diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/channelEdit/vuex/contentNode/actions.js b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/channelEdit/vuex/contentNode/actions.js
index 841e127677..59dcd7d89a 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/channelEdit/vuex/contentNode/actions.js
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/channelEdit/vuex/contentNode/actions.js
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ export function createContentNode(context, { parent, kind, ...payload }) {
     learning_activities: {},
     categories: {},
     suggested_duration: 0,
+    channel_id: channel.id,
     ...payload,
   };
 
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/data/__tests__/ContentNodeResource.spec.js b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/data/__tests__/ContentNodeResource.spec.js
index 810da71ed0..de89ccf042 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/data/__tests__/ContentNodeResource.spec.js
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/data/__tests__/ContentNodeResource.spec.js
@@ -277,11 +277,12 @@ describe('ContentNode methods', () => {
       where,
       getNewSortOrder;
     beforeEach(() => {
-      node = { id: uuid4(), title: 'Test node' };
+      node = { id: uuid4(), title: 'Test node', channel_id: uuid4() };
       parent = {
         id: uuid4(),
         title: 'Test node parent',
         root_id: uuid4(),
+        channel_id: uuid4(),
       };
       siblings = [];
       resolveParent = mockMethod('resolveParent', () => Promise.resolve(parent));
@@ -331,6 +332,43 @@ describe('ContentNode methods', () => {
             source: CLIENTID,
             table: 'contentnode',
             type: CHANGE_TYPES.MOVED,
+            channel_id: parent.channel_id,
+          },
+        });
+      });
+
+      it("should default `channel_id` to the node's", async () => {
+        let cb = jest.fn(() => Promise.resolve('results'));
+        parent.channel_id = null;
+        await expect(
+          ContentNode.resolveTreeInsert('abc123', 'target', 'position', false, cb)
+        ).resolves.toEqual('results');
+        expect(resolveParent).toHaveBeenCalledWith('target', 'position');
+        expect(treeLock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(parent.root_id, expect.any(Function));
+        expect(get).toHaveBeenCalledWith('abc123', false);
+        expect(where).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ parent: parent.id }, false);
+        expect(getNewSortOrder).not.toBeCalled();
+        expect(cb).toBeCalled();
+        const result = cb.mock.calls[0][0];
+        expect(result).toMatchObject({
+          node,
+          parent,
+          payload: {
+            id: 'abc123',
+            parent: parent.id,
+            lft: 1,
+            changed: true,
+          },
+          change: {
+            key: 'abc123',
+            from_key: null,
+            target: parent.id,
+            position: RELATIVE_TREE_POSITIONS.LAST_CHILD,
+            oldObj: node,
+            source: CLIENTID,
+            table: 'contentnode',
+            type: CHANGE_TYPES.MOVED,
+            channel_id: node.channel_id,
           },
         });
       });
@@ -390,6 +428,22 @@ describe('ContentNode methods', () => {
         expect(getNewSortOrder).toHaveBeenCalledWith('abc123', 'target', 'position', siblings);
         expect(cb).not.toBeCalled();
       });
+
+      it('should reject if null channel_id', async () => {
+        let cb = jest.fn(() => Promise.resolve('results'));
+        parent.channel_id = null;
+        node.channel_id = null;
+
+        await expect(
+          ContentNode.resolveTreeInsert('abc123', 'target', 'position', false, cb)
+        ).rejects.toThrow('Missing channel_id for tree insertion change event');
+        expect(resolveParent).toHaveBeenCalledWith('target', 'position');
+        expect(treeLock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(parent.root_id, expect.any(Function));
+        expect(get).toHaveBeenCalledWith('abc123', false);
+        expect(where).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ parent: parent.id }, false);
+        expect(getNewSortOrder).not.toBeCalled();
+        expect(cb).not.toBeCalled();
+      });
     });
 
     describe('copying', () => {
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/data/resources.js b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/data/resources.js
index 281425eb36..f42864f2dc 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/data/resources.js
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/data/resources.js
@@ -1274,6 +1274,24 @@ export const ContentNode = new TreeResource({
               changed: true,
             };
 
+            let channel_id = parent.channel_id;
+
+            // This should really only happen when this is a move operation to the trash tree.
+            // Other cases like copying shouldn't encounter this because they should always have the
+            // channel_id on the destination. The trash tree root node does not have the channel_id
+            // annotated on it, and using the source node's channel_id should be reliable
+            // in that case
+            if (!channel_id && node) {
+              channel_id = node.channel_id;
+
+              // The change would be disallowed anyway, so prevent the frontend from applying it
+              if (!channel_id) {
+                return Promise.reject(
+                  new Error('Missing channel_id for tree insertion change event')
+                );
+              }
+            }
+
             // Prep the change data tracked in the changes table
             const change = {
               key: payload.id,
@@ -1284,7 +1302,7 @@ export const ContentNode = new TreeResource({
               source: CLIENTID,
               table: this.tableName,
               type: isCreate ? CHANGE_TYPES.COPIED : CHANGE_TYPES.MOVED,
-              channel_id: parent.channel_id,
+              channel_id,
             };
 
             return callback({