diff --git a/src/courseware/course/new-sidebar/Sidebar.jsx b/src/courseware/course/new-sidebar/Sidebar.jsx
index cd8d3fd522..e8debc661c 100644
--- a/src/courseware/course/new-sidebar/Sidebar.jsx
+++ b/src/courseware/course/new-sidebar/Sidebar.jsx
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@ import SidebarContext from './SidebarContext';
 import { SIDEBARS } from './sidebars';
 
 const Sidebar = () => {
-  const { currentSidebar } = useContext(SidebarContext);
+  const { currentSidebar, isDiscussionbarAvailable, isNotificationbarAvailable } = useContext(SidebarContext);
 
-  if (currentSidebar === null) { return null; }
+  if (currentSidebar === null || (!isDiscussionbarAvailable && !isNotificationbarAvailable)) { return null; }
   const SidebarToRender = SIDEBARS[currentSidebar].Sidebar;
 
   return (
diff --git a/src/courseware/course/new-sidebar/SidebarContextProvider.jsx b/src/courseware/course/new-sidebar/SidebarContextProvider.jsx
index 5f38c72edc..679f083cb4 100644
--- a/src/courseware/course/new-sidebar/SidebarContextProvider.jsx
+++ b/src/courseware/course/new-sidebar/SidebarContextProvider.jsx
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ const SidebarProvider = ({
   );
   const topic = useModel('discussionTopics', unitId);
   const { verifiedMode } = useModel('courseHomeMeta', courseId);
-  const isDiscussionbarAvailable = topic?.id && topic?.enabledInContext;
+  const isDiscussionbarAvailable = (topic?.id && topic?.enabledInContext) || false;
   const isNotificationbarAvailable = !isEmpty(verifiedMode);
 
   const onNotificationSeen = useCallback(() => {