diff --git a/src/app/shared/search/search-filters/search-filter/search-hierarchy-filter/search-hierarchy-filter.component.spec.ts b/src/app/shared/search/search-filters/search-filter/search-hierarchy-filter/search-hierarchy-filter.component.spec.ts
index 4469a124ce6..a6212ca9c5e 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/search/search-filters/search-filter/search-hierarchy-filter/search-hierarchy-filter.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/search/search-filters/search-filter/search-hierarchy-filter/search-hierarchy-filter.component.spec.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ import { SearchConfigurationServiceStub } from '../../../../testing/search-confi
 import { VocabularyEntryDetail } from '../../../../../core/submission/vocabularies/models/vocabulary-entry-detail.model';
 import { FacetValue} from '../../../models/facet-value.model';
 import { SearchFilterConfig } from '../../../models/search-filter-config.model';
+import { APP_CONFIG } from '../../../../../../config/app-config.interface';
+import { environment } from '../../../../../../environments/environment.test';
 
 describe('SearchHierarchyFilterComponent', () => {
 
@@ -34,7 +36,7 @@ describe('SearchHierarchyFilterComponent', () => {
   let showVocabularyTreeLink: DebugElement;
 
   const testSearchLink = 'test-search';
-  const testSearchFilter = 'test-search-filter';
+  const testSearchFilter = 'subject';
   const VocabularyTreeViewComponent = {
     select: new EventEmitter<VocabularyEntryDetail>(),
   };
@@ -73,6 +75,7 @@ describe('SearchHierarchyFilterComponent', () => {
         { provide: Router, useValue: router },
         { provide: NgbModal, useValue: ngbModal },
         { provide: VocabularyService, useValue: vocabularyService },
+        { provide: APP_CONFIG, useValue: environment },
         { provide: SEARCH_CONFIG_SERVICE, useValue: new SearchConfigurationServiceStub() },
         { provide: IN_PLACE_SEARCH, useValue: false },
         { provide: FILTER_CONFIG, useValue: Object.assign(new SearchFilterConfig(), { name: testSearchFilter }) },
@@ -86,7 +89,7 @@ describe('SearchHierarchyFilterComponent', () => {
   function init() {
     fixture = TestBed.createComponent(SearchHierarchyFilterComponent);
     fixture.detectChanges();
-    showVocabularyTreeLink = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('a#show-test-search-filter-tree'));
+    showVocabularyTreeLink = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css(`a#show-${testSearchFilter}-tree`));
   }
 
   describe('if the vocabulary doesn\'t exist', () => {
diff --git a/src/app/shared/search/search-filters/search-filter/search-hierarchy-filter/search-hierarchy-filter.component.ts b/src/app/shared/search/search-filters/search-filter/search-hierarchy-filter/search-hierarchy-filter.component.ts
index d53fa37cf4b..18ddbbdf97e 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/search/search-filters/search-filter/search-hierarchy-filter/search-hierarchy-filter.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/search/search-filters/search-filter/search-hierarchy-filter/search-hierarchy-filter.component.ts
@@ -24,9 +24,11 @@ import { filter, map, take } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import { VocabularyService } from '../../../../../core/submission/vocabularies/vocabulary.service';
 import { Observable, BehaviorSubject } from 'rxjs';
 import { PageInfo } from '../../../../../core/shared/page-info.model';
-import { environment } from '../../../../../../environments/environment';
 import { addOperatorToFilterValue } from '../../../search.utils';
 import { VocabularyTreeviewModalComponent } from '../../../../form/vocabulary-treeview-modal/vocabulary-treeview-modal.component';
+import { hasValue } from '../../../../empty.util';
+import { APP_CONFIG, AppConfig } from '../../../../../../config/app-config.interface';
+import { FilterVocabularyConfig } from '../../../../../../config/filter-vocabulary-config';
 
 @Component({
   selector: 'ds-search-hierarchy-filter',
@@ -47,6 +49,7 @@ export class SearchHierarchyFilterComponent extends SearchFacetFilterComponent i
               protected router: Router,
               protected modalService: NgbModal,
               protected vocabularyService: VocabularyService,
+              @Inject(APP_CONFIG) protected appConfig: AppConfig,
               @Inject(SEARCH_CONFIG_SERVICE) public searchConfigService: SearchConfigurationService,
               @Inject(IN_PLACE_SEARCH) public inPlaceSearch: boolean,
               @Inject(FILTER_CONFIG) public filterConfig: SearchFilterConfig,
@@ -67,17 +70,20 @@ export class SearchHierarchyFilterComponent extends SearchFacetFilterComponent i
     super.onSubmit(addOperatorToFilterValue(data, 'query'));
   }
 
-  ngOnInit() {
+  ngOnInit(): void {
     super.ngOnInit();
-    this.vocabularyExists$ = this.vocabularyService.searchTopEntries(
-      this.getVocabularyEntry(), new PageInfo(), true, false,
-    ).pipe(
-      filter(rd => rd.hasCompleted),
-      take(1),
-      map(rd => {
-        return rd.hasSucceeded;
-      }),
-    );
+    const vocabularyName: string = this.getVocabularyEntry();
+    if (hasValue(vocabularyName)) {
+      this.vocabularyExists$ = this.vocabularyService.searchTopEntries(
+        vocabularyName, new PageInfo(), true, false,
+      ).pipe(
+        filter(rd => rd.hasCompleted),
+        take(1),
+        map(rd => {
+          return rd.hasSucceeded;
+        }),
+      );
+    }
   }
 
   /**
@@ -93,11 +99,11 @@ export class SearchHierarchyFilterComponent extends SearchFacetFilterComponent i
       name: this.getVocabularyEntry(),
       closed: true
     };
-    modalRef.result.then((detail: VocabularyEntryDetail) => {
-      this.selectedValues$
+    void modalRef.result.then((detail: VocabularyEntryDetail) => {
+      this.subs.push(this.selectedValues$
         .pipe(take(1))
         .subscribe((selectedValues) => {
-          this.router.navigate(
+          void this.router.navigate(
             [this.searchService.getSearchLink()],
             {
               queryParams: {
@@ -107,16 +113,16 @@ export class SearchHierarchyFilterComponent extends SearchFacetFilterComponent i
               queryParamsHandling: 'merge',
             },
           );
-        });
-    }).catch();
+        }));
+    });
   }
 
   /**
    * Returns the matching vocabulary entry for the given search filter.
    * These are configurable in the config file.
    */
-  getVocabularyEntry() {
-    const foundVocabularyConfig = environment.vocabularies.filter((v) => v.filter === this.filterConfig.name);
+  getVocabularyEntry(): string {
+    const foundVocabularyConfig: FilterVocabularyConfig[] = this.appConfig.vocabularies.filter((v: FilterVocabularyConfig) => v.filter === this.filterConfig.name);
     if (foundVocabularyConfig.length > 0 && foundVocabularyConfig[0].enabled === true) {
       return foundVocabularyConfig[0].vocabulary;
     }