diff --git a/src/gui/qgscoordinatereferencesystemmodel.cpp b/src/gui/qgscoordinatereferencesystemmodel.cpp
index 3025ee3c4bf7..2834817c319b 100644
--- a/src/gui/qgscoordinatereferencesystemmodel.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/qgscoordinatereferencesystemmodel.cpp
@@ -140,7 +140,10 @@ QVariant QgsCoordinateReferenceSystemModel::data( const QModelIndex &index, int
           return crsNode->record().description;
 
         case RoleAuthId:
-          return QStringLiteral( "%1:%2" ).arg( crsNode->record().authName, crsNode->record().authId );
+          if ( !crsNode->record().authId.isEmpty() )
+            return QStringLiteral( "%1:%2" ).arg( crsNode->record().authName, crsNode->record().authId );
+          else
+            return QVariant();
 
         case RoleDeprecated:
           return crsNode->record().deprecated;
diff --git a/src/gui/qgsprojectionselectiontreewidget.cpp b/src/gui/qgsprojectionselectiontreewidget.cpp
index cf0a223fecc2..d379cf937136 100644
--- a/src/gui/qgsprojectionselectiontreewidget.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/qgsprojectionselectiontreewidget.cpp
@@ -227,7 +227,6 @@ void QgsProjectionSelectionTreeWidget::setCrs( const QgsCoordinateReferenceSyste
   }
   else
   {
-    bool changed = false;
     mBlockSignals = true;
     mCheckBoxNoProjection->setChecked( false );
     mBlockSignals = false;
@@ -237,6 +236,7 @@ void QgsProjectionSelectionTreeWidget::setCrs( const QgsCoordinateReferenceSyste
     else
       loadUnknownCrs( crs );
 
+    const bool changed = crs != QgsProjectionSelectionTreeWidget::crs();
     if ( changed )
     {
       emit crsSelected();
diff --git a/tests/src/python/test_qgscoordinatereferencesystemmodel.py b/tests/src/python/test_qgscoordinatereferencesystemmodel.py
index 08664754c213..b2781a6bba96 100644
--- a/tests/src/python/test_qgscoordinatereferencesystemmodel.py
+++ b/tests/src/python/test_qgscoordinatereferencesystemmodel.py
@@ -329,6 +329,8 @@ def test_model(self):
                        Qt.DisplayRole))
         self.assertEqual(model.data(custom_crs_index,
                                     QgsCoordinateReferenceSystemModel.RoleName), 'Custom CRS')
+        self.assertFalse(model.data(custom_crs_index,
+                                    QgsCoordinateReferenceSystemModel.RoleAuthId))
         self.assertFalse(model.data(custom_crs_index,
                                     QgsCoordinateReferenceSystemModel.RoleDeprecated))
         # the proj and wkt roles are only available for non-standard CRS
diff --git a/tests/src/python/test_qgsprojectionselectionwidgets.py b/tests/src/python/test_qgsprojectionselectionwidgets.py
index 0e5c708f96a3..dee8fa43ce3f 100644
--- a/tests/src/python/test_qgsprojectionselectionwidgets.py
+++ b/tests/src/python/test_qgsprojectionselectionwidgets.py
@@ -154,7 +154,6 @@ def testSignal(self):
     def testTreeWidgetGettersSetters(self):
         """ basic tests for QgsProjectionSelectionTreeWidget """
         w = QgsProjectionSelectionTreeWidget()
-        w.show()
         self.assertFalse(w.hasValidSelection())
         w.setCrs(QgsCoordinateReferenceSystem('EPSG:3111'))
         self.assertEqual(w.crs().authid(), 'EPSG:3111')
@@ -162,9 +161,10 @@ def testTreeWidgetGettersSetters(self):
 
     def testTreeWidgetUnknownCrs(self):
         w = QgsProjectionSelectionTreeWidget()
-        w.show()
         self.assertFalse(w.hasValidSelection())
-        w.setCrs(QgsCoordinateReferenceSystem.fromWkt('GEOGCS["WGS 84",DATUM["unknown",SPHEROID["WGS84",6378137,298.257223563]],PRIMEM["Greenwich",0],UNIT["degree",0.0174532925199433]]'))
+        crs = QgsCoordinateReferenceSystem.fromWkt('GEOGCS["WGS 84",DATUM["unknown",SPHEROID["WGS84",6378137,298.257223563]],PRIMEM["Greenwich",0],UNIT["degree",0.0174532925199433]]')
+        self.assertTrue(crs.isValid())
+        w.setCrs(crs)
         self.assertTrue(w.crs().isValid())
         self.assertFalse(w.crs().authid())
         self.assertTrue(w.hasValidSelection())
@@ -173,7 +173,6 @@ def testTreeWidgetUnknownCrs(self):
     def testTreeWidgetNotSetOption(self):
         """ test allowing no projection option for QgsProjectionSelectionTreeWidget """
         w = QgsProjectionSelectionTreeWidget()
-        w.show()
         w.setShowNoProjection(True)
         self.assertTrue(w.showNoProjection())
         w.setShowNoProjection(False)
@@ -188,14 +187,12 @@ def testTreeWidgetNotSetOption(self):
     def testDialogGettersSetters(self):
         """ basic tests for QgsProjectionSelectionTreeWidget """
         w = QgsProjectionSelectionDialog()
-        w.show()
         w.setCrs(QgsCoordinateReferenceSystem('EPSG:3111'))
         self.assertEqual(w.crs().authid(), 'EPSG:3111')
 
     def testDialogNotSetOption(self):
         """ test allowing no projection option for QgsProjectionSelectionTreeWidget """
         w = QgsProjectionSelectionDialog()
-        w.show()
         w.setShowNoProjection(True)
         self.assertTrue(w.showNoProjection())
         w.setShowNoProjection(False)
@@ -235,7 +232,6 @@ def testTreeWidgetDeferredLoad(self):
         self.assertFalse(w.hasValidSelection())
         w.setCrs(QgsCoordinateReferenceSystem('EPSG:3111'))
         self.assertEqual(len(spy), 1)
-        w.show()
         self.assertTrue(w.hasValidSelection())
         self.assertEqual(w.crs().authid(), 'EPSG:3111')
         self.assertEqual(len(spy), 1)
@@ -245,7 +241,6 @@ def testTreeWidgetDeferredLoad(self):
         self.assertFalse(w.hasValidSelection())
         w.setCrs(QgsCoordinateReferenceSystem())
         self.assertEqual(len(spy), 1)
-        w.show()
         self.assertTrue(w.hasValidSelection())
         self.assertFalse(w.crs().isValid())
         self.assertEqual(len(spy), 1)
@@ -264,7 +259,6 @@ def testTreeWidgetDeferredLoad(self):
         self.assertFalse(w.hasValidSelection())
         w.setCrs(QgsCoordinateReferenceSystem('EPSG:3111'))
         w.setCrs(QgsCoordinateReferenceSystem('EPSG:3111'))
-        w.show()
         w.setCrs(QgsCoordinateReferenceSystem('EPSG:3111'))
         self.assertEqual(len(spy), 1)
         w.setCrs(QgsCoordinateReferenceSystem('EPSG:4326'))