diff --git a/src/module-elasticsuite-virtual-category/Helper/Rule.php b/src/module-elasticsuite-virtual-category/Helper/Rule.php
index aa2d72b5d..b65e744f3 100644
--- a/src/module-elasticsuite-virtual-category/Helper/Rule.php
+++ b/src/module-elasticsuite-virtual-category/Helper/Rule.php
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@ class Rule
      */
     private $categoryRepository;
 
+    /**
+     * @var Config
+     */
+    private $config;
+
     /**
      * Provider constructor.
      *
@@ -54,17 +59,20 @@ class Rule
      * @param \Magento\Customer\Model\Session                         $customerSession    Customer session.
      * @param ReadHandler                                             $readHandler        Rule read handler.
      * @param \Magento\Catalog\Api\CategoryRepositoryInterfaceFactory $categoryRepository Category factory.
+     * @param Config                                                  $config             Virtual category configuration.
      */
     public function __construct(
         \Magento\Framework\App\CacheInterface $cache,
         \Magento\Customer\Model\Session $customerSession,
         ReadHandler $readHandler,
-        CategoryRepositoryInterfaceFactory $categoryRepository
+        CategoryRepositoryInterfaceFactory $categoryRepository,
+        Config $config
     ) {
         $this->cache = $cache;
         $this->customerSession = $customerSession;
         $this->readHandler = $readHandler;
         $this->categoryRepository = $categoryRepository;
+        $this->config = $config;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -79,7 +87,16 @@ public function __construct(
     public function loadUsingCache(CategoryInterface $category, $callback)
     {
         \Magento\Framework\Profiler::start('ES:Virtual Rule ' . $callback);
-        $cacheKey = implode('|', [$callback, $category->getStoreId(), $category->getId(), $this->customerSession->getCustomerGroupId()]);
+        $cacheKey = implode(
+            '|',
+            [
+                $callback,
+                $category->getStoreId(),
+                $category->getId(),
+                $this->customerSession->getCustomerGroupId(),
+                (int) $this->config->isForceZeroResultsForDisabledCategoriesEnabled($category->getStoreId()),
+            ]
+        );
 
         $data = $this->cache->load($cacheKey);
 
diff --git a/src/module-elasticsuite-virtual-category/Model/Rule.php b/src/module-elasticsuite-virtual-category/Model/Rule.php
index 0c1687410..cdc78bf70 100644
--- a/src/module-elasticsuite-virtual-category/Model/Rule.php
+++ b/src/module-elasticsuite-virtual-category/Model/Rule.php
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ public function getCategorySearchQuery($category, $excludedCategories = []): ?Qu
         \Magento\Framework\Profiler::start('ES:Virtual Rule ' . __FUNCTION__);
         $categoryId = (int) (!is_object($category) ? $category : $category->getId());
         $storeId = !is_object($category) ? $this->getStoreId() : $category->getStoreId();
+        $storeId = $storeId ?: $this->storeManager->getStore()->getId();
         $cacheKey = implode(
             '|',
             [
@@ -196,7 +197,7 @@ public function getCategorySearchQuery($category, $excludedCategories = []): ?Qu
                 $storeId,
                 $categoryId,
                 $this->customerSession->getCustomerGroupId(),
-                $this->config->isForceZeroResultsForDisabledCategoriesEnabled($storeId),
+                (int) $this->config->isForceZeroResultsForDisabledCategoriesEnabled($storeId),
             ]
         );
 
@@ -204,10 +205,14 @@ public function getCategorySearchQuery($category, $excludedCategories = []): ?Qu
 
         // If the category is not an object, it can't be in a "draft" mode.
         if ($query === false && (!is_object($category) || !$category->getHasDraftVirtualRule())) {
-            // Due to the fact we serialize/unserialize completely pre-built queries as object.
-            // We cannot use any implementation of SerializerInterface.
-            $query = $this->sharedCache->load($cacheKey);
-            $query = $query ? unserialize($query) : false;
+            // If the category virtual root is one of the excluded categories, we must recalculate the query.
+            // We can't use the cached one in order to avoid loop and very big queries.
+            if (!is_object($category) || !$this->isVirtualCategoryRootInExcludeCategories($category, $excludedCategories)) {
+                // Due to the fact we serialize/unserialize completely pre-built queries as object.
+                // We cannot use any implementation of SerializerInterface.
+                $query = $this->sharedCache->load($cacheKey);
+                $query = $query ? unserialize($query) : false;
+            }
         }
 
         if ($query === false) {
@@ -439,23 +444,11 @@ private function getVirtualCategoryQuery(
         CategoryInterface $category,
         $excludedCategories = []
     ): ?QueryInterface {
-        $rootCategory = $this->getVirtualRootCategory($category);
-        // If the root category of the current virtual category has already been computed (exist in $excludedCategories)
-        // or if a parent of the root category of the current category has already been computed we don't need
-        // to compute the rule. All the product will already been present.
-        // For example, if you have the following category tree:
-        // - Category A (static)
-        // -   - Category B (static)
-        // -       - Category C (virtual with category B as root)
-        // When you compute the rule of the category A you do not need to compute the rule of the category C
-        // as all the product will be there.
-        if ($rootCategory
-            && $rootCategory->getPath()
-            && array_intersect(explode('/', (string) $rootCategory->getPath()), $excludedCategories)
-        ) {
+        if ($this->isVirtualCategoryRootInExcludeCategories($category, $excludedCategories)) {
             return null;
         }
 
+        $rootCategory = $this->getVirtualRootCategory($category);
         $query = $category->getVirtualRule()->getConditions()->getSearchQuery($excludedCategories);
         if ($query instanceof QueryInterface) {
             $queryName = sprintf('(%s) virtual category [%s]:%d', $category->getPath(), $category->getName(), $category->getId());
@@ -630,4 +623,30 @@ private function getNoResultsQuery(): QueryInterface
             ['field' => 'entity_id', 'values' => [0]]
         );
     }
+
+    /**
+     * If the root category of the current virtual category has already been computed (exist in $excludedCategories)
+     * or if a parent of the root category of the current category has already been computed we don't need
+     * to compute the rule. All the product will already been present.
+     * For example, if you have the following category tree:
+     * - Category A (static)
+     * -   - Category B (static)
+     * -       - Category C (virtual with category B as root)
+     * When you compute the rule of the category A you do not need to compute the rule of the category C
+     * as all the product will be there.
+     *
+     * @param CategoryInterface $category           category to check
+     * @param array             $excludedCategories list of actual excluded categories
+     * @return bool
+     * @throws NoSuchEntityException
+     */
+    private function isVirtualCategoryRootInExcludeCategories(CategoryInterface $category, array $excludedCategories): bool
+    {
+        $rootCategory = $this->getVirtualRootCategory($category);
+
+        return $category->getIsVirtualCategory()
+            && $rootCategory
+            && $rootCategory->getPath()
+            && array_intersect(explode('/', (string) $rootCategory->getPath()), $excludedCategories);
+    }
 }