diff --git a/application/controllers/PreferenceController.php b/application/controllers/PreferenceController.php
index 7acab7c25..c45344fbf 100644
--- a/application/controllers/PreferenceController.php
+++ b/application/controllers/PreferenceController.php
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ use Icinga\Web\Url;
 use Icinga\Web\Widget\Tab;
 use Icinga\Application\Config;
 use Icinga\Forms\PreferenceForm;
-use Icinga\Exception\ConfigurationError;
 use Icinga\User\Preferences\PreferencesStore;
 
 /**
@@ -40,9 +39,6 @@ class PreferenceController extends BasePreferenceController
     public function indexAction()
     {
         $storeConfig = Config::app()->getSection('preferences');
-        if ($storeConfig->isEmpty()) {
-            throw new ConfigurationError(t('You need to configure how to store preferences first.'));
-        }
 
         $user = $this->getRequest()->getUser();
         $form = new PreferenceForm();
diff --git a/library/Icinga/Authentication/Manager.php b/library/Icinga/Authentication/Manager.php
index 12269d98e..8aee93c0e 100644
--- a/library/Icinga/Authentication/Manager.php
+++ b/library/Icinga/Authentication/Manager.php
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ class Manager
             );
             $config = new Config();
         }
-        if ($config->hasSection('preferences')) {
+        if ($config->get('preferences', 'store', 'ini') !== 'none') {
             $preferencesConfig = $config->getSection('preferences');
             try {
                 $preferencesStore = PreferencesStore::create(
diff --git a/library/Icinga/User/Preferences/PreferencesStore.php b/library/Icinga/User/Preferences/PreferencesStore.php
index a9d9ec033..11454a2f8 100644
--- a/library/Icinga/User/Preferences/PreferencesStore.php
+++ b/library/Icinga/User/Preferences/PreferencesStore.php
@@ -117,13 +117,7 @@ abstract class PreferencesStore
      */
     public static function create(ConfigObject $config, User $user)
     {
-        if (($type = $config->store) === null) {
-            throw new ConfigurationError(
-                'Preferences configuration is missing the store directive'
-            );
-        }
-
-        $type = ucfirst(strtolower($type));
+        $type = ucfirst(strtolower($config->get('store', 'ini')));
         $storeClass = 'Icinga\\User\\Preferences\\Store\\' . $type . 'Store';
         if (!class_exists($storeClass)) {
             throw new ConfigurationError(