diff --git a/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/ConfigUpdateHandler.java b/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/ConfigUpdateHandler.java
index 1729a209be0b5faf436156f3fe66dd0865ad485a..9366591fca2beeebd8b319f24ea9accead36a942 100644
--- a/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/ConfigUpdateHandler.java
+++ b/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/ConfigUpdateHandler.java
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ public class ConfigUpdateHandler extends FormHandler {
 
     public static final String PROP_NEWS_URL = "router.newsURL";
 //  public static final String DEFAULT_NEWS_URL = "http://dev.i2p.net/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/i2p/news.xml?rev=HEAD";
-    public static final String DEFAULT_NEWS_URL = "http://complication.i2p/news.xml";
+    public static final String OLD_DEFAULT_NEWS_URL = "http://complication.i2p/news.xml";
+    public static final String DEFAULT_NEWS_URL = "http://echelon.i2p/i2p/news.xml";
     public static final String PROP_REFRESH_FREQUENCY = "router.newsRefreshFrequency";
     public static final String DEFAULT_REFRESH_FREQUENCY = 24*60*60*1000 + "";
     public static final String PROP_UPDATE_POLICY = "router.updatePolicy";
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ public class ConfigUpdateHandler extends FormHandler {
         }
 
         if ( (_newsURL != null) && (_newsURL.length() > 0) ) {
-            String oldURL = _context.router().getConfigSetting(PROP_NEWS_URL);
+            String oldURL = ConfigUpdateHelper.getNewsURL(_context);
             if ( (oldURL == null) || (!_newsURL.equals(oldURL)) ) {
                 _context.router().setConfigSetting(PROP_NEWS_URL, _newsURL);
                 addFormNotice("Updating news URL to " + _newsURL);
diff --git a/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/ConfigUpdateHelper.java b/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/ConfigUpdateHelper.java
index d0d2437994d567cafbf58106fa0f6f795888ce14..4aac71dff71fca59478df3411829fd6da64fe785 100644
--- a/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/ConfigUpdateHelper.java
+++ b/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/ConfigUpdateHelper.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package net.i2p.router.web;
 
+import net.i2p.I2PAppContext;
 import net.i2p.crypto.TrustedUpdate;
 import net.i2p.data.DataHelper;
 import net.i2p.router.RouterContext;
@@ -12,8 +13,14 @@ public class ConfigUpdateHelper extends HelperBase {
     }
     
     public String getNewsURL() {
-        String url = _context.getProperty(ConfigUpdateHandler.PROP_NEWS_URL);
-        if (url != null)
+        return getNewsURL(_context);
+    }
+
+    /** hack to replace the old news location with the new one, even if they have saved
+        the update page at some point */
+    public static String getNewsURL(I2PAppContext ctx) {
+        String url = ctx.getProperty(ConfigUpdateHandler.PROP_NEWS_URL);
+        if (url != null && !url.equals(ConfigUpdateHandler.OLD_DEFAULT_NEWS_URL))
             return url;
         else
             return ConfigUpdateHandler.DEFAULT_NEWS_URL;
@@ -26,18 +33,10 @@ public class ConfigUpdateHelper extends HelperBase {
             return ConfigUpdateHandler.DEFAULT_UPDATE_URL;
     }
     public String getProxyHost() {
-        String host = _context.getProperty(