diff --git a/src/components/views/dialogs/CreateRoomDialog.js b/src/components/views/dialogs/CreateRoomDialog.js
index 21d48409e8..2b6bb5e187 100644
--- a/src/components/views/dialogs/CreateRoomDialog.js
+++ b/src/components/views/dialogs/CreateRoomDialog.js
@@ -45,7 +45,11 @@ export default class CreateRoomDialog extends React.Component {
             detailsOpen: false,
             noFederate: config.default_federate === false,
             nameIsValid: false,
+            canChangeEncryption: true,
         };
+
+        MatrixClientPeg.get().doesServerForceEncryptionForPreset("private")
+            .then(isForced => this.setState({canChangeEncryption: !isForced}));
     }
 
     _roomCreateOptions() {
@@ -68,7 +72,13 @@ export default class CreateRoomDialog extends React.Component {
         }
 
         if (!this.state.isPublic) {
-            opts.encryption = this.state.isEncrypted;
+            if (this.state.canChangeEncryption) {
+                opts.encryption = this.state.isEncrypted;
+            } else {
+                // the server should automatically do this for us, but for safety
+                // we'll demand it too.
+                opts.encryption = true;
+            }
         }
 
         if (CommunityPrototypeStore.instance.getSelectedCommunityId()) {
@@ -208,7 +218,11 @@ export default class CreateRoomDialog extends React.Component {
         if (!this.state.isPublic) {
             let microcopy;
             if (privateShouldBeEncrypted()) {
-                microcopy = _t("You can’t disable this later. Bridges & most bots won’t work yet.");
+                if (this.state.canChangeEncryption) {
+                    microcopy = _t("You can’t disable this later. Bridges & most bots won’t work yet.");
+                } else {
+                    microcopy = _t("Your server requires encryption to be enabled in private rooms.");
+                }
             } else {
                 microcopy = _t("Your server admin has disabled end-to-end encryption by default " +
                     "in private rooms & Direct Messages.");
@@ -219,6 +233,7 @@ export default class CreateRoomDialog extends React.Component {
                     onChange={this.onEncryptedChange}
                     value={this.state.isEncrypted}
                     className='mx_CreateRoomDialog_e2eSwitch' // for end-to-end tests
+                    disabled={!this.state.canChangeEncryption}
                 />
                 <p>{ microcopy }</p>
             </React.Fragment>;
diff --git a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
index 4c2a55d09e..177d02a3e6 100644
--- a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
+++ b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
@@ -1659,6 +1659,7 @@
     "Private rooms can be found and joined by invitation only. Public rooms can be found and joined by anyone.": "Private rooms can be found and joined by invitation only. Public rooms can be found and joined by anyone.",
     "Private rooms can be found and joined by invitation only. Public rooms can be found and joined by anyone in this community.": "Private rooms can be found and joined by invitation only. Public rooms can be found and joined by anyone in this community.",
     "You can’t disable this later. Bridges & most bots won’t work yet.": "You can’t disable this later. Bridges & most bots won’t work yet.",
+    "Your server requires encryption to be enabled in private rooms.": "Your server requires encryption to be enabled in private rooms.",
     "Enable end-to-end encryption": "Enable end-to-end encryption",
     "You might enable this if the room will only be used for collaborating with internal teams on your homeserver. This cannot be changed later.": "You might enable this if the room will only be used for collaborating with internal teams on your homeserver. This cannot be changed later.",
     "You might disable this if the room will be used for collaborating with external teams who have their own homeserver. This cannot be changed later.": "You might disable this if the room will be used for collaborating with external teams who have their own homeserver. This cannot be changed later.",