diff --git a/src/common/utilities.js b/src/common/utilities.js
index e4c32c6..902227a 100644
--- a/src/common/utilities.js
+++ b/src/common/utilities.js
@@ -194,16 +194,15 @@ export function removeFromColoringSet(coloringSet, filters) {
   return newColoringSets.filter((item) => item.length !== 0);
 }
 
-export function getEventCategories(event, categories) {
-  const matchedCategories = [];
-  if (event.associations && event.associations.length > 0) {
-    event.associations.reduce((acc, val) => {
-      const foundCategory = categories.find((cat) => cat.title === val);
-      if (foundCategory) acc.push(foundCategory);
-      return acc;
-    }, matchedCategories);
-  }
-  return matchedCategories;
+export function getEventCategories(event, activeCategories) {
+  const eventCats = event.associations.filter(
+    (a) => a.mode === ASSOCIATION_MODES.CATEGORY
+  );
+  return eventCats.reduce((acc, val) => {
+    const activeCatTitle = activeCategories.find((cat) => cat === val.title);
+    if (activeCatTitle) acc.push(activeCatTitle);
+    return acc;
+  }, []);
 }
 
 export function createFilterPathString(filter) {
diff --git a/src/components/time/Timeline.js b/src/components/time/Timeline.js
index c5b5744..7eb2820 100644
--- a/src/components/time/Timeline.js
+++ b/src/components/time/Timeline.js
@@ -49,14 +49,13 @@ class Timeline extends React.Component {
     }
 
     if (
-      hash(nextProps.domain.categories) !==
-        hash(this.props.domain.categories) ||
+      hash(nextProps.activeCategories) !== hash(this.props.activeCategories) ||
       hash(nextProps.dimensions) !== hash(this.props.dimensions)
     ) {
       const { trackHeight, marginTop } = nextProps.dimensions;
       this.setState({
         scaleY: this.makeScaleY(
-          nextProps.domain.categories,
+          nextProps.activeCategories,
           trackHeight,
           marginTop
         ),
@@ -99,6 +98,7 @@ class Timeline extends React.Component {
         (cat) => !features.GRAPH_NONLOCATED.categories.includes(cat.title)
       );
     }
+
     const extraPadding = 0;
     const catHeight =
       categories.length > 2
@@ -107,10 +107,10 @@ class Timeline extends React.Component {
     const catsYpos = categories.map((g, i) => {
       return (i + 1) * catHeight + marginTop + extraPadding / 2;
     });
-    const catMap = categories.map((c) => c.title);
+    // const catMap = categories.map((c) => c.title);
 
     return (cat) => {
-      const idx = catMap.indexOf(cat);
+      const idx = categories.indexOf(cat);
       return catsYpos[idx];
     };
   }
@@ -302,13 +302,11 @@ class Timeline extends React.Component {
   }
 
   getY(event) {
-    const { features, domain } = this.props;
+    const { features, domain, activeCategories } = this.props;
     const { USE_CATEGORIES, GRAPH_NONLOCATED } = features;
-    // Categories represent active categories here
-    const { categories } = domain;
 
     const categoriesExist =
-      USE_CATEGORIES && categories && categories.length > 0;
+      USE_CATEGORIES && activeCategories && activeCategories.length > 0;
 
     if (!categoriesExist) {
       return this.state.dims.trackHeight / 2;
@@ -351,7 +349,8 @@ class Timeline extends React.Component {
     const heightStyle = { height: dims.height };
     const extraStyle = { ...heightStyle, ...foldedStyle };
     const contentHeight = { height: dims.contentHeight };
-    const { categories } = this.props.domain;
+    const { activeCategories: categories } = this.props;
+
     return (
       <div
         className={classes}
@@ -396,7 +395,7 @@ class Timeline extends React.Component {
                 onDragEnd={() => {
                   this.onDragEnd();
                 }}
-                categories={categories.map((c) => c.title)}
+                categories={categories}
                 features={this.props.features}
                 fallbackLabel={
                   copy[this.props.app.language].timeline
@@ -463,14 +462,10 @@ function mapStateToProps(state) {
   return {
     dimensions: selectors.selectDimensions(state),
     isNarrative: !!state.app.associations.narrative,
+    activeCategories: selectors.getActiveCategories(state),
     domain: {
       events: selectors.selectStackedEvents(state),
       projects: selectors.selectProjects(state),
-      categories: ((state) => {
-        const allcats = selectors.getCategories(state);
-        const active = selectors.getActiveCategories(state);
-        return allcats.filter((c) => active.includes(c.title));
-      })(state),
       narratives: state.domain.narratives,
     },
     app: {
diff --git a/src/components/time/atoms/Events.js b/src/components/time/atoms/Events.js
index 2402b03..e7f4b34 100644
--- a/src/components/time/atoms/Events.js
+++ b/src/components/time/atoms/Events.js
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ const TimelineEvents = ({
     // those timelines: so we create as many event 'shadows' as there are
     // categories
     const evShadows = getEventCategories(event, categories).map((cat) => {
-      const y = getY({ ...event, category: cat.title });
+      const y = getY({ ...event, category: cat });
 
       const colour = event.colour ? event.colour : getCategoryColor(cat.title);
       const styles = {
diff --git a/src/components/time/atoms/Markers.js b/src/components/time/atoms/Markers.js
index 186aa00..00f3012 100644
--- a/src/components/time/atoms/Markers.js
+++ b/src/components/time/atoms/Markers.js
@@ -64,8 +64,9 @@ const TimelineMarkers = ({
     const isDot =
       (isLatitude(event.latitude) && isLongitude(event.longitude)) ||
       (features.GRAPH_NONLOCATED && event.projectOffset !== -1);
+
     const evShadows = getEventCategories(event, categories).map((cat) =>
-      getEventY({ ...event, category: cat.title })
+      getEventY({ ...event, category: cat })
     );
 
     function renderMarkerForEvent(y) {