diff --git a/app/controllers/registrations_controller.rb b/app/controllers/registrations_controller.rb
index 1c1160a..8be35de 100644
--- a/app/controllers/registrations_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/registrations_controller.rb
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@
     @other_organisations = Org.where(parent_id: nil, is_other: true).pluck(:id)
     @identifier_schemes = IdentifierScheme.where(active: true).order(:name)
     @default_org = current_user.org
+
+    if !@prefs
+      flash[:alert] = 'No default preferences found (should be in branding.yml).'
+    end
   end
 
   # GET /resource
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 79f5be7..8762b29 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -265,8 +265,10 @@
   def get_preferences(key)
     if self.pref.present? && self.pref.settings[key.to_s].present?
       return self.pref.settings[key.to_s].deep_symbolize_keys
-    else
+    elsif Pref.default_settings
       return Pref.default_settings[key]
+    else
+      return nil
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/app/views/users/_notification_preferences.html.erb b/app/views/users/_notification_preferences.html.erb
index 2f59817..37adbde 100644
--- a/app/views/users/_notification_preferences.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/users/_notification_preferences.html.erb
@@ -1,67 +1,70 @@
-<%= form_tag( update_email_preferences_user_path(@user), method: :put, html: { id: "preferences_registration_form", class: "form-horizontal" }) do |f| %>
-  <div class="preferences col-sm-10">
-
-  <p>
-    <%= link_to _('Select all'), '#', id: 'select_all' %> |
-    <%= link_to _('Deselect all'), '#', id: 'deselect_all' %>
-  </p>
-
-  <%= hidden_field_tag :tab, 'notification-preferences-tab' %>
-
-  <p class="form-control-static"><strong>All Users</strong></p>
-  <div class="checkbox">
-    <label for="prefs[users][new_comment]">
-      <%= hidden_field_tag 'prefs[users][new_comment]', false %>
-      <%= check_box_tag 'prefs[users][new_comment]', true, @prefs[:users][:new_comment] %><%= _('A new comment has been added to my DMP')  %>
-    </label>
-  </div>
-  <div class="checkbox">
-    <label for="prefs[users][added_as_coowner]">
-      <%= hidden_field_tag 'prefs[users][added_as_coowner]', false %>
-      <%= check_box_tag 'prefs[users][added_as_coowner]', true, @prefs[:users][:added_as_coowner] %><%= _('A plan has been shared with me')  %>
-    </label>
-  </div>
-  <div class="checkbox">
-    <label for="prefs[users][admin_privileges]">
-      <%= hidden_field_tag 'prefs[users][admin_privileges]', false %>
-      <%= check_box_tag 'prefs[users][admin_privileges]', true, @prefs[:users][:admin_privileges] %><%= _('Admin privileges granted to me')  %>
-    </label>
-  </div>
-
-  <p class="form-control-static"><strong>DMP owners and co-owners</strong></p>
-
-  <div class="checkbox">
-    <label for="prefs[owners_and_coowners][visibility_changed]">
-      <%= hidden_field_tag 'prefs[owners_and_coowners][visibility_changed]', false %>
-      <%= check_box_tag 'prefs[owners_and_coowners][visibility_changed]', true, @prefs[:owners_and_coowners][:visibility_changed] %><%= _("My DMP's visibility has changed")  %>
-    </label>          
-  </div>
-
-  <p class="form-control-static"><strong>DMP administrators</strong></p>
-
-  <div class="checkbox">
-    <label for="prefs[admins][template_published]">
-      <%= hidden_field_tag 'prefs[admins][template_published]', false %>
-      <%= check_box_tag 'prefs[admins][template_published]', true, @prefs[:admins][:template_published] %><%= _('An organisational template is published')  %>
-    </label>
-  </div>
-
-  <div class="checkbox">
-    <label for="prefs[admins][template_unpublished]">
-      <%= hidden_field_tag 'prefs[admins][template_unpublished]', false %>
-      <%= check_box_tag 'prefs[admins][template_unpublished]', true, @prefs[:admins][:template_unpublished] %><%= _('An organisational template is unpublished')  %>
-    </label>
-  </div>
-
-  <div class="checkbox">
-    <label for="prefs[admins][feedback_requested]">
-      <%= hidden_field_tag 'prefs[admins][feedback_requested]', false %>
-      <%= check_box_tag 'prefs[admins][feedback_requested]', true, @prefs[:admins][:feedback_requested] %><%= _('A user has requested feedback on a DMP')  %>
-    </label>
-  </div>
-
-  <div class="form-group">
-    <%= submit_tag _('Save'), class: 'btn btn-default' %>
-  </div>
+<% if @prefs %>
+  <%= form_tag( update_email_preferences_user_path(@user), method: :put, html: { id: "preferences_registration_form", class: "form-horizontal" }) do |f| %>
+    <div class="preferences col-sm-10">
+  
+    <p>
+      <%= link_to _('Select all'), '#', id: 'select_all' %> |
+      <%= link_to _('Deselect all'), '#', id: 'deselect_all' %>
+    </p>
+  
+    <%= hidden_field_tag :tab, 'notification-preferences-tab' %>
+  
+    <p class="form-control-static"><strong>All Users</strong></p>
+    <div class="checkbox">
+      <label for="prefs[users][new_comment]">
+        <%= hidden_field_tag 'prefs[users][new_comment]', false %>
+        <%= check_box_tag 'prefs[users][new_comment]', true, @prefs[:users][:new_comment] %><%= _('A new comment has been added to my DMP')  %>
+      </label>
+    </div>
+    <div class="checkbox">
+      <label for="prefs[users][added_as_coowner]">
+        <%= hidden_field_tag 'prefs[users][added_as_coowner]', false %>
+        <%= check_box_tag 'prefs[users][added_as_coowner]', true, @prefs[:users][:added_as_coowner] %><%= _('A plan has been shared with me')  %>
+      </label>
+    </div>
+    <div class="checkbox">
+      <label for="prefs[users][admin_privileges]">
+        <%= hidden_field_tag 'prefs[users][admin_privileges]', false %>
+        <%= check_box_tag 'prefs[users][admin_privileges]', true, @prefs[:users][:admin_privileges] %><%= _('Admin privileges granted to me')  %>
+      </label>
+    </div>
+  
+    <p class="form-control-static"><strong>DMP owners and co-owners</strong></p>
+  
+    <div class="checkbox">
+      <label for="prefs[owners_and_coowners][visibility_changed]">
+        <%= hidden_field_tag 'prefs[owners_and_coowners][visibility_changed]', false %>
+        <%= check_box_tag 'prefs[owners_and_coowners][visibility_changed]', true, @prefs[:owners_and_coowners][:visibility_changed] %><%= _("My DMP's visibility has changed")  %>
+      </label>          
+    </div>
+  
+    <p class="form-control-static"><strong>DMP administrators</strong></p>
+  
+    <div class="checkbox">
+      <label for="prefs[admins][template_published]">
+        <%= hidden_field_tag 'prefs[admins][template_published]', false %>
+        <%= check_box_tag 'prefs[admins][template_published]', true, @prefs[:admins][:template_published] %><%= _('An organisational template is published')  %>
+      </label>
+    </div>
+  
+    <div class="checkbox">
+      <label for="prefs[admins][template_unpublished]">
+        <%= hidden_field_tag 'prefs[admins][template_unpublished]', false %>
+        <%= check_box_tag 'prefs[admins][template_unpublished]', true, @prefs[:admins][:template_unpublished] %><%= _('An organisational template is unpublished')  %>
+      </label>
+    </div>
+  
+    <div class="checkbox">
+      <label for="prefs[admins][feedback_requested]">
+        <%= hidden_field_tag 'prefs[admins][feedback_requested]', false %>
+        <%= check_box_tag 'prefs[admins][feedback_requested]', true, @prefs[:admins][:feedback_requested] %><%= _('A user has requested feedback on a DMP')  %>
+      </label>
+    </div>
+  
+    <div class="form-group">
+      <%= submit_tag _('Save'), class: 'btn btn-default' %>
+    </div>
+  
+  <% end %>
 
 <% end %>