diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php
index 660d3739f4..e740c93a1c 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php
@@ -472,11 +472,11 @@ function _wp_ajax_add_hierarchical_term() {
 		$category_nicename = sanitize_title($cat_name);
 		if ( '' === $category_nicename )
 			continue;
-		if ( !$cat_id = term_exists( $cat_name, $taxonomy->name, $parent ) )
-			$cat_id = wp_insert_term( $cat_name, $taxonomy->name, array( 'parent' => $parent ) );
-		if ( is_wp_error( $cat_id ) ) {
+
+		$cat_id = wp_insert_term( $cat_name, $taxonomy->name, array( 'parent' => $parent ) );
+		if ( ! $cat_id || is_wp_error( $cat_id ) ) {
 			continue;
-		} elseif ( is_array( $cat_id ) ) {
+		} else {
 			$cat_id = $cat_id['term_id'];
 		}
 		$checked_categories[] = $cat_id;
@@ -806,11 +806,11 @@ function wp_ajax_add_link_category( $action ) {
 		$slug = sanitize_title($cat_name);
 		if ( '' === $slug )
 			continue;
-		if ( !$cat_id = term_exists( $cat_name, 'link_category' ) )
-			$cat_id = wp_insert_term( $cat_name, 'link_category' );
-		if ( is_wp_error( $cat_id ) ) {
+
+		$cat_id = wp_insert_term( $cat_name, 'link_category' );
+		if ( ! $cat_id || is_wp_error( $cat_id ) ) {
 			continue;
-		} elseif ( is_array( $cat_id ) ) {
+		} else {
 			$cat_id = $cat_id['term_id'];
 		}
 		$cat_name = esc_html( $cat_name );