diff --git a/course/externallib.php b/course/externallib.php
index 42a2369e245..2ed81936116 100644
--- a/course/externallib.php
+++ b/course/externallib.php
@@ -388,14 +388,8 @@ class core_course_external extends external_api {
             // We didn't this before to be able to retrieve stealth activities.
             foreach ($coursecontents as $sectionnumber => $sectioncontents) {
                 $section = $sections[$sectionnumber];
-                // Show the section if the user is permitted to access it OR
-                // if it's not available but there is some available info text which explains the reason & should display OR
-                // the course is configured to show hidden sections name.
-                $showsection = $section->uservisible ||
-                    ($section->visible && !$section->available && !empty($section->availableinfo)) ||
-                    (!$section->visible && empty($courseformat->get_course()->hiddensections));
 
-                if (!$showsection) {
+                if (!$courseformat->is_section_visible($section)) {
                     unset($coursecontents[$sectionnumber]);
                     continue;
                 }
diff --git a/course/format/classes/base.php b/course/format/classes/base.php
index 079cc4acf2c..36452825365 100644
--- a/course/format/classes/base.php
+++ b/course/format/classes/base.php
@@ -1210,6 +1210,28 @@ abstract class base {
         return ($sectionnum && ($course = $this->get_course()) && $course->marker == $sectionnum);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns if an specific section is visible to the current user.
+     *
+     * Formats can overrride this method to implement any special section logic.
+     *
+     * @param section_info $section the section modinfo
+     * @return bool;
+     */
+    public function is_section_visible(section_info $section): bool {
+        // Previous to Moodle 4.0 thas logic was hardcoded. To prevent errors in the contrib plugins
+        // the default logic is the same required for topics and weeks format and still uses
+        // a "hiddensections" format setting.
+        $course = $this->get_course();
+        $hidesections = $course->hiddensections ?? true;
+        // Show the section if the user is permitted to access it, OR if it's not available
+        // but there is some available info text which explains the reason & should display,
+        // OR it is hidden but the course has a setting to display hidden sections as unavailable.
+        return $section->uservisible ||
+            ($section->visible && !$section->available && !empty($section->availableinfo)) ||
+            (!$section->visible && !$hidesections);
+    }
+
     /**
      * return true if the course editor must be displayed.
      *
diff --git a/course/format/classes/external/get_state.php b/course/format/classes/external/get_state.php
index f718ac0d626..99c354f21bd 100644
--- a/course/format/classes/external/get_state.php
+++ b/course/format/classes/external/get_state.php
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ class get_state extends external_api {
         // Sections and course modules state.
         $sections = $modinfo->get_section_info_all();
         foreach ($sections as $section) {
-            if (!empty($section->uservisible)) {
+            if ($courseformat->is_section_visible($section)) {
                 // Only return this section data if it's visible by current user on the course page.
                 $sectionstate = new $sectionclass($courseformat, $section);
                 $result->section[] = $sectionstate->export_for_template($renderer);
diff --git a/course/format/classes/output/local/content.php b/course/format/classes/output/local/content.php
index 9c864fb7b4c..434cbdb8f88 100644
--- a/course/format/classes/output/local/content.php
+++ b/course/format/classes/output/local/content.php
@@ -153,13 +153,7 @@ class content implements renderable, templatable {
                 continue;
             }
 
-            // Show the section if the user is permitted to access it, OR if it's not available
-            // but there is some available info text which explains the reason & should display,
-            // OR it is hidden but the course has a setting to display hidden sections as unavilable.
-            $showsection = $thissection->uservisible ||
-                    ($thissection->visible && !$thissection->available && !empty($thissection->availableinfo)) ||
-                    (!$thissection->visible && !$course->hiddensections);
-            if (!$showsection) {
+            if (!$format->is_section_visible($thissection)) {
                 continue;
             }
 
diff --git a/course/format/classes/output/local/state/course.php b/course/format/classes/output/local/state/course.php
index e6f33e50401..475ff63c9bb 100644
--- a/course/format/classes/output/local/state/course.php
+++ b/course/format/classes/output/local/state/course.php
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ class course implements renderable {
 
         $sections = $modinfo->get_section_info_all();
         foreach ($sections as $section) {
-            if (!empty($section->uservisible)) {
+            if ($format->is_section_visible($section)) {
                 $data->sectionlist[] = $section->id;
             }
         }
diff --git a/course/format/classes/output/local/state/section.php b/course/format/classes/output/local/state/section.php
index 0b3fba0054e..f2294a26637 100644
--- a/course/format/classes/output/local/state/section.php
+++ b/course/format/classes/output/local/state/section.php
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ class section implements renderable {
 
         foreach ($modinfo->sections[$section->section] as $modnumber) {
             $mod = $modinfo->cms[$modnumber];
-            if ($mod->is_visible_on_course_page()) {
+            if ($section->uservisible && $mod->is_visible_on_course_page()) {
                 $data->cmlist[] = $mod->id;
             }
         }
diff --git a/course/format/classes/output/section_renderer.php b/course/format/classes/output/section_renderer.php
index f84ff3cf1d2..b0493ce94d3 100644
--- a/course/format/classes/output/section_renderer.php
+++ b/course/format/classes/output/section_renderer.php
@@ -1033,13 +1033,8 @@ abstract class section_renderer extends core_course_renderer {
                 // Activities inside this section are 'orphaned', this section will be printed as 'stealth' below.
                 continue;
             }
-            // Show the section if the user is permitted to access it, OR if it's not available
-            // but there is some available info text which explains the reason & should display,
-            // OR it is hidden but the course has a setting to display hidden sections as unavilable.
-            $showsection = $thissection->uservisible ||
-                ($thissection->visible && !$thissection->available && !empty($thissection->availableinfo)) ||
-                (!$thissection->visible && !$course->hiddensections);
-            if (!$showsection) {
+
+            if (!$format->is_section_visible($thissection)) {
                 continue;
             }
 
diff --git a/course/format/classes/stateupdates.php b/course/format/classes/stateupdates.php
index e4922e449f6..a3921da0082 100644
--- a/course/format/classes/stateupdates.php
+++ b/course/format/classes/stateupdates.php
@@ -111,14 +111,15 @@ class stateupdates implements JsonSerializable {
         }
         $course = $this->format->get_course();
         $modinfo = course_modinfo::instance($course);
+        $format = $this->format;
 
         $section = $modinfo->get_section_info_by_id($sectionid, MUST_EXIST);
 
-        if (!$section->uservisible) {
+        if (!$format->is_section_visible($section)) {
             return;
         }
 
-        $sectionclass = $this->format->get_output_classname('state\\section');
+        $sectionclass = $format->get_output_classname('state\\section');
         $currentstate = new $sectionclass($this->format, $section);
 
         $this->add_update('section', $action, $currentstate->export_for_template($this->output));
@@ -162,12 +163,13 @@ class stateupdates implements JsonSerializable {
 
         $cm = $modinfo->get_cm($cmid);
         $section = $modinfo->get_section_info_by_id($cm->section);
+        $format = $this->format;
 
         if (!$section->uservisible || !$cm->is_visible_on_course_page()) {
             return;
         }
 
-        $cmclass = $this->format->get_output_classname('state\\cm');
+        $cmclass = $format->get_output_classname('state\\cm');
         $currentstate = new $cmclass($this->format, $section, $cm);
 
         $this->add_update('cm', $action, $currentstate->export_for_template($this->output));