diff --git a/WebRoot/js/zimbraAdmin/accounts/model/ZaAccount.js b/WebRoot/js/zimbraAdmin/accounts/model/ZaAccount.js
index 7e0e4b4cb9..c688c074d0 100644
--- a/WebRoot/js/zimbraAdmin/accounts/model/ZaAccount.js
+++ b/WebRoot/js/zimbraAdmin/accounts/model/ZaAccount.js
@@ -2533,6 +2533,11 @@ ZaAccount.isEmailRetentionPolicyEnabled = function () {
     try {
         var instance  = this.getInstance () ;
         var gc   = ZaApp.getInstance().getGlobalConfig();
+        if (AjxUtil.isEmpty(instance.attrs[ZaAccount.A_mailHost])) {
+            // GetEffectiveRightsRequest fails with an exception if a server name is blank
+            var ex = new ZmCsfeException("The request was not sent", ZmCsfeException.ACCT_INVALID_ATTR_VALUE, "GetEffectiveRightsRequest", "zimbraMailHost cannot be read");
+            throw(ex);
+        }
         var sc =  ZaApp.getInstance().getServerByName(instance.attrs[ZaAccount.A_mailHost]);
         var s_mailpurge = sc.attrs[ZaServer.A_zimbraMailPurgeSleepInterval] ;    //always end with [s,m,h,d]
         var g_mailpurge = gc.attrs[ZaGlobalConfig.A_zimbraMailPurgeSleepInterval] ;
@@ -2547,7 +2552,7 @@ ZaAccount.isEmailRetentionPolicyEnabled = function () {
 
         return true ;
     } catch (ex) {
-        return true;
+        return false;
        }
 }
 
diff --git a/WebRoot/js/zimbraAdmin/accounts/view/ZaAccountXFormView.js b/WebRoot/js/zimbraAdmin/accounts/view/ZaAccountXFormView.js
index 1dd8b91d68..356e7e7944 100644
--- a/WebRoot/js/zimbraAdmin/accounts/view/ZaAccountXFormView.js
+++ b/WebRoot/js/zimbraAdmin/accounts/view/ZaAccountXFormView.js
@@ -3467,7 +3467,8 @@ textFieldCssClass:"admin_xform_number_input"}
                                     ZaAccount.A_zimbraMailTrashLifetime,
                                     ZaAccount.A_zimbraMailSpamLifetime,
                                     ZaAccount.A_zimbraMailDumpsterLifetime
-                                    ]],[XForm.checkInstanceValueNot,ZaAccount.A_zimbraIsExternalVirtualAccount,"TRUE"]],
+                                    ]],[XForm.checkInstanceValueNot,ZaAccount.A_zimbraIsExternalVirtualAccount,"TRUE"],
+                                    [ZaAccount.isEmailRetentionPolicyEnabled]],
                             label:ZaMsg.NAD_MailRetentionGrouper, id: "mailretention_settings",
                             items: [
                                 { type: _DWT_ALERT_,