diff --git a/res/xml/account_settings_preferences.xml b/res/xml/account_settings_preferences.xml
index 04fa921bb..672260340 100755
--- a/res/xml/account_settings_preferences.xml
+++ b/res/xml/account_settings_preferences.xml
@@ -89,7 +89,9 @@
 
     </PreferenceCategory>
 
+    <!-- This category is enabled after the folder preferences are loaded -->
     <PreferenceCategory
+        android:enabled="false"
         android:key="account_notifications"
         android:title="@string/account_settings_notifications">
 
diff --git a/src/com/android/email/activity/setup/AccountSettingsFragment.java b/src/com/android/email/activity/setup/AccountSettingsFragment.java
index 920032eee..535633bb6 100644
--- a/src/com/android/email/activity/setup/AccountSettingsFragment.java
+++ b/src/com/android/email/activity/setup/AccountSettingsFragment.java
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ public class AccountSettingsFragment extends EmailPreferenceFragment
     private CheckBoxPreference mInboxNotify;
     private CheckBoxPreference mInboxVibrate;
     private Preference mInboxRingtone;
+    private PreferenceCategory mNotificationsCategory;
     private CheckBoxPreference mSyncContacts;
     private CheckBoxPreference mSyncCalendar;
     private CheckBoxPreference mSyncEmail;
@@ -563,11 +564,12 @@ public class AccountSettingsFragment extends EmailPreferenceFragment
                         public void run() {
                             mInboxNotify.setChecked(
                                     mInboxFolderPreferences.areNotificationsEnabled());
-
                             mInboxVibrate.setChecked(
                                     mInboxFolderPreferences.isNotificationVibrateEnabled());
-
                             setRingtoneSummary();
+                            // Notification preferences must be disabled until after
+                            // mInboxFolderPreferences is available, so enable them here.
+                            mNotificationsCategory.setEnabled(true);
                         }
                     });
                 }
@@ -699,6 +701,9 @@ public class AccountSettingsFragment extends EmailPreferenceFragment
             }
         });
 
+        mNotificationsCategory =
+                (PreferenceCategory) findPreference(PREFERENCE_CATEGORY_NOTIFICATIONS);
+
         // Set the vibrator value, or hide it on devices w/o a vibrator
         mInboxVibrate = (CheckBoxPreference) findPreference(
                 FolderPreferences.PreferenceKeys.NOTIFICATION_VIBRATE);
@@ -710,9 +715,7 @@ public class AccountSettingsFragment extends EmailPreferenceFragment
             mInboxVibrate.setOnPreferenceChangeListener(this);
         } else {
             // No vibrator present. Remove the preference altogether.
-            PreferenceCategory notificationsCategory = (PreferenceCategory)
-                    findPreference(PREFERENCE_CATEGORY_NOTIFICATIONS);
-            notificationsCategory.removePreference(mInboxVibrate);
+            mNotificationsCategory.removePreference(mInboxVibrate);
         }
 
         final Preference retryAccount = findPreference(PREFERENCE_POLICIES_RETRY_ACCOUNT);