diff --git a/src/components/ImportProductModal.tsx b/src/components/ImportProductModal.tsx
index 003011d..88b2251 100644
--- a/src/components/ImportProductModal.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ImportProductModal.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 import React, { useState } from 'react';
 import { X, Save, AlertCircle } from 'lucide-react';
 import { CatalogueProduct, ImportCatalogueProductRequest } from '../services/catalogueApi';
-import { useProductSubcategories } from '../hooks/useCatalogueImport';
-import { useFiestaProductCategories } from '../services/fiestaQueries';
-import { str as fstr } from '../services/fiestaApi';
+import { useProductSubcategories, useTenantCategories } from '../hooks/useCatalogueImport';
 
 interface ImportProductModalProps {
   product: CatalogueProduct;
@@ -27,14 +25,14 @@ export default function ImportProductModal({
   const [taxPercent, setTaxPercent] = useState<string>('0');
   const [quantity, setQuantity] = useState<string>('1');
 
-  const { data: categoriesData = [], isLoading: isLoadingCategories } = useFiestaProductCategories();
-  const categories = categoriesData.map((c: any) => ({
-    categoryid: Number(c.categoryid),
-    categoryname: fstr(c.categoryname),
-  }));
+  // Categories this tenant's own products actually use — the global
+  // categories list is missing categoryids that are nonetheless in real use.
+  const { data: categories = [], isLoading: isLoadingCategories } = useTenantCategories(tenantid);
 
   // Subcategories are scoped to the selected category, so a product can't be
   // tagged with a subcategory that doesn't actually belong to its category.
+  // Optional: many subcategories are unowned/shared and a product can be
+  // imported without one (falls back to "Uncategorized" in subcategory views).
   const { data: subcategories = [], isLoading: isLoadingSubcats } = useProductSubcategories(
     tenantid,
     categoryId ? Number(categoryId) : undefined,
@@ -42,7 +40,7 @@ export default function ImportProductModal({
 
   const handleSubmit = (e: React.FormEvent) => {
     e.preventDefault();
-    if (!categoryId || !subcategoryId || !retailPrice || !productCost) {
+    if (!categoryId || !retailPrice || !productCost) {
       alert("Please fill in all required fields.");
       return;
     }
@@ -53,7 +51,7 @@ export default function ImportProductModal({
       brand: product.brand,
       catalogueid: product.id,
       categoryid: Number(categoryId),
-      subcategoryid: Number(subcategoryId),
+      subcategoryid: subcategoryId ? Number(subcategoryId) : 0,
       quantity: Number(quantity),
       stocktype: "in",
       status: "Active",
@@ -112,7 +110,7 @@ export default function ImportProductModal({
                 )}
               </div>
               <div className="space-y-1.5">
-                <label className="text-xs font-semibold text-slate-600 uppercase tracking-wider">Subcategory *</label>
+                <label className="text-xs font-semibold text-slate-600 uppercase tracking-wider">Subcategory (optional)</label>
                 {!categoryId ? (
                   <div className="w-full px-3 py-2 border border-slate-200 rounded-lg text-slate-400">Select a category first</div>
                 ) : isLoadingSubcats ? (
@@ -122,9 +120,8 @@ export default function ImportProductModal({
                     value={subcategoryId}
                     onChange={e => setSubcategoryId(e.target.value)}
                     className="w-full px-3 py-2 border border-slate-200 rounded-lg focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-purple-500/20 focus:border-purple-500 transition-colors bg-white"
-                    required
                   >
-                    <option value="">Select subcategory...</option>
+                    <option value="">None</option>
                     {subcategories.map((s: any) => (
                       <option key={s.subcategoryid || s.id} value={s.subcategoryid || s.id}>
                         {s.subcategoryname || s.name}
diff --git a/src/hooks/useCatalogueImport.ts b/src/hooks/useCatalogueImport.ts
index 5631f59..26bc663 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useCatalogueImport.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useCatalogueImport.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {
   importCatalogueProducts,
   getBrands,
   getProductSubcategories,
+  getTenantCategories,
   removeFromStoreCatalogue,
   ImportCatalogueProductRequest
 } from '../services/catalogueApi';
@@ -39,6 +40,13 @@ export function useProductSubcategories(tenantid: number, categoryid?: number) {
   });
 }
 
+export function useTenantCategories(tenantid: number) {
+  return useQuery({
+    queryKey: ['catalogue', 'tenantCategories', tenantid],
+    queryFn: () => getTenantCategories(tenantid),
+  });
+}
+
 export function useImportCatalogueProduct(tenantid: number, locationid: number) {
   const queryClient = useQueryClient();
   return useMutation({
diff --git a/src/services/catalogueApi.ts b/src/services/catalogueApi.ts
index a86f782..5805c46 100644
--- a/src/services/catalogueApi.ts
+++ b/src/services/catalogueApi.ts
@@ -122,3 +122,18 @@ export async function getProductSubcategories(tenantid: number, categoryid?: num
   const { items } = await apiGet<{ subcategoryid: number; subcategoryname: string }>(url);
   return items;
 }
+
+export interface TenantCategory {
+  categoryid: number;
+  categoryname: string;
+}
+
+// Categories this tenant's own products actually use — not the global
+// productcategories list, which is missing categoryids that are nonetheless
+// in real use (e.g. categoryid 2), which would make the picker unusable.
+export async function getTenantCategories(tenantid: number) {
+  const url = new URL(`${API_BASE}/products/gettenantcategories`);
+  url.searchParams.set("tenantid", String(tenantid));
+  const { items } = await apiGet<TenantCategory>(url);
+  return items;
+}