diff --git a/history.txt b/history.txt
index b18f9bb9df446f7907cbb926384cce6cc501c111..4901d88a9751fc348580afa75820e495a36211d0 100644
--- a/history.txt
+++ b/history.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+2011-12-31 zzz
+ * Fix log NPE when saveConfig() fails at startup, thx kytv
+   (backport from jetty6 branch)
+
+2011-12-30 zzz
+ * New Estonian translation thanks ajutine
+
 2011-12-27 kytv
  * Spanish and Swedish translation updates from Transifex
 
diff --git a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/Router.java b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/Router.java
index 5299dc1781da85445560f8ff2bddc44e894f3814..08ea93bd8c3a5984ea157335ec7a10f4ab727184 100644
--- a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/Router.java
+++ b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/Router.java
@@ -426,7 +426,11 @@ public class Router implements RouterClock.ClockShiftListener {
         foo.putAll(config);
     }
     
-    /** this does not use ctx.getConfigDir(), must provide a full path in filename */
+    /**
+     *  this does not use ctx.getConfigDir(), must provide a full path in filename
+     *
+     *  @param ctx will be null at startup when called from constructor
+     */
     private static Properties getConfig(RouterContext ctx, String filename) {
         Log log = null;
         if (ctx != null) {
@@ -444,10 +448,15 @@ public class Router implements RouterClock.ClockShiftListener {
             } else {
                 if (log != null)
                     log.warn("Configuration file " + filename + " does not exist");
+                // normal not to exist at first install
+                //else
+                //    System.err.println("WARNING: Configuration file " + filename + " does not exist");
             }
         } catch (Exception ioe) {
             if (log != null)
                 log.error("Error loading the router configuration from " + filename, ioe);
+            else
+                System.err.println("Error loading the router configuration from " + filename + ": " + ioe);
         }
         return props;
     }
@@ -1193,8 +1202,11 @@ public class Router implements RouterClock.ClockShiftListener {
             }
             fos.write(buf.toString().getBytes("UTF-8"));
         } catch (IOException ioe) {
-            if (_log.shouldLog(Log.ERROR))
+            // warning, _log will be null when called from constructor
+            if (_log != null)
                 _log.error("Error saving the config to " + _configFilename, ioe);
+            else
+                System.err.println("Error saving the config to " + _configFilename + ": " + ioe);
             return false;
         } finally {
             if (fos != null) try { fos.close(); } catch (IOException ioe) {}
diff --git a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/RouterVersion.java b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/RouterVersion.java
index 3c775e75ad2f161a3cd3d0220581c16b99d09b93..0e04b1445cf7ad279d778bf1dbbb2a045fdd813e 100644
--- a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/RouterVersion.java
+++ b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/RouterVersion.java
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ public class RouterVersion {
     /** deprecated */
     public final static String ID = "Monotone";
     public final static String VERSION = CoreVersion.VERSION;
-    public final static long BUILD = 25;
+    public final static long BUILD = 26;
 
     /** for example "-test" */
     public final static String EXTRA = "-rc";