diff --git a/pkg/handler/app.go b/pkg/handler/app.go
index 48858e90..b0bfb1d1 100644
--- a/pkg/handler/app.go
+++ b/pkg/handler/app.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func Index(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) error {
 
 // Return an HTML form for the User to login.
 func Login(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) error {
-	var settings = database.SettingsMust()
+	var settings, _ = database.GetSettings()
 
 	data := struct {
 		Settings *Settings
@@ -78,10 +78,13 @@ func Reset(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) error {
 
 // Return an HTML form for the User to signup.
 func SignUp(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) error {
-	if !database.SettingsMust().OpenInvitations {
+	var settings, _ = database.GetSettings()
+
+	if settings == nil || !settings.OpenInvitations {
 		http.Redirect(w, r, "/login", http.StatusSeeOther)
 		return nil
 	}
+
 	return RenderTemplate(w, "signup.html", nil)
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/template/pages/login.html b/pkg/template/pages/login.html
index 49d668b2..8c383b04 100644
--- a/pkg/template/pages/login.html
+++ b/pkg/template/pages/login.html
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@
 		<input type="submit" value="Sign in" />
 	</div>
 	<div>
-        {{ if .Settings.OpenInvitations }}
-        <a href="/signup">request invitation</a>&nbsp;
+        {{ if .Settings ne nil and .Settings.OpenInvitations }}
+        <a href="/signup">request invitation</a>&nbsp;·&nbsp;
         {{ end }}
 		<a href="/forgot">forgot password</a>
 	</div>