diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ad8c2a2fbe5a94dd4d9c7fa55bc0f93c034f51b9..6ab5223c7a2fa8424a6d95fcb7b6788e19258b4d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -31,18 +31,6 @@ brew cask install jitsi-meet
 
 ### Using it with your own Jitsi Meet installation
 
-In order to use this application with your own Jitsi Meet installation it's
-necessary to enable the External API. Your server must serve a `external_api.js`
-file at the root of the installation.
-
-Here is an example using nginx:
-
-```
-location /external_api.js {
-    alias /usr/share/jitsi-meet/libs/external_api.min.js;
-}
-```
-
 :warning: The following additional HTTP headers are known to break the Electron App:
 
 ```
diff --git a/app/features/settings/components/ServerURLField.js b/app/features/settings/components/ServerURLField.js
index 09ae9451de7c1e223890cdb5f66c41c7da52c926..b069ebadee6a739712932f58c40baba0254e392e 100644
--- a/app/features/settings/components/ServerURLField.js
+++ b/app/features/settings/components/ServerURLField.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import type { Dispatch } from 'redux';
 import { compose } from 'redux';
 
 import config from '../../config';
-import { getExternalApiURL } from '../../utils';
+import { normalizeServerURL } from '../../utils';
 
 import { setServerURL } from '../actions';
 import { Form } from '../styled';
@@ -122,25 +122,32 @@ class ServerURLField extends Component<Props, State> {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Validates the Server URL by fetching external_api.js using the HEAD
-     * method.
+     * Validates the Server URL.
      *
      * @returns {void}
      */
     _validateServerURL() {
-        fetch(getExternalApiURL(this.state.serverURL), {
-            method: 'HEAD'
-        })
-        .then((response: Object) => {
-            this.setState({
-                isValid: response.ok
-            });
-        })
-        .catch(() => {
-            this.setState({
-                isValid: false
-            });
-        });
+        if (!this.state.serverURL.trim()) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        const url = normalizeServerURL(this.state.serverURL);
+        let isValid;
+
+        try {
+            // eslint-disable-next-line no-new
+            const tmp = new URL(url);
+
+            if (!tmp.protocol.startsWith('http')) {
+                throw new Error('Invalid protocol');
+            }
+
+            isValid = true;
+        } catch (_) {
+            isValid = false;
+        }
+
+        this.setState({ isValid });
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/app/features/utils/functions.js b/app/features/utils/functions.js
index e8e11e255a17c877624678bc12a074485de4a05e..36db8b30be20de375df3a18efaa6bba5f8d3dbb5 100644
--- a/app/features/utils/functions.js
+++ b/app/features/utils/functions.js
@@ -2,22 +2,6 @@
 
 // @flow
 
-import config from '../config';
-
-/**
- * Returns the URL of the external_api.js of the server.
- *
- * @param {string} serverURL - Jitsi Meet Server URL.
- * @returns {string} - The external_api.js URL.
- */
-export function getExternalApiURL(serverURL: string) {
-    if (!serverURL) {
-        // eslint-disable-next-line no-param-reassign
-        serverURL = config.defaultServerURL;
-    }
-
-    return `${normalizeServerURL(serverURL)}/external_api.js`;
-}
 
 /**
  * Return true if Electron app is running on Mac system.
