diff --git a/pkg/database/schema/sample.sql b/pkg/database/schema/sample.sql
index 6b3f6f297..594caaa3e 100644
--- a/pkg/database/schema/sample.sql
+++ b/pkg/database/schema/sample.sql
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ insert into builds values (9, 3, 'node_0.80', 'Success', '2013-09-16 00:00:00','
 
 -- insert default, dummy settings
 
-insert into settings values (1,'','','','','','','','','','localhost:8080','http');
+insert into settings values (1,'','','','','','','','','','localhost:8080','http', 0);
 
 -- add public & private keys to all repositories
 
diff --git a/pkg/database/schema/schema.go b/pkg/database/schema/schema.go
index a72415183..ec93774a8 100644
--- a/pkg/database/schema/schema.go
+++ b/pkg/database/schema/schema.go
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ CREATE TABLE settings (
   ,smtp_password    VARCHAR(1024)
   ,hostname         VARCHAR(1024)
   ,scheme           VARCHAR(5)
-  ,open_invitations INTEGER
+  ,open_invitations BOOLEAN
 );
 `
 
@@ -195,5 +195,9 @@ func Load(db *sql.DB) error {
 	db.Exec(buildCommitIndex)
 	db.Exec(buildSlugIndex)
 
+	// migrations for backward compatibility
+	db.Exec("ALTER TABLE settings ADD COLUMN open_invitations BOOLEAN")
+	db.Exec("UPDATE settings SET open_invitations=0 WHERE open_invitations IS NULL")
+
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/database/schema/schema.sql b/pkg/database/schema/schema.sql
index 39cda73a3..d0babf327 100644
--- a/pkg/database/schema/schema.sql
+++ b/pkg/database/schema/schema.sql
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ CREATE TABLE settings (
     ,smtp_password    VARCHAR(1024)
     ,hostname         VARCHAR(1024)
     ,scheme           VARCHAR(5)
-    ,open_invitations INTEGER
+    ,open_invitations BOOLEAN
 );
 
 CREATE UNIQUE INDEX member_uix       ON members  (team_id, user_id);
diff --git a/pkg/handler/admin.go b/pkg/handler/admin.go
index 1d028f783..3d7fa8b5a 100644
--- a/pkg/handler/admin.go
+++ b/pkg/handler/admin.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package handler
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"log"
 	"net/http"
 	"strconv"
 	"time"
@@ -56,11 +55,7 @@ func UserInvite(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) error {
 	}{hostname, email, token}
 
 	// send the email message async
-	go func() {
-		if err := mail.SendActivation(email, data); err != nil {
-			log.Printf("error sending account activation email to %s. %s", email, err)
-		}
-	}()
+	go mail.SendActivation(email, data)
 
 	return RenderText(w, http.StatusText(http.StatusOK), http.StatusOK)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/handler/app.go b/pkg/handler/app.go
index b0bfb1d18..9d720113c 100644
--- a/pkg/handler/app.go
+++ b/pkg/handler/app.go
@@ -163,12 +163,31 @@ func ResetPost(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) error {
 }
 
 func SignUpPost(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) error {
+	// if self-registration is disabled we should display an
+	// error message to the user.
 	if !database.SettingsMust().OpenInvitations {
-		http.Redirect(w, r, "/login", http.StatusSeeOther)
+		http.Error(w, http.StatusText(http.StatusForbidden), http.StatusForbidden)
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	return UserInvite(w, r)
+	// generate the password reset token
+	email := r.FormValue("email")
+	token := authcookie.New(email, time.Now().Add(12*time.Hour), secret)
+
+	// get the hostname from the database for use in the email
+	hostname := database.SettingsMust().URL().String()
+
+	// data used to generate the email template
+	data := struct {
+		Host  string
+		Email string
+		Token string
+	}{hostname, email, token}
+
+	// send the email message async
+	go mail.SendActivation(email, data)
+
+	return RenderText(w, http.StatusText(http.StatusOK), http.StatusOK)
 }
 
 func RegisterPost(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) error {
diff --git a/pkg/template/pages/login.html b/pkg/template/pages/login.html
index 8c383b044..4967f119c 100644
--- a/pkg/template/pages/login.html
+++ b/pkg/template/pages/login.html
@@ -10,10 +10,11 @@
 		<input type="submit" value="Sign in" />
 	</div>
 	<div>
-        {{ if .Settings ne nil and .Settings.OpenInvitations }}
-        <a href="/signup">request invitation</a>&nbsp;·&nbsp;
-        {{ end }}
+        {{ if .Settings }}
+        <a href="/signup">request invitation</a> | <a href="/forgot">forgot password</a>
+        {{ else }}
 		<a href="/forgot">forgot password</a>
+		{{ end }}
 	</div>
 {{ end }}
 
diff --git a/pkg/template/pages/signup.html b/pkg/template/pages/signup.html
index bb4538262..26b1efc2e 100644
--- a/pkg/template/pages/signup.html
+++ b/pkg/template/pages/signup.html
@@ -3,15 +3,13 @@
 {{ define "content" }}
 	<h1>Sign up</h1>
 	<form action="/signup" method="POST" role="form">
+		<div class="alert alert-success hide" id="successAlert"></div>
+		<div class="alert alert-error hide" id="failureAlert"></div>
 		<div>
 			<input type="text" name="email" placeholder="Email address" autocomplete="off" spellcheck="false" class="form-control only-child" />
 		</div>
 		<div>
-			<div class="alert alert-success hide" id="successAlert"></div>
-			<div class="alert alert-error hide" id="failureAlert"></div>
-		</div>
-		<div>
-			<input type="submit" id="submitButton" value="Request invite" />
+			<input type="submit" id="submitButton" value="Request invite" data-loading-text="Sending Invite .." />
 		</div>
     </form>
 {{ end }}
@@ -30,11 +28,7 @@
 			xhr.open('POST', form.action);
 			xhr.onload = function() {
 					if (this.status == 200) {
-							var msg = "User Invitation was sent successfully";
-							if (this.responseText != "OK") {
-									msg = "Email is not currently enables. Follow the link:<br><a href='" + this.responseText + "'>" + this.responseText + "</a>";
-							}
-							$("#successAlert").html(msg);
+							$("#successAlert").text("User Invitation was sent successfully");
 							$("#successAlert").show().removeClass("hide");
 							$('#submitButton').button('reset')
 
@@ -46,6 +40,6 @@
 			};
 			xhr.send(formData);
 			return false;
-				}
+		}
 	</script>
 {{ end }}
\ No newline at end of file