diff --git a/tests/model/test_model.py b/tests/model/test_model.py
index 81bb57486e..882f98be52 100644
--- a/tests/model/test_model.py
+++ b/tests/model/test_model.py
@@ -126,7 +126,13 @@ def test_init_user_settings(self, mocker, initial_data, sptn, expected_sptn_valu
         assert "user_settings" not in initial_data  # we add it in tests
 
         if sptn is not None:
-            initial_data["user_settings"] = {"send_private_typing_notifications": sptn}
+            initial_data["user_settings"] = {
+                "send_private_typing_notifications": sptn,
+                "twenty_four_hour_time": initial_data["twenty_four_hour_time"],
+                "pm_content_in_desktop_notifications": initial_data[
+                    "pm_content_in_desktop_notifications"
+                ],
+            }
 
         mocker.patch(MODEL + ".get_messages", return_value="")
         self.client.register = mocker.Mock(return_value=initial_data)
diff --git a/zulipterminal/model.py b/zulipterminal/model.py
index 1b8064fa87..240ec78f6d 100644
--- a/zulipterminal/model.py
+++ b/zulipterminal/model.py
@@ -235,10 +235,17 @@ def __init__(self, controller: Any) -> None:
                 if user_settings is None
                 else user_settings["send_private_typing_notifications"]
             ),  # ZFL 105, Zulip 5.0
-            twenty_four_hour_time=self.initial_data["twenty_four_hour_time"],
-            pm_content_in_desktop_notifications=self.initial_data[
-                "pm_content_in_desktop_notifications"
-            ],
+            # these settings were removed from the top-level object in ZFL 439 (v12.0)
+            twenty_four_hour_time=(
+                self.initial_data["twenty_four_hour_time"]
+                if user_settings is None
+                else user_settings["twenty_four_hour_time"]
+            ),
+            pm_content_in_desktop_notifications=(
+                self.initial_data["pm_content_in_desktop_notifications"]
+                if user_settings is None
+                else user_settings["pm_content_in_desktop_notifications"]
+            ),
         )
 
         self.new_user_input = True