diff --git a/management/server/account.go b/management/server/account.go
index 8e453a1fe..0e583e17f 100644
--- a/management/server/account.go
+++ b/management/server/account.go
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ type Account struct {
 	Policies               []*Policy
 	Routes                 map[string]*route.Route
 	NameServerGroups       map[string]*nbdns.NameServerGroup
-	DNSSettings            *DNSSettings
+	DNSSettings            DNSSettings
 	// Settings is a dictionary of Account settings
 	Settings *Settings
 }
@@ -513,13 +513,11 @@ func (a *Account) getUserGroups(userID string) ([]string, error) {
 func (a *Account) getPeerDNSManagementStatus(peerID string) bool {
 	peerGroups := a.getPeerGroups(peerID)
 	enabled := true
-	if a.DNSSettings != nil {
-		for _, groupID := range a.DNSSettings.DisabledManagementGroups {
-			_, found := peerGroups[groupID]
-			if found {
-				enabled = false
-				break
-			}
+	for _, groupID := range a.DNSSettings.DisabledManagementGroups {
+		_, found := peerGroups[groupID]
+		if found {
+			enabled = false
+			break
 		}
 	}
 	return enabled
@@ -606,10 +604,7 @@ func (a *Account) Copy() *Account {
 		nsGroups[id] = nsGroup.Copy()
 	}
 
-	var dnsSettings *DNSSettings
-	if a.DNSSettings != nil {
-		dnsSettings = a.DNSSettings.Copy()
-	}
+	dnsSettings := a.DNSSettings.Copy()
 
 	var settings *Settings
 	if a.Settings != nil {
@@ -1618,7 +1613,7 @@ func newAccountWithId(accountID, userID, domain string) *Account {
 	setupKeys := map[string]*SetupKey{}
 	nameServersGroups := make(map[string]*nbdns.NameServerGroup)
 	users[userID] = NewAdminUser(userID)
-	dnsSettings := &DNSSettings{
+	dnsSettings := DNSSettings{
 		DisabledManagementGroups: make([]string, 0),
 	}
 	log.Debugf("created new account %s", accountID)
diff --git a/management/server/account_test.go b/management/server/account_test.go
index 331df2017..e47b3b854 100644
--- a/management/server/account_test.go
+++ b/management/server/account_test.go
@@ -1374,7 +1374,7 @@ func TestAccount_Copy(t *testing.T) {
 				NameServers: []nbdns.NameServer{},
 			},
 		},
-		DNSSettings: &DNSSettings{DisabledManagementGroups: []string{}},
+		DNSSettings: DNSSettings{DisabledManagementGroups: []string{}},
 		Settings:    &Settings{},
 	}
 	err := hasNilField(account)
diff --git a/management/server/dns.go b/management/server/dns.go
index 252782aea..9707cc372 100644
--- a/management/server/dns.go
+++ b/management/server/dns.go
@@ -24,19 +24,11 @@ type DNSSettings struct {
 }
 
 // Copy returns a copy of the DNS settings
-func (d *DNSSettings) Copy() *DNSSettings {
-	settings := &DNSSettings{
-		DisabledManagementGroups: make([]string, 0),
+func (d DNSSettings) Copy() DNSSettings {
+	settings := DNSSettings{
+		DisabledManagementGroups: make([]string, len(d.DisabledManagementGroups)),
 	}
-
-	if d == nil {
-		return settings
-	}
-
-	if d.DisabledManagementGroups != nil && len(d.DisabledManagementGroups) > 0 {
-		settings.DisabledManagementGroups = d.DisabledManagementGroups[:]
-	}
-
+	copy(settings.DisabledManagementGroups, d.DisabledManagementGroups)
 	return settings
 }
 
@@ -58,12 +50,8 @@ func (am *DefaultAccountManager) GetDNSSettings(accountID string, userID string)
 	if !user.IsAdmin() {
 		return nil, status.Errorf(status.PermissionDenied, "only admins are allowed to view DNS settings")
 	}
-
-	if account.DNSSettings == nil {
-		return &DNSSettings{}, nil
-	}
-
-	return account.DNSSettings.Copy(), nil
+	dnsSettings := account.DNSSettings.Copy()
+	return &dnsSettings, nil
 }
 
 // SaveDNSSettings validates a user role and updates the account's DNS settings
@@ -96,11 +84,7 @@ func (am *DefaultAccountManager) SaveDNSSettings(accountID string, userID string
 		}
 	}
 
-	oldSettings := &DNSSettings{}
-	if account.DNSSettings != nil {
-		oldSettings = account.DNSSettings.Copy()
-	}
-
+	oldSettings := account.DNSSettings.Copy()
 	account.DNSSettings = dnsSettingsToSave.Copy()
 
 	account.Network.IncSerial()
diff --git a/management/server/dns_test.go b/management/server/dns_test.go
index b089949b2..8c979c2a6 100644
--- a/management/server/dns_test.go
+++ b/management/server/dns_test.go
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ func TestGetDNSSettings(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("DNS settings for new accounts shouldn't return nil")
 	}
 
-	account.DNSSettings = &DNSSettings{
+	account.DNSSettings = DNSSettings{
 		DisabledManagementGroups: []string{group1ID},
 	}
 
diff --git a/management/server/http/dns_settings_handler_test.go b/management/server/http/dns_settings_handler_test.go
index c7d135fd1..a2f65a521 100644
--- a/management/server/http/dns_settings_handler_test.go
+++ b/management/server/http/dns_settings_handler_test.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ const (
 	testDNSSettingsUserID        = "test_user"
 )
 
-var baseExistingDNSSettings = &server.DNSSettings{
+var baseExistingDNSSettings = server.DNSSettings{
 	DisabledManagementGroups: []string{testDNSSettingsExistingGroup},
 }
 
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func initDNSSettingsTestData() *DNSSettingsHandler {
 	return &DNSSettingsHandler{
 		accountManager: &mock_server.MockAccountManager{
 			GetDNSSettingsFunc: func(accountID string, userID string) (*server.DNSSettings, error) {
-				return testingDNSSettingsAccount.DNSSettings, nil
+				return &testingDNSSettingsAccount.DNSSettings, nil
 			},
 			SaveDNSSettingsFunc: func(accountID string, userID string, dnsSettingsToSave *server.DNSSettings) error {
 				if dnsSettingsToSave != nil {