diff --git a/lang/en/message.php b/lang/en/message.php
index 5aa5f4e6083..0048a0070ff 100644
--- a/lang/en/message.php
+++ b/lang/en/message.php
@@ -91,7 +91,6 @@ $string['nomessages'] = 'No messages waiting';
 $string['nomessagesfound'] = 'No messages were found';
 $string['noreply'] = 'Do not reply to this message';
 $string['nosearchresults'] = 'There were no results from your search';
-$string['notpermitted'] = 'Not permitted';
 $string['offline'] = 'Offline';
 $string['offlinecontacts'] = 'Offline contacts ({$a})';
 $string['online'] = 'Online';
diff --git a/message/renderer.php b/message/renderer.php
index 0e50c466a80..c9a825997e7 100644
--- a/message/renderer.php
+++ b/message/renderer.php
@@ -262,40 +262,33 @@ class core_message_renderer extends plugin_renderer_base {
                     if (isset($defaultpreferences->{$defaultpreference})) {
                         $permitted = $defaultpreferences->{$defaultpreference};
                     }
-                    // If settings are disallowed, just display the message that
-                    // the setting is not permitted, if not use user settings or
-                    // force them.
-                    if ($permitted == 'disallowed') {
+                    // If settings are disallowed or forced, just display the
+                    // corresponding message, if not use user settings.
+                    if (in_array($permitted, array('disallowed', 'forced'))) {
                         if ($state == 'loggedoff') {
                             // skip if we are rendering the second line
                             continue;
                         }
-                        $cellcontent = html_writer::nonempty_tag('div', get_string('notpermitted', 'message'), array('class' => 'dimmed_text'));
+                        $cellcontent = html_writer::nonempty_tag('div', get_string($permitted, 'message'), array('class' => 'dimmed_text'));
                         $optioncell = new html_table_cell($cellcontent);
                         $optioncell->rowspan = 2;
                         $optioncell->attributes['class'] = 'disallowed';
                     } else {
-                        // determine user preferences and use then unless we force
-                        // the preferences.
+                        // determine user preferences and use them.
                         $disabled = array();
-                        if ($permitted == 'forced') {
-                            $checked = true;
+                        $checked = false;
+                        if ($notificationsdisabled) {
                             $disabled['disabled'] = 1;
+                        }
+                        // See if user has touched this preference
+                        if (isset($preferences->{$preferencebase.'_'.$state})) {
+                            // User have some preferneces for this state in the database, use them
+                            $checked = isset($preferences->{$preferencebase.'_'.$state}[$processor->name]);
                         } else {
-                            $checked = false;
-                            if ($notificationsdisabled) {
-                                $disabled['disabled'] = 1;
-                            }
-                            // See if user has touched this preference
-                            if (isset($preferences->{$preferencebase.'_'.$state})) {
-                                // User have some preferneces for this state in the database, use them
-                                $checked = isset($preferences->{$preferencebase.'_'.$state}[$processor->name]);
-                            } else {
-                                // User has not set this preference yet, using site default preferences set by admin
-                                $defaultpreference = 'message_provider_'.$preferencebase.'_'.$state;
-                                if (isset($defaultpreferences->{$defaultpreference})) {
-                                    $checked = (int)in_array($processor->name, explode(',', $defaultpreferences->{$defaultpreference}));
-                                }
+                            // User has not set this preference yet, using site default preferences set by admin
+                            $defaultpreference = 'message_provider_'.$preferencebase.'_'.$state;
+                            if (isset($defaultpreferences->{$defaultpreference})) {
+                                $checked = (int)in_array($processor->name, explode(',', $defaultpreferences->{$defaultpreference}));
                             }
                         }
                         $elementname = $preferencebase.'_'.$state.'['.$processor->name.']';