diff --git a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Announcements/AnnouncementsController.coffee b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Announcements/AnnouncementsController.coffee
index 5545ebcc26..ed3d8eee1e 100644
--- a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Announcements/AnnouncementsController.coffee
+++ b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Announcements/AnnouncementsController.coffee
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ logger = require("logger-sharelatex")
 module.exports =
 
 	getUndreadAnnouncements: (req, res, next)->
+		if !settings?.apis?.analytics?.url? or !settings.apis.blog.url?
+			return res.json []
+
 		user_id = AuthenticationController.getLoggedInUserId(req)
 		logger.log {user_id}, "getting unread announcements"
 		AnnouncementsHandler.getUnreadAnnouncements user_id, (err, announcements)->
diff --git a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Announcements/AnnouncementsHandler.coffee b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Announcements/AnnouncementsHandler.coffee
index b1173dbb78..a27608343a 100644
--- a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Announcements/AnnouncementsHandler.coffee
+++ b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Announcements/AnnouncementsHandler.coffee
@@ -8,9 +8,6 @@ settings = require("settings-sharelatex")
 module.exports =
 
 	getUnreadAnnouncements : (user_id, callback = (err, announcements)->)->
-		if !settings?.apis?.analytics?.url? or !settings.apis.blog.url?
-			return callback null, []
-
 		async.parallel {
 			lastEvent: (cb)->
 				AnalyticsManager.getLastOccurance user_id, "announcement-alert-dismissed", cb