diff --git a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/CreateChangeIT.java b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/CreateChangeIT.java
index ad8b3ebd6e..311161a974 100644
--- a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/CreateChangeIT.java
+++ b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/CreateChangeIT.java
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ public class CreateChangeIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
     ChangeInfo ci = newChangeInfo(ChangeStatus.DRAFT);
     RestResponse r = adminSession.post("/changes/", ci);
     assertThat(r.getStatusCode()).isEqualTo(HttpStatus.SC_METHOD_NOT_ALLOWED);
-    assertThat(r.getEntityContent()).contains("cannot upload drafts");
+    assertThat(r.getEntityContent()).contains("draft workflow is disabled");
   }
 
   private ChangeInfo newChangeInfo(ChangeStatus status) {
diff --git a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/DraftChangeIT.java b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/DraftChangeIT.java
index 609c9a911e..a3809a9655 100644
--- a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/DraftChangeIT.java
+++ b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/DraftChangeIT.java
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ public class DraftChangeIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
   public void createDraftChangeWhenDraftsNotAllowed() throws Exception {
     assume().that(isAllowDrafts()).isFalse();
     PushOneCommit.Result r = createDraftChange();
-    r.assertErrorStatus("cannot upload drafts");
+    r.assertErrorStatus("draft workflow is disabled");
   }
 
   private PushOneCommit.Result createDraftChange() throws Exception {
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/change/CreateChange.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/change/CreateChange.java
index 31b6384b80..febb7823b1 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/change/CreateChange.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/change/CreateChange.java
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ public class CreateChange implements
       }
 
       if (!allowDrafts && input.status == ChangeStatus.DRAFT) {
-        throw new MethodNotAllowedException("cannot upload drafts");
+        throw new MethodNotAllowedException("draft workflow is disabled");
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/change/DeleteDraftChange.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/change/DeleteDraftChange.java
index 61273a14b2..b276aaea7c 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/change/DeleteDraftChange.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/change/DeleteDraftChange.java
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ public class DeleteDraftChange implements
     }
 
     if (!allowDrafts) {
-      throw new MethodNotAllowedException("Draft workflow is disabled");
+      throw new MethodNotAllowedException("draft workflow is disabled");
     }
 
     try {
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/change/DeleteDraftPatchSet.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/change/DeleteDraftPatchSet.java
index 28ebf09e9c..f52435e1f3 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/change/DeleteDraftPatchSet.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/change/DeleteDraftPatchSet.java
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ public class DeleteDraftPatchSet implements RestModifyView<RevisionResource, Inp
     }
 
     if (!allowDrafts) {
-      throw new MethodNotAllowedException("Draft workflow is disabled");
+      throw new MethodNotAllowedException("draft workflow is disabled");
     }
 
     if (!rsrc.getControl().canDeleteDraft(dbProvider.get())) {
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/ReceiveCommits.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/ReceiveCommits.java
index 604d995bac..fd424d5714 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/ReceiveCommits.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/ReceiveCommits.java
@@ -1268,13 +1268,17 @@ public class ReceiveCommits {
       return;
     }
 
-    if (magicBranch.draft
-        && (!receiveConfig.allowDrafts
-            || projectControl.controlForRef("refs/drafts/" + ref)
-            .isBlocked(Permission.PUSH))) {
-      errors.put(Error.CODE_REVIEW, ref);
-      reject(cmd, "cannot upload drafts");
-      return;
+    if (magicBranch.draft) {
+      if (!receiveConfig.allowDrafts) {
+        errors.put(Error.CODE_REVIEW, ref);
+        reject(cmd, "draft workflow is disabled");
+        return;
+      } else if (projectControl.controlForRef("refs/drafts/" + ref)
+          .isBlocked(Permission.PUSH)) {
+        errors.put(Error.CODE_REVIEW, ref);
+        reject(cmd, "cannot upload drafts");
+        return;
+      }
     }
 
     if (!magicBranch.ctl.canUpload()) {