diff --git a/client/galaxy/scripts/components/login/Index.vue b/client/galaxy/scripts/components/login/Index.vue
index aaa5a784f62..a166bdc0253 100644
--- a/client/galaxy/scripts/components/login/Index.vue
+++ b/client/galaxy/scripts/components/login/Index.vue
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
             <register
                 :registration_warning_message="registration_warning_message"
                 :mailing_join_addr="mailing_join_addr"
-                :smtp_server="smtp_server"
+                :server_mail_configured="server_mail_configured"
             />
         </template>
     </div>
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ export default {
             type: String,
             required: false
         },
-        smtp_server: {
-            type: String,
+        server_mail_configured: {
+            type: Boolean,
             required: false
         }
     }
diff --git a/client/galaxy/scripts/components/login/Register.vue b/client/galaxy/scripts/components/login/Register.vue
index e2e4395e90d..588e2251ec9 100644
--- a/client/galaxy/scripts/components/login/Register.vue
+++ b/client/galaxy/scripts/components/login/Register.vue
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
                                     ('.', '_', '-').</b-form-text
                                 >
                             </b-form-group>
-                            <b-form-group v-if="mailing_join_addr && smtp_server" label="Subscribe to mailing list">
+                            <b-form-group v-if="mailing_join_addr && server_mail_configured" label="Subscribe to mailing list">
                                 <input name="subscribe" type="checkbox" v-model="subscribe" />
                             </b-form-group>
                             <b-button name="create" type="submit" :disabled="disableCreate">Create</b-button>
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ export default {
             type: String,
             required: false
         },
-        smtp_server: {
-            type: String,
+        server_mail_configured: {
+            type: Boolean,
             required: false
         },
         mailing_join_addr: {
diff --git a/client/galaxy/scripts/entry/admin/AdminRouter.js b/client/galaxy/scripts/entry/admin/AdminRouter.js
index 80fca642ac7..14144968502 100644
--- a/client/galaxy/scripts/entry/admin/AdminRouter.js
+++ b/client/galaxy/scripts/entry/admin/AdminRouter.js
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ export const getAdminRouter = (Galaxy, options) => {
                     redirect: "/admin/users",
                     registration_warning_message: options.config.registration_warning_message,
                     mailing_join_addr: options.config.mailing_join_addr,
-                    smtp_server: options.config.smtp_server
+                    server_mail_configured: options.config.server_mail_configured
                 }
             }).$mount(vm);
         },
diff --git a/client/galaxy/scripts/qunit/test-data/bootstrapped.js b/client/galaxy/scripts/qunit/test-data/bootstrapped.js
index 0d2c7c7b2b7..b31c561a744 100644
--- a/client/galaxy/scripts/qunit/test-data/bootstrapped.js
+++ b/client/galaxy/scripts/qunit/test-data/bootstrapped.js
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ export default {
         allow_library_path_paste: false,
         user_library_import_dir: null,
         terms_url: null,
-        ftp_upload_dir: null,
         library_import_dir: null,
         logo_url: null,
         enable_unique_workflow_defaults: false
diff --git a/client/galaxy/scripts/qunit/tests/masthead_tests.js b/client/galaxy/scripts/qunit/tests/masthead_tests.js
index 5718b9ab2ce..3b9763fa77c 100644
--- a/client/galaxy/scripts/qunit/tests/masthead_tests.js
+++ b/client/galaxy/scripts/qunit/tests/masthead_tests.js
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ QUnit.module("Masthead test", {
             logo_src: "../../../static/images/galaxyIcon_noText.png",
             is_admin_user: "is_admin_user",
             active_view: "analysis",
-            ftp_upload_dir: "ftp_upload_dir",
             ftp_upload_site: "ftp_upload_site",
             datatypes_disable_auto: true,
             allow_user_creation: true,
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/managers/configuration.py b/lib/galaxy/managers/configuration.py
index 731cc9931e2..5da211a6de2 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/managers/configuration.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/managers/configuration.py
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ class ConfigSerializer(base.ModelSerializer):
             # TODO: change this to (more generic) upload_path and incorporate config.nginx_upload_path into building it
             'nginx_upload_path'                 : lambda i, k, **c: getattr(i, k, False),
             'chunk_upload_size'                 : _defaults_to(104857600),
-            'ftp_upload_dir'                    : _defaults_to(None),
             'ftp_upload_site'                   : _defaults_to(None),
             'version_major'                     : _defaults_to(None),
             'require_login'                     : _defaults_to(None),
@@ -85,7 +84,7 @@ class ConfigSerializer(base.ModelSerializer):
             'message_box_class'                 : _defaults_to('info'),
             'server_startttime'                 : lambda i, k, **c: server_starttime,
             'mailing_join_addr'                 : _defaults_to('galaxy-announce-join@bx.psu.edu'),
-            'smtp_server'                       : _defaults_to(None),
+            'server_mail_configured'            : lambda i, k, **c: True if getattr(i, 'smtp_server', False) else False,
             'registration_warning_message'      : _defaults_to(None),
             'welcome_url'                       : _defaults_to(None),
             'show_welcome_with_login'           : _defaults_to(True),
diff --git a/templates/webapps/galaxy/galaxy.masthead.mako b/templates/webapps/galaxy/galaxy.masthead.mako
index 473a68a3e92..15230baf84f 100644
--- a/templates/webapps/galaxy/galaxy.masthead.mako
+++ b/templates/webapps/galaxy/galaxy.masthead.mako
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
             'logo_src'                  : h.url_for( app.config.get( 'logo_src', '/static/images/galaxyIcon_noText.png' ) ),
             'is_admin_user'             : trans.user_is_admin,
             'active_view'               : active_view,
-            'ftp_upload_dir'            : app.config.get("ftp_upload_dir",  None),
             'ftp_upload_site'           : app.config.get("ftp_upload_site",  None),
             'datatypes_disable_auto'    : app.config.get_bool("datatypes_disable_auto",  False),
             'user_json'                 : get_user_dict()
diff --git a/test/api/test_configuration.py b/test/api/test_configuration.py
index 30e45d8663f..91e192ba621 100644
--- a/test/api/test_configuration.py
+++ b/test/api/test_configuration.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ from base.populators import (
 TEST_KEYS_FOR_ALL_USERS = [
     'enable_unique_workflow_defaults',
     'ftp_upload_site',
-    'ftp_upload_dir',
     'wiki_url',
     'support_url',
     'logo_url',