diff --git a/app/i18n/lang/en.json b/app/i18n/lang/en.json
index 20e42defe358c20d32bdcdc395dde95497cc9957..df26637847eb6004ce37104b36ac3a0352b19b05 100644
--- a/app/i18n/lang/en.json
+++ b/app/i18n/lang/en.json
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 		"alwaysOnTopWindow": "Always on Top Window",
 		"startWithAudioMuted": "Start with Audio muted",
 		"startWithVideoMuted": "Start with Video muted",
-		"invalidServer": "Invalid Server URL or external API not enabled",
+		"invalidServer": "Invalid Server URL",
 		"invalidServerTimeout": "Invalid value for Server Timeout",
 		"serverUrl": "Server URL",
 		"serverTimeout": "Server Timeout (in seconds)"
diff --git a/app/i18n/lang/es.json b/app/i18n/lang/es.json
index a6c3ae59fa113203b6c63d36731a84c84af0cd6f..cea54bcca973588a94d097512a2d93eb3bdfa87a 100644
--- a/app/i18n/lang/es.json
+++ b/app/i18n/lang/es.json
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 		"alwaysOnTopWindow": "Ventana siempre encima",
 		"startWithAudioMuted": "Iniciar con audio desactivado",
 		"startWithVideoMuted": "Iniciar con video desactivado",
-		"invalidServer": "URL del servidor inválido o API externo no habilitada",
+		"invalidServer": "URL del servidor inválida",
 		"serverUrl": "URL del servidor",
 		"serverTimeout": "Tiempo de desconexión del servidor (en segundos)"
 	}
diff --git a/app/i18n/lang/fr.json b/app/i18n/lang/fr.json
index 73394bbc48056b095570083772665a93a4b8789e..e1c91cae05e7afd98f6464ccd0cc4998b3d88d7c 100644
--- a/app/i18n/lang/fr.json
+++ b/app/i18n/lang/fr.json
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
     "alwaysOnTopWindow": "Fenêtre Toujours au Dessus",
     "startWithAudioMuted": "Démarrer avec le micro coupé",
     "startWithVideoMuted": "Démarrer avec la caméra coupée",
-    "invalidServer": "URL invalide ou API externe non activée",
+    "invalidServer": "URL invalide",
     "serverUrl": "URL du serveur",
     "serverTimeout": "Délai de connexion au server (en secondes)"
   }
diff --git a/app/i18n/lang/hu.json b/app/i18n/lang/hu.json
index 13302086b26b1e1d55bcdf561ff006769a080c14..0a3ea767c6a219b22ac6003bd138fda2c1a12d31 100644
--- a/app/i18n/lang/hu.json
+++ b/app/i18n/lang/hu.json
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 		"alwaysOnTopWindow": "Mindig látható",
 		"startWithAudioMuted": "Elnémítva kezd",
 		"startWithVideoMuted": "Videó nélkül kezd",
-		"invalidServer": "Érvénytelen kiszolgáló URL-címe vagy külső API nincs engedélyezve",
+		"invalidServer": "Érvénytelen kiszolgáló URL-címe",
 		"invalidServerTimeout": "A kiszolgáló időkorlátja érvénytelen",
 		"serverUrl": "Kiszolgáló URL-címe",
 		"serverTimeout": "Kiszolgálói időkorlát (másodperc)"
diff --git a/app/i18n/lang/it.json b/app/i18n/lang/it.json
index b0153138b1c2278262abb11ee4a959c08c55088d..8352454d763551170305d48362e3dce296b544c9 100644
--- a/app/i18n/lang/it.json
+++ b/app/i18n/lang/it.json
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 		"alwaysOnTopWindow": "Finestra sempre in primo piano",
 		"startWithAudioMuted": "Inizia senza audio",
 		"startWithVideoMuted": "Inizio senza video",
-		"invalidServer": "URL del server errato o il server non supporta un'API esterna",
+		"invalidServer": "URL del server errato",
 		"serverUrl": "URL Server",
         "serverTimeout": "Timeout del server (in secondi)"
 	}
diff --git a/app/i18n/lang/ru.json b/app/i18n/lang/ru.json
index abb85fe70d39e04f5259bdfedb6963b962852e99..8af1f43cdfc43f760495fae0d5a599c297f37bae 100644
--- a/app/i18n/lang/ru.json
+++ b/app/i18n/lang/ru.json
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 		"alwaysOnTopWindow": "Поверх всех окон",
 		"startWithAudioMuted": "Начать без звука",
 		"startWithVideoMuted": "Начать без видео",
-		"invalidServer": "Неверный URL-адрес сервера или внешний API не включен",
+		"invalidServer": "Неверный URL-адрес сервера",
 		"serverUrl": "URL-адрес сервера",
 		"serverTimeout": "Тайм-аут сервера (в секундах)"
 	}