diff --git a/dashboard/src/components/MailinglistDialog.vue b/dashboard/src/components/MailinglistDialog.vue
index ed2313bed..e08769460 100644
--- a/dashboard/src/components/MailinglistDialog.vue
+++ b/dashboard/src/components/MailinglistDialog.vue
@@ -11,17 +11,17 @@ const mailinglistsModel = MailinglistsModel.create();
 
 const dialog = useTemplateRef('dialog');
 const busy = ref(false);
-const formError = ref('');
+const formError = ref({});
 const name = ref('');
 const domain = ref('');
 const mailinglist = ref(null);
 const membersText = ref('');
 const membersOnly = ref(false);
-const active = ref(false);
+const active = ref(true);
 
 async function onSubmit() {
   busy.value = true;
-  formError.value = '';
+  formError.value = {};
 
   const data = {
     members: membersText.value.split('\n').map(m => m.trim()).filter(m => m),
@@ -33,14 +33,18 @@ async function onSubmit() {
     const [error] = await mailinglistsModel.update(domain.value, name.value, data);
     if (error) {
       busy.value = false;
-      formError.value = error.body ? error.body.message : 'Internal error';
+      if (error.status === 400 && error.body.message.indexOf('Invalid mail member') === 0) formError.value.members = error.body.message;
+      else if (error.status === 400) formError.value.name = error.body.message;
+      else formError.value.generic = error.body ? error.body.message : 'Internal error';
       return console.error(error);
     }
   } else {
     const [error] = await mailinglistsModel.add(domain.value, name.value, data);
     if (error) {
       busy.value = false;
-      formError.value = error.body ? error.body.message : 'Internal error';
+      if (error.status === 400 && error.body.message.indexOf('Invalid mail member') === 0) formError.value.members = error.body.message;
+      else if (error.status === 400) formError.value.name = error.body.message;
+      else formError.value.generic = error.body ? error.body.message : 'Internal error';
       return console.error(error);
     }
   }
@@ -53,13 +57,14 @@ async function onSubmit() {
 defineExpose({
   async open(m = null) {
     busy.value = false;
-    formError.value = '';
+    formError.value = {};
     mailinglist.value = m;
 
     name.value = m ? m.name : '';
-    domain.value = m ? m.domain : '';
+    domain.value = m ? m.domain : props.domains[0].domain;
     membersText.value = m ? m.members.join('\n') : '';
     membersOnly.value = m ? m.membersOnly : false;
+    active.value = m ? m.active : true;
 
     dialog.value.open();
   }
@@ -78,7 +83,7 @@ defineExpose({
     @confirm="onSubmit()"
   >
     <div>
-      <div class="has-error" v-if="formError">{{ formError }}</div>
+      <div class="error-label" v-if="formError.generic">{{ formError.generic }}</div>
 
       <form @submit.prevent="onSubmit()" novalidate autocomplete="off">
          <fieldset :disabled="busy">
@@ -90,15 +95,17 @@ defineExpose({
               <TextInput id="nameInput" style="flex-grow: 1;" v-model="name"/>
               <SingleSelect v-model="domain" :options="domains" option-key="domain" option-label="domain" />
             </InputGroup>
+            <div class="error-label" v-if="formError.name">{{ formError.name }}</div>
           </FormGroup>
 
           <FormGroup>
             <label for="membersInput">{{ $t('email.addMailinglistDialog.members') }}</label>
             <textarea id="membersInput" v-model="membersText" rows="5"></textarea>
+            <div class="error-label" v-if="formError.members">{{ formError.members }}</div>
           </FormGroup>
 
           <Checkbox v-model="membersOnly" :label="$t('email.addMailinglistDialog.membersOnlyCheckbox')"/>
-          <Checkbox v-model="active" :label="$t('email.updateMailinglistDialog.activeCheckbox')"/>
+          <Checkbox v-model="active" v-if="mailinglist" :label="$t('email.updateMailinglistDialog.activeCheckbox')"/>
         </fieldset>
       </form>
     </div>