diff --git a/shadowsocks/server.py b/shadowsocks/server.py
index 0ad46fb..0b1bfd8 100755
--- a/shadowsocks/server.py
+++ b/shadowsocks/server.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ def main():
     utils.print_shadowsocks()
 
     if config['port_password']:
-        if config['server_port'] or config['password']:
+        if config['password']:
             logging.warn('warning: port_password should not be used with '
                          'server_port and password. server_port and password '
                          'will be ignored')
diff --git a/shadowsocks/utils.py b/shadowsocks/utils.py
index 2f2c0b7..252c564 100644
--- a/shadowsocks/utils.py
+++ b/shadowsocks/utils.py
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ def get_config(is_local):
         print_help(is_local)
         sys.exit(2)
 
-    config['password'] = config.get('password', None)
+    config['password'] = config.get('password', '')
     config['method'] = config.get('method', 'aes-256-cfb')
     config['port_password'] = config.get('port_password', None)
     config['timeout'] = int(config.get('timeout', 300))
@@ -172,11 +172,23 @@ def get_config(is_local):
         config['server'] = config.get('server', '0.0.0.0')
     config['server_port'] = config.get('server_port', 8388)
 
-    if not ('password' in config and config['password']):
+    if is_local and not config.get('password', None):
         logging.error('password not specified')
         print_help(is_local)
         sys.exit(2)
 
+    if not is_local and not config.get('password', None) \
+            and not config.get('port_password', None):
+        logging.error('password or port_password not specified')
+        print_help(is_local)
+        sys.exit(2)
+
+    if 'local_port' in config:
+        config['local_port'] = int(config['local_port'])
+
+    if 'server_port' in config:
+        config['server_port'] = int(config['server_port'])
+
     logging.getLogger('').handlers = []
     logging.addLevelName(VERBOSE_LEVEL, 'VERBOSE')
     if config['verbose'] >= 2: