diff --git a/www/common/outer/async-store.js b/www/common/outer/async-store.js
index 97d7a6d00..9a30abb33 100644
--- a/www/common/outer/async-store.js
+++ b/www/common/outer/async-store.js
@@ -380,6 +380,7 @@ define([
 
     // Get the metadata for sframe-common-outer
     Store.getMetadata = function (data, cb) {
+        var disableThumbnails = Util.find(store.proxy, ['settings', 'general', 'disableThumbnails']);
         var metadata = {
             // "user" is shared with everybody via the userlist
             user: {
@@ -394,7 +395,7 @@ define([
                 edPublic: store.proxy.edPublic,
                 friends: store.proxy.friends || {},
                 settings: store.proxy.settings,
-                thumbnails: !Util.find(store.proxy, ['settings', 'general', 'disableThumbnails'])
+                thumbnails: disableThumbnails === false
             }
         };
         cb(JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(metadata)));
diff --git a/www/settings/inner.js b/www/settings/inner.js
index 344929988..21763714d 100644
--- a/www/settings/inner.js
+++ b/www/settings/inner.js
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ define([
         $spinner.hide().appendTo($div);
 
         common.getAttribute(['general', 'disableThumbnails'], function (e, val) {
-            $checkbox[0].checked = val;
+            $checkbox[0].checked = typeof(val) === "undefined" || val;
         });
 
         // Reset