diff --git a/course/importstudents.php b/course/importstudents.php
index 91f61173552..6e9d820a7e1 100644
--- a/course/importstudents.php
+++ b/course/importstudents.php
@@ -110,13 +110,12 @@
 
 /// If no search results then get potential students for this course excluding users already in course
     if (empty($searchcourses)) {
+        $numcourses = count_courses_notin_metacourse($course->id);
 
-        $numcourses = get_courses_notin_metacourse($course->id,true);
-
-        $courses = array();
-
-        if ($numcourses <= MAX_COURSES_PER_PAGE) {
+        if ($numcourses > 0 and $numcourses <= MAX_COURSES_PER_PAGE) {
             $courses = get_courses_notin_metacourse($course->id);
+        } else {
+            $courses = array();
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/datalib.php b/lib/datalib.php
index e0e11364ba2..eff8d5d9e73 100644
--- a/lib/datalib.php
+++ b/lib/datalib.php
@@ -97,6 +97,22 @@ function get_courses_notin_metacourse($metacourseid,$count=false) {
     return get_records_sql($sql);
 }
 
+function count_courses_notin_metacourse($metacourseid) {
+    global $CFG;
+
+    $alreadycourses = get_courses_in_metacourse($metacourseid);
+
+    $sql = "SELECT 1, COUNT(c.id) AS notin FROM {$CFG->prefix}course c
+             WHERE ".((!empty($alreadycourses)) ? "c.id NOT IN (".implode(',',array_keys($alreadycourses)).")
+              AND " : "")." c.id !=$metacourseid and c.id != ".SITEID." and c.metacourse != 1";
+
+    if (!$result = get_records_sql($sql)) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    return $result[1]->notin;
+}
+
 /**
  * Search through course users
  *