diff --git a/app/main/dao/users_dao.py b/app/main/dao/users_dao.py
index 0a6e3e891..d2fca9d32 100644
--- a/app/main/dao/users_dao.py
+++ b/app/main/dao/users_dao.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from datetime import datetime
+from notifications_python_client import HTTPError
 
 from sqlalchemy.orm import load_only
 
@@ -47,9 +48,15 @@ def activate_user(user):
 
 
 def is_email_unique(email_address):
-    if user_api_client.get_user_by_email(email_address):
-        return False
-    return True
+    try:
+        if user_api_client.get_user_by_email(email_address):
+            return False
+        return True
+    except HTTPError as ex:
+        if ex.status_code == 404:
+            return True
+        else:
+            raise ex
 
 
 def request_password_reset(user):
diff --git a/app/main/views/register.py b/app/main/views/register.py
index 1e9d488bf..33e71b7fa 100644
--- a/app/main/views/register.py
+++ b/app/main/views/register.py
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ def register():
         return redirect(url_for('main.choose_service'))
 
     form = RegisterUserForm()
-
     if form.validate_on_submit():
         if users_dao.is_email_unique(form.email_address.data):
             try:
diff --git a/app/notify_client/api_client.py b/app/notify_client/api_client.py
index 7f9f34b52..f5f72298a 100644
--- a/app/notify_client/api_client.py
+++ b/app/notify_client/api_client.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class NotificationsAdminAPIClient(NotificationsAPIClient):
             "name": service_name,
             "active": active,
             "limit": limit,
-            "users": [user_id],
+            "user_id": user_id,
             "restricted": restricted
         }
         return self.post("/service", data)