diff --git a/client-frameworks-support/client-support-angular/projects/client-support-angular/src/lib/service/luigi-auto-routing.service.ts b/client-frameworks-support/client-support-angular/projects/client-support-angular/src/lib/service/luigi-auto-routing.service.ts
index f98bfe3233..eef794dae2 100644
--- a/client-frameworks-support/client-support-angular/projects/client-support-angular/src/lib/service/luigi-auto-routing.service.ts
+++ b/client-frameworks-support/client-support-angular/projects/client-support-angular/src/lib/service/luigi-auto-routing.service.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { Injectable, OnDestroy } from '@angular/core';
 import { ActivatedRouteSnapshot, NavigationEnd, ParamMap, Router, RouterEvent, convertToParamMap } from '@angular/router';
-import { linkManager, uxManager } from '@luigi-project/client';
+import { linkManager, uxManager, isLuigiClientInitialized } from '@luigi-project/client';
 import { OperatorFunction, Subscription } from 'rxjs';
 import { filter } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import { LuigiActivatedRouteSnapshotHelper } from '../route/luigi-activated-route-snapshot-helper';
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ export class LuigiAutoRoutingService implements OnDestroy {
         }
       }
     }
-    if (current?.data) {
+    if (current?.data && isLuigiClientInitialized()) {
       const ux = uxManager();
       let lm = linkManager().withoutSync();
       let route: string | undefined;
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ export class LuigiAutoRoutingService implements OnDestroy {
 
   getAllParamsFromParents(current: ActivatedRouteSnapshot): { [key: string]: string } | undefined {
     let allParams: { [key: string]: string } = {};
-    let currentToCheck:ActivatedRouteSnapshot|null = current;
+    let currentToCheck: ActivatedRouteSnapshot | null = current;
 
     while (currentToCheck) {
       if (currentToCheck.params) {
diff --git a/client/src/linkManager.js b/client/src/linkManager.js
index a0a2bff102..2412c00f8a 100644
--- a/client/src/linkManager.js
+++ b/client/src/linkManager.js
@@ -279,8 +279,7 @@ export class linkManager extends LuigiClientBase {
    * LuigiClient.linkManager().fromClosestContext().navigate('/users/groups/stakeholders')
    */
   fromClosestContext() {
-    const hasParentNavigationContext =
-      this.currentContext && this.currentContext.context.parentNavigationContexts.length > 0;
+    const hasParentNavigationContext = this.currentContext?.context.parentNavigationContexts.length > 0;
     if (hasParentNavigationContext) {
       this.options.fromContext = null;
       this.options.fromClosestContext = true;
diff --git a/core/src/services/routing.js b/core/src/services/routing.js
index 864ae93f23..6446af82d3 100644
--- a/core/src/services/routing.js
+++ b/core/src/services/routing.js
@@ -291,8 +291,7 @@ class RoutingClass {
         this.navigateTo(`${trimmedPathUrl ? `/${trimmedPathUrl}` : ''}/${defaultChildNode}`, {
           keepBrowserHistory: false
         });
-        // reset comp data
-        component.set({ navigationPath: [] });
+        return false;
       } else {
         if (defaultChildNode && pathData.navigationPath.length > 1) {
           //last path segment was invalid but a default node could be in its place
diff --git a/test/e2e-test-application/cypress/e2e/tests/0-js-test-app/js-test-app-navigation.cy.js b/test/e2e-test-application/cypress/e2e/tests/0-js-test-app/js-test-app-navigation.cy.js
index bad5cce5eb..ca1092101a 100644
--- a/test/e2e-test-application/cypress/e2e/tests/0-js-test-app/js-test-app-navigation.cy.js
+++ b/test/e2e-test-application/cypress/e2e/tests/0-js-test-app/js-test-app-navigation.cy.js
@@ -653,4 +653,32 @@ describe('JS-TEST-APP', () => {
       });
     });
   });
+
+  describe('First topNav node has no viewURL and empty children', () => {
+    let newConfig;
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      newConfig = structuredClone(defaultLuigiConfig);
+      newConfig.navigation.nodes.unshift({
+        pathSegment: 'firstnode',
+        label: 'First Node',
+        children: []
+      });
+    });
+    it('TopNav nodes should be visible either first node has no view', () => {
+      cy.visitTestAppLoggedIn('/', newConfig);
+      cy.expectPathToBe('/firstnode/');
+      cy.get('.fd-app__sidebar .fd-nested-list')
+        .children()
+        .should('have.length', 0);
+      cy.get('.fd-shellbar').contains('First Node');
+      cy.get('.fd-shellbar')
+        .contains('Home')
+        .click();
+      cy.expectPathToBe('/home');
+      cy.get('.fd-app__sidebar .fd-nested-list')
+        .children()
+        .should('have.length', 2);
+      cy.get('.fd-app__sidebar').contains('Section one');
+    });
+  });
 });