A recent study from Ryoo and colleagues demonstrates that depletion of XBP1 in Drosophila augments photoreceptor degeneration in ninaE G69D−/+, a Drosophila model for autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (ADRP) suggesting that XBP1 is essential for photoreceptor survival during ER stress [20]. The gene discussed is XBP1; the disease is autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa.