diff --git a/apps/dashboard/app/apps/nav_config.rb b/apps/dashboard/app/apps/nav_config.rb
deleted file mode 100644
index 03fd4c47e6..0000000000
--- a/apps/dashboard/app/apps/nav_config.rb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-class NavConfig
-    class << self
-      attr_accessor :categories, :categories_whitelist
-      alias_method :categories_whitelist?, :categories_whitelist
-    end
-    self.categories = ["Apps", "Files", "Jobs", "Clusters", "Interactive Apps"]
-    self.categories_whitelist = false
-end
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/app/models/user_configuration.rb b/apps/dashboard/app/models/user_configuration.rb
index be74c9c368..1fe33ea7d6 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/app/models/user_configuration.rb
+++ b/apps/dashboard/app/models/user_configuration.rb
@@ -122,14 +122,14 @@ def announcement_path
     end
   end
 
-  # Filtering is controlled with NavConfig.categories_allowlist? unless the configuration property categories is defined.
-  # If categories are defined, filter_nav_categories? will always be true.
+  DEFAULT_NAV_CATEGORIES = ["Apps", "Files", "Jobs", "Clusters", "Interactive Apps"].freeze
+  
   def filter_nav_categories?
-    fetch(:nav_categories, nil).nil? ? NavConfig.categories_whitelist? : true
+    !!fetch(:nav_categories, nil)
   end
 
   def nav_categories
-    fetch(:nav_categories, nil) || NavConfig.categories
+    fetch(:nav_categories, DEFAULT_NAV_CATEGORIES)
   end
 
   # Create support ticket service class based on the configuration
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/test/integration/dashboard_controller_test.rb b/apps/dashboard/test/integration/dashboard_controller_test.rb
index e5289701cd..c3863e315a 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/test/integration/dashboard_controller_test.rb
+++ b/apps/dashboard/test/integration/dashboard_controller_test.rb
@@ -148,55 +148,9 @@ def teardown
     assert_select "nav a[href='#{batch_connect_sessions_path}']", 0
   end
 
-  test 'should not create app menus if NavConfig.categories is empty and whitelist is enabled' do
+  test 'UserConfiguration.categories should filter and order the navigation' do
     SysRouter.stubs(:base_path).returns(Rails.root.join('test/fixtures/sys_with_gateway_apps'))
     OodAppkit.stubs(:clusters).returns(OodCore::Clusters.load_file('test/fixtures/config/clusters.d'))
-    NavConfig.stubs(:categories_whitelist?).returns(true)
-    NavConfig.stubs(:categories).returns([])
-
-    get root_path
-    assert_response :success
-    assert_select dropdown_links, 1 # +1 here is 'Help'
-    assert_select dropdown_link(1), text: 'Help' # ensure is Help
-  end
-
-  test 'should exclude gateway apps if NavConfig.categories is set to default and whitelist is enabled' do
-    SysRouter.stubs(:base_path).returns(Rails.root.join('test/fixtures/sys_with_gateway_apps'))
-    OodAppkit.stubs(:clusters).returns(OodCore::Clusters.load_file('test/fixtures/config/clusters.d'))
-    NavConfig.stubs(:categories_whitelist?).returns(true)
-    NavConfig.stubs(:categories).returns(['Files', 'Jobs', 'Clusters', 'Interactive Apps'])
-
-    get root_path
-    assert_response :success
-    assert_select  dropdown_links, 5 # +1 here is 'Help'
-    assert_select  dropdown_link(1), text: 'Files'
-    assert_select  dropdown_link(2), text: 'Jobs'
-    assert_select  dropdown_link(3), text: 'Clusters'
-    assert_select  dropdown_link(4), text: 'Interactive Apps'
-    assert_select  dropdown_link(5), text: 'Help'
-  end
-
-  test 'uses NavConfig.categories as sort order if whitelist is false' do
-    SysRouter.stubs(:base_path).returns(Rails.root.join('test/fixtures/sys_with_gateway_apps'))
-    OodAppkit.stubs(:clusters).returns(OodCore::Clusters.load_file('test/fixtures/config/clusters.d'))
-    NavConfig.stubs(:categories_whitelist?).returns(false)
-    NavConfig.stubs(:categories).returns(['Jobs', 'Interactive Apps', 'Files', 'Clusters'])
-
-    get root_path
-    assert_response :success
-    assert_select  dropdown_links, 6 # +1 here is 'Help'
-    assert_select  dropdown_link(1), text: 'Jobs'
-    assert_select  dropdown_link(2), text: 'Interactive Apps'
-    assert_select  dropdown_link(3), text: 'Files'
-    assert_select  dropdown_link(4), text: 'Clusters'
-    assert_select  dropdown_link(5), text: 'Gateway Apps'
-  end
-
-  test 'UserConfiguration.categories should filter and order the navigation and have precedence over NavConfig' do
-    SysRouter.stubs(:base_path).returns(Rails.root.join('test/fixtures/sys_with_gateway_apps'))
-    OodAppkit.stubs(:clusters).returns(OodCore::Clusters.load_file('test/fixtures/config/clusters.d'))
-    NavConfig.stubs(:categories_whitelist?).returns(false)
-    NavConfig.stubs(:categories).returns(['Jobs', 'Interactive Apps', 'Files', 'Clusters'])
 
     stub_user_configuration({
                               nav_categories: ['Files', 'Interactive Apps', 'Clusters']
@@ -213,8 +167,6 @@ def teardown
   test 'should not create app menus if UserConfiguration.categories is empty' do
     SysRouter.stubs(:base_path).returns(Rails.root.join('test/fixtures/sys_with_gateway_apps'))
     OodAppkit.stubs(:clusters).returns(OodCore::Clusters.load_file('test/fixtures/config/clusters.d'))
-    NavConfig.stubs(:categories_whitelist?).returns(false)
-    NavConfig.stubs(:categories).returns(['Jobs', 'Interactive Apps', 'Files', 'Clusters'])
 
     stub_user_configuration({
                               nav_categories: []
@@ -226,32 +178,9 @@ def teardown
     assert_select dropdown_link(1), text: 'Help' # ensure is Help
   end
 
-  test 'verify default values for NavConfig' do
-    refute NavConfig.categories_whitelist?
-    assert NavConfig
-  end
-
-  test 'display all app menus in alphabetical order if NavConfig.whitelist false & NavConfig.categories nil or []' do
-    SysRouter.stubs(:base_path).returns(Rails.root.join('test/fixtures/sys_with_gateway_apps'))
-    OodAppkit.stubs(:clusters).returns(OodCore::Clusters.load_file('test/fixtures/config/clusters.d'))
-    NavConfig.stubs(:categories_whitelist?).returns(false)
-    NavConfig.stubs(:categories).returns([])
-
-    get root_path
-    assert_response :success
-    assert_select dropdown_links, 6 # +1 here is 'Help'
-
-    assert_select dropdown_link(1), text: 'Clusters'
-    assert_select dropdown_link(2), text: 'Files'
-    assert_select dropdown_link(3), text: 'Gateway Apps'
-    assert_select dropdown_link(4), text: 'Interactive Apps'
-    assert_select dropdown_link(5), text: 'Jobs'
-  end
-
   test 'apps with no category should not appear in menu' do
     SysRouter.stubs(:base_path).returns(Rails.root.join('test/fixtures/sys_with_gateway_apps'))
     OodAppkit.stubs(:clusters).returns(OodCore::Clusters.load_file('test/fixtures/config/clusters.d'))
-    NavConfig.stubs(:categories_whitelist?).returns(false)
 
     get root_path
 
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/test/models/user_configuration_test.rb b/apps/dashboard/test/models/user_configuration_test.rb
index 89f3b67ca6..d5308034f1 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/test/models/user_configuration_test.rb
+++ b/apps/dashboard/test/models/user_configuration_test.rb
@@ -177,12 +177,11 @@ def teardown
     assert_equal true, UserConfiguration.new.filter_nav_categories?
   end
 
-  test "filter_nav_categories? should return default value NavConfig.categories_whitelist? when categories is not set in config" do
+  test "filter_nav_categories? should return false when nav_categories is nil" do
     Configuration.stubs(:config).returns({})
-    NavConfig.stubs(:categories_whitelist?).returns(false)
     assert_equal false, UserConfiguration.new.filter_nav_categories?
 
-    NavConfig.stubs(:categories_whitelist?).returns(true)
+    Configuration.stubs(:config).returns({nav_categories: []})
     assert_equal true, UserConfiguration.new.filter_nav_categories?
   end