diff --git a/admin/inc/class.admin_mail.inc.php b/admin/inc/class.admin_mail.inc.php
index 9d4b8311de..7c05a0946b 100644
--- a/admin/inc/class.admin_mail.inc.php
+++ b/admin/inc/class.admin_mail.inc.php
@@ -1031,7 +1031,7 @@ class admin_mail
 								unset($content['smimeKeyUpload']);
 							}
 							self::fix_account_id_0($content['account_id'], true);
-							$content = Mail\Account::write($content, $content['called_for'] || !$this->is_admin ?
+							$content = Mail\Account::write($content, !empty($content['called_for']) && $this->is_admin ?
 								$content['called_for'] : $GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['account_id']);
 							self::fix_account_id_0($content['account_id']);
 							$msg = lang('Account saved.');
diff --git a/api/src/Mail/Account.php b/api/src/Mail/Account.php
index 57d21be166..c535b39026 100644
--- a/api/src/Mail/Account.php
+++ b/api/src/Mail/Account.php
@@ -781,7 +781,7 @@ class Account implements \ArrayAccess
 			'account_id' => self::is_multiple($identity) ? 0 :
 				(is_array($identity['account_id']) ? $identity['account_id'][0] : $identity['account_id']),
 		);
-		if ($identity['ident_id'] > 0)
+		if ($identity['ident_id'] !== 'new' && (int)$identity['ident_id'] > 0)
 		{
 			self::$db->update(self::IDENTITIES_TABLE, $data, array(
 				'ident_id' => $identity['ident_id'],
@@ -1196,7 +1196,7 @@ class Account implements \ArrayAccess
 
 		// store identity
 		$new_ident_id = self::save_identity($data);
-		if (!($data['ident_id'] > 0))
+		if ($data['ident_id'] === 'new' || empty($data['ident_id']))
 		{
 			$data['ident_id'] = $new_ident_id;
 			self::$db->update(self::TABLE, array(