diff --git a/src/user/settings.js b/src/user/settings.js
index 8f24f54a05..362019491a 100644
--- a/src/user/settings.js
+++ b/src/user/settings.js
@@ -24,17 +24,17 @@ module.exports = function(User) {
 
 				settings = data.settings;
 
-				settings.showemail = settings.showemail ? parseInt(settings.showemail, 10) !== 0 : false;
-				settings.openOutgoingLinksInNewTab = settings.openOutgoingLinksInNewTab ? parseInt(settings.openOutgoingLinksInNewTab, 10) !== 0 : false;
+				settings.showemail = parseInt(settings.showemail, 10) === 1;
+				settings.openOutgoingLinksInNewTab = parseInt(settings.openOutgoingLinksInNewTab, 10) === 1;
 				settings.dailyDigestFreq = settings.dailyDigestFreq || 'off';
-				settings.usePagination = settings.usePagination ? parseInt(settings.usePagination, 10) === 1 : parseInt(meta.config.usePagination, 10) === 1;
+				settings.usePagination = (settings.usePagination === null || settings.usePagination === undefined) ? parseInt(meta.config.usePagination, 10) === 1 : parseInt(settings.usePagination, 10) === 1;
 				settings.topicsPerPage = Math.min(settings.topicsPerPage ? parseInt(settings.topicsPerPage, 10) : parseInt(meta.config.topicsPerPage, 10) || 20, 20);
 				settings.postsPerPage = Math.min(settings.postsPerPage ? parseInt(settings.postsPerPage, 10) : parseInt(meta.config.postsPerPage, 10) || 10, 20);
-				settings.notificationSounds = settings.notificationSounds ? parseInt(settings.notificationSounds, 10) === 1 : true;
+				settings.notificationSounds = parseInt(settings.notificationSounds, 10) === 1;
 				settings.language = settings.language || meta.config.defaultLang || 'en_GB';
 				settings.topicPostSort = settings.topicPostSort || meta.config.topicPostSort || 'oldest_to_newest';
-				settings.followTopicsOnCreate = settings.followTopicsOnCreate ? parseInt(settings.followTopicsOnCreate, 10) === 1 : true;
-				settings.followTopicsOnReply = settings.followTopicsOnReply ? parseInt(settings.followTopicsOnReply, 10) === 1 : false;
+				settings.followTopicsOnCreate = (settings.followTopicsOnCreate === null || settings.followTopicsOnCreate === undefined) ? true : parseInt(settings.followTopicsOnCreate, 10) === 1;
+				settings.followTopicsOnReply = parseInt(settings.followTopicsOnReply, 10) === 1;
 				callback(null, settings);
 			});
 		});
@@ -66,7 +66,6 @@ module.exports = function(User) {
 	};
 
 	User.saveSettings = function(uid, data, callback) {
-
 		if(!data.topicsPerPage || !data.postsPerPage || parseInt(data.topicsPerPage, 10) <= 0 || parseInt(data.postsPerPage, 10) <= 0) {
 			return callback(new Error('[[error:invalid-pagination-value]]'));
 		}