diff --git a/include/class.dept.php b/include/class.dept.php
index 8f09237c4b37fc721d4a9a25367984414e9e9afd..2392dc205bd72b630299a568deb9cddf0bff8655 100644
--- a/include/class.dept.php
+++ b/include/class.dept.php
@@ -620,6 +620,21 @@ implements TemplateVariable {
         if ($vars['pid'] && !($p = static::lookup($vars['pid'])))
             $errors['pid'] = __('Department selection is required');
 
+        if ($vars['sla_id'] && !SLA::lookup($vars['sla_id']))
+            $errors['sla_id'] = __('Invalid SLA');
+
+        if ($vars['manager_id'] && !Staff::lookup($vars['manager_id']))
+            $errors['manager_id'] = __('Unknown Staff');
+
+        if ($vars['email_id'] && !Email::lookup($vars['email_id']))
+            $errors['email_id'] = __('Unknown System Email');
+
+        if ($vars['tpl_id'] && !EmailTemplateGroup::lookup($vars['tpl_id']))
+            $errors['tpl_id'] = __('Unknown Template Set');
+
+        if ($vars['autoresp_email_id'] && !Email::lookup($vars['autoresp_email_id']))
+            $errors['autoresp_email_id'] = __('Unkown System Email');
+
         // Format access update as [array(dept_id, role_id, alerts?)]
         $access = array();
         if (isset($vars['members'])) {
@@ -634,17 +649,17 @@ implements TemplateVariable {
             return false;
 
         $this->pid = $vars['pid'] ?: null;
-        $this->ispublic = isset($vars['ispublic'])?$vars['ispublic']:0;
-        $this->email_id = isset($vars['email_id'])?$vars['email_id']:0;
-        $this->tpl_id = isset($vars['tpl_id'])?$vars['tpl_id']:0;
-        $this->sla_id = isset($vars['sla_id'])?$vars['sla_id']:0;
-        $this->autoresp_email_id = isset($vars['autoresp_email_id'])?$vars['autoresp_email_id']:0;
+        $this->ispublic = isset($vars['ispublic']) ? (int) $vars['ispublic'] : 0;
+        $this->email_id = isset($vars['email_id']) ? (int) $vars['email_id'] : 0;
+        $this->tpl_id = isset($vars['tpl_id']) ? (int) $vars['tpl_id'] : 0;
+        $this->sla_id = isset($vars['sla_id']) ? (int) $vars['sla_id'] : 0;
+        $this->autoresp_email_id = isset($vars['autoresp_email_id']) ? (int) $vars['autoresp_email_id'] : 0;
         $this->manager_id = $vars['manager_id'] ?: 0;
         $this->name = Format::striptags($vars['name']);
         $this->signature = Format::sanitize($vars['signature']);
         $this->group_membership = $vars['group_membership'];
-        $this->ticket_auto_response = isset($vars['ticket_auto_response'])?$vars['ticket_auto_response']:1;
-        $this->message_auto_response = isset($vars['message_auto_response'])?$vars['message_auto_response']:1;
+        $this->ticket_auto_response = isset($vars['ticket_auto_response']) ? (int) $vars['ticket_auto_response'] : 1;
+        $this->message_auto_response = isset($vars['message_auto_response']) ? (int) $vars['message_auto_response'] : 1;
         $this->flags = 0;
         $this->setFlag(self::FLAG_ASSIGN_MEMBERS_ONLY, isset($vars['assign_members_only']));
         $this->setFlag(self::FLAG_DISABLE_AUTO_CLAIM, isset($vars['disable_auto_claim']));
diff --git a/include/staff/department.inc.php b/include/staff/department.inc.php
index 2ea8825e35c787bdcba95078a23e50f8e46f1192..85b077388ac726543fe0f2a0512921b533c99b2d 100644
--- a/include/staff/department.inc.php
+++ b/include/staff/department.inc.php
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ $info = Format::htmlchars(($errors && $_POST) ? $_POST : $info);
                     ?>><?php echo $name; ?></option>
 <?php } ?>
                 </select>
+                &nbsp;<span class="error"><?php echo $errors['pid']; ?></span>
             </td>
         </tr>
         <tr>