diff --git a/grade/grading/lib.php b/grade/grading/lib.php
index ce96d87f541..6ad77b65980 100644
--- a/grade/grading/lib.php
+++ b/grade/grading/lib.php
@@ -347,30 +347,34 @@ class grading_manager {
         if (empty($areas)) {
             // no money, no funny
             return;
-        }
 
-        $managementnode = $modulenode->add(get_string('gradingmanagement', 'core_grading'),
-            $this->get_management_url(), settings_navigation::TYPE_CUSTOM);
-
-        foreach ($areas as $areaname => $areatitle) {
+        } else if (count($areas) == 1) {
+            // make just a single node for the management screen
+            $areatitle = reset($areas);
+            $areaname  = key($areas);
             $this->set_area($areaname);
             $method = $this->get_active_method();
-
-            if (empty($method)) {
-                // no grading method selected for the given area - nothing to display
-                continue;
+            $managementnode = $modulenode->add(get_string('gradingmanagement', 'core_grading'),
+                $this->get_management_url(), settings_navigation::TYPE_CUSTOM);
+            if ($method) {
+                $controller = $this->get_controller($method);
+                $controller->extend_settings_navigation($settingsnav, $managementnode);
             }
 
-            if (count($areas) > 1) {
-                // if the module supports multiple gradable areas, make a node for each of them
-                $node = $managementnode->add($areatitle, null, settings_navigation::NODETYPE_BRANCH);
-            } else {
-                // otherwise put the items directly into the module's node
-                $node = $managementnode;
+        } else {
+            // make management screen node for each area
+            $managementnode = $modulenode->add(get_string('gradingmanagement', 'core_grading'),
+                null, settings_navigation::TYPE_CUSTOM);
+            foreach ($areas as $areaname => $areatitle) {
+                $this->set_area($areaname);
+                $method = $this->get_active_method();
+                $node = $managementnode->add($areatitle,
+                    $this->get_management_url(), settings_navigation::TYPE_CUSTOM);
+                if ($method) {
+                    $controller = $this->get_controller($method);
+                    $controller->extend_settings_navigation($settingsnav, $node);
+                }
             }
-
-            $controller = $this->get_controller($method);
-            $controller->extend_settings_navigation($settingsnav, $node);
         }
     }
 
@@ -439,10 +443,9 @@ class grading_manager {
      * Returns the URL of the grading area management page
      *
      * @param moodle_url $returnurl optional URL of the page where the user should be sent back to
-     * @param string $area optional area name for multi-area components
      * @return moodle_url
      */
-    public function get_management_url(moodle_url $returnurl = null, $area = null) {
+    public function get_management_url(moodle_url $returnurl = null) {
 
         $this->ensure_isset(array('context', 'component'));
 
@@ -450,8 +453,8 @@ class grading_manager {
             $params = array('areaid' => $this->areacache->id);
         } else {
             $params = array('contextid' => $this->context->id, 'component' => $this->component);
-            if (!is_null($area)) {
-                $params['area'] = $area;
+            if ($this->area) {
+                $params['area'] = $this->area;
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/grade/grading/manage.php b/grade/grading/manage.php
index 96cbfe7657c..ec29d9f1455 100644
--- a/grade/grading/manage.php
+++ b/grade/grading/manage.php
@@ -37,13 +37,16 @@ if (!is_null($areaid)) {
     $manager = get_grading_manager($areaid);
 } else {
     // get manager by context and component
-    if (is_null($contextid) or is_null($component)) {
+    if (is_null($contextid) or is_null($component) or is_null($area)) {
         throw new coding_exception('The caller script must identify the gradable area.');
     }
     $context = get_context_instance_by_id($contextid, MUST_EXIST);
     $manager = get_grading_manager($context, $component, $area);
 }
 
+// currently active method
+$method = $manager->get_active_method();
+
 list($context, $course, $cm) = get_context_info_array($manager->get_context()->id);
 
 if (is_null($returnurl)) {
@@ -55,34 +58,12 @@ if (is_null($returnurl)) {
 require_login($course, true, $cm);
 require_capability('moodle/grade:managegradingforms', $context);
 
-$PAGE->set_url($manager->get_management_url($returnurl, $area));
+$PAGE->set_url($manager->get_management_url($returnurl));
 navigation_node::override_active_url($manager->get_management_url());
 $PAGE->set_title(get_string('gradingmanagement', 'core_grading'));
 $PAGE->set_heading(get_string('gradingmanagement', 'core_grading'));
 $output = $PAGE->get_renderer('core_grading');
 
-if (is_null($manager->get_area())) {
-    $areas = $manager->get_available_areas();
-
-    if (empty($areas)) {
-        throw new moodle_exception('no_gradable_area_available', 'core_grading');
-    }
-
-    if (count($areas) == 1) {
-        // if there is just one area available, set it automatically
-        $area = reset(array_keys($areas));
-        $manager->set_area($area);
-
-    } else {
-        // display area selector (we will make this page nicer once we have some real multi-area component)
-        echo $output->header();
-        echo $output->heading($manager->get_component_title());
-        echo $output->single_select($PAGE->url, 'area', $areas);
-        echo $output->footer();
-        die();
-    }
-}
-
 // process the eventual change of the active grading method
 if (!empty($activemethod)) {
     require_sesskey();
@@ -102,7 +83,6 @@ echo $output->heading(get_string('gradingmanagementtitle', 'core_grading', array
 echo $output->management_method_selector($manager, $PAGE->url);
 
 // get the currently active method's controller
-$method = $manager->get_active_method();
 if (!empty($method)) {
     $controller = $manager->get_controller($method);
     // display relevant actions