diff --git a/app/Api/V1/Controllers/Controller.php b/app/Api/V1/Controllers/Controller.php
index 047b3c5342..e2bee3452b 100644
--- a/app/Api/V1/Controllers/Controller.php
+++ b/app/Api/V1/Controllers/Controller.php
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class Controller extends BaseController
 
         // do not expose API on demo site:
         if (true === $isDemoSite) {
-            throw new FireflyException('The API is not available on the demo site.');
+            //throw new FireflyException('The API is not available on the demo site.');
         }
 
         // get global parameters
diff --git a/app/Transformers/AccountTransformer.php b/app/Transformers/AccountTransformer.php
index 28ccc35829..3ff4d66239 100644
--- a/app/Transformers/AccountTransformer.php
+++ b/app/Transformers/AccountTransformer.php
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ class AccountTransformer extends TransformerAbstract
 
         $type = $account->accountType->type;
         $role = $this->repository->getMetaValue($account, 'accountRole');
-        if (strlen($role) === 0 || $type !== AccountType::ASSET) {
+        if ($type !== AccountType::ASSET || (string)$role === '') {
             $role = null;
         }
         $currencyId    = (int)$this->repository->getMetaValue($account, 'currency_id');