults
+    cat = self.eportfolio_categories.first
+    cat ||= self.eportfolio_categories.create!(:name => t(:first_category, "Home"))
     if cat && cat.eportfolio_entries.empty?
       entry = cat.eportfolio_entries.build(:eportfolio => self, :name => t('first_entry.title', "Welcome"))
       entry.content = t('first_entry.content', "Nothing entered yet")
-      entry.save
+      entry.save!
     end
     cat
   end
diff --git a/lib/eportfolio_page.rb b/lib/eportfolio_page.rb
index c442e83d4d9..9555605a09f 100644
--- a/lib/eportfolio_page.rb
+++ b/lib/eportfolio_page.rb
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 
 module EportfolioPage
   def eportfolio_page_attributes
-    @portfolio.setup_defaults
     @categories = @portfolio.eportfolio_categories
     if @portfolio.grants_right?(@current_user, session, :manage)
       @recent_submissions = @current_user.submissions.order("created_at DESC").all if @current_user && @current_user == @portfolio.user
@@ -49,4 +48,4 @@ module EportfolioPage
     end
   end
 
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/spec/controllers/eportfolios_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/eportfolios_controller_spec.rb
index 89bc62f9af7..e771a7b9781 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/eportfolios_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/eportfolios_controller_spec.rb
@@ -94,6 +94,21 @@ describe EportfoliosController do
       response.should be_success
       assigns[:portfolio].should_not be_nil
     end
+
+    it "should create a category if one doesn't exist" do
+      user_session(@user)
+      get 'show', :id => @portfolio.id
+      response.should be_success
+      assigns[:category].should_not be_nil
+    end
+
+    it "should create an entry in the first category if one doesn't exist" do
+      @portfolio.eportfolio_categories.create!(:name => "Home")
+      user_session(@user)
+      get 'show', :id => @portfolio.id
+      response.should be_success
+      assigns[:page].should_not be_nil
+    end
   end
   
   describe "PUT 'update'" do
diff --git a/spec/models/eportfolio_spec.rb b/spec/models/eportfolio_spec.rb
index 0f543841aa0..290e6e27eb7 100644
--- a/spec/models/eportfolio_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/eportfolio_spec.rb
@@ -19,4 +19,22 @@
 require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../spec_helper.rb')
 
 describe Eportfolio do
+  describe "#ensure_defaults" do
+    before(:once) do
+      eportfolio
+    end
+
+    it "should create a category if one doesn't exist" do
+      @portfolio.eportfolio_categories.should be_empty
+      @portfolio.ensure_defaults
+      @portfolio.reload.eportfolio_categories.should_not be_empty
+    end
+
+    it "should create an entry in the first category if one doesn't exist" do
+      @category = @portfolio.eportfolio_categories.create!(:name => "Hi")
+      @category.eportfolio_entries.should be_empty
+      @portfolio.ensure_defaults
+      @category.reload.eportfolio_entries.should_not be_empty
+    end
+  end
 end