diff --git a/src/module-elasticsuite-catalog/Controller/Navigation/Filter/Ajax.php b/src/module-elasticsuite-catalog/Controller/Navigation/Filter/Ajax.php
index e7470eec7..95c0cef63 100644
--- a/src/module-elasticsuite-catalog/Controller/Navigation/Filter/Ajax.php
+++ b/src/module-elasticsuite-catalog/Controller/Navigation/Filter/Ajax.php
@@ -43,24 +43,24 @@ class Ajax extends \Magento\Framework\App\Action\Action
     private $filterListPool;
 
     /**
-     * @var \Magento\Catalog\Api\Data\CategoryInterfaceFactory
+     * @var \Magento\Catalog\Api\CategoryRepositoryInterfaceFactory
      */
-    private $categoryFactory;
+    private $categoryRepository;
 
     /**
      * Constructor.
      *
-     * @param \Magento\Framework\App\Action\Context              $context           Controller action context.
-     * @param \Magento\Framework\Controller\Result\JsonFactory   $jsonResultFactory JSON result factory.
-     * @param \Magento\Catalog\Model\Layer\Resolver              $layerResolver     Layer resolver.
-     * @param \Magento\Catalog\Api\Data\CategoryInterfaceFactory $categoryFactory   Category factory.
-     * @param \Magento\Catalog\Model\Layer\FilterList[]          $filterListPool    Filter list pool.
+     * @param \Magento\Framework\App\Action\Context                   $context            Controller action context.
+     * @param \Magento\Framework\Controller\Result\JsonFactory        $jsonResultFactory  JSON result factory.
+     * @param \Magento\Catalog\Model\Layer\Resolver                   $layerResolver      Layer resolver.
+     * @param \Magento\Catalog\Api\CategoryRepositoryInterfaceFactory $categoryRepository Category factory.
+     * @param \Magento\Catalog\Model\Layer\FilterList[]               $filterListPool     Filter list pool.
      */
     public function __construct(
         \Magento\Framework\App\Action\Context $context,
         \Magento\Framework\Controller\Result\JsonFactory $jsonResultFactory,
         \Magento\Catalog\Model\Layer\Resolver $layerResolver,
-        \Magento\Catalog\Api\Data\CategoryInterfaceFactory $categoryFactory,
+        \Magento\Catalog\Api\CategoryRepositoryInterfaceFactory $categoryRepository,
         $filterListPool = []
     ) {
         parent::__construct($context);
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ public function __construct(
         $this->jsonResultFactory = $jsonResultFactory;
         $this->layerResolver     = $layerResolver;
         $this->filterListPool    = $filterListPool;
-        $this->categoryFactory   = $categoryFactory;
+        $this->categoryRepository = $categoryRepository;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -110,7 +110,11 @@ private function initLayer()
         $this->layerResolver->create($this->getLayerType());
 
         if ($this->getRequest()->getParam('cat')) {
-            $category = $this->categoryFactory->create()->setId($this->getRequest()->getParam('cat'));
+            $category = $this->categoryRepository->create()->get(
+                $this->getRequest()->getParam('cat'),
+                $this->layerResolver->get()->getCurrentStore()->getId()
+            );
+
             $this->layerResolver->get()->setCurrentCategory($category);
         }
 
diff --git a/src/module-elasticsuite-virtual-category/Helper/Rule.php b/src/module-elasticsuite-virtual-category/Helper/Rule.php
index 2a4c62f41..d8cddbc23 100644
--- a/src/module-elasticsuite-virtual-category/Helper/Rule.php
+++ b/src/module-elasticsuite-virtual-category/Helper/Rule.php
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 namespace Smile\ElasticsuiteVirtualCategory\Helper;
 
 use Magento\Catalog\Api\Data\CategoryInterface;
+use Smile\ElasticsuiteVirtualCategory\Model\Category\Attribute\VirtualRule\ReadHandler;
 
 /**
  * Smile Elasticsuite virtual category cache helper.
@@ -35,18 +36,26 @@ class Rule
      */
     private $customerSession;
 
+    /**
+     * @var \Smile\ElasticsuiteVirtualCategory\Model\Category\Attribute\VirtualRule\ReadHandler
+     */
+    private $readHandler;
+
     /**
      * Provider constructor.
      *
      * @param \Magento\Framework\App\CacheInterface $cache           Cache.
      * @param \Magento\Customer\Model\Session       $customerSession Customer session.
+     * @param ReadHandler                           $customerSession Rule read handler.
      */
     public function __construct(
         \Magento\Framework\App\CacheInterface $cache,
-        \Magento\Customer\Model\Session $customerSession
+        \Magento\Customer\Model\Session $customerSession,
+        ReadHandler $readHandler
     ) {
         $this->cache = $cache;
         $this->customerSession = $customerSession;
+        $this->readHandler = $readHandler;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -73,6 +82,15 @@ public function loadUsingCache(CategoryInterface $category, $callback)
 
         if ($data === false) {
             $virtualRule = $category->getVirtualRule();
+
+            if (!is_object($virtualRule)) {
+                // If virtual rule is not an object, probably the rule was not properly loaded.
+                // @see https://github.com/Smile-SA/elasticsuite/issues/1985.
+                // In such cases, we go through the readHandler once again.
+                $category    = $this->readHandler->execute($category);
+                $virtualRule = $category->getVirtualRule();
+            }
+
             $data        = call_user_func_array([$virtualRule, $callback], [$category]);
             $cacheData   = serialize($data);
             $this->cache->save($cacheData, $cacheKey, $category->getCacheTags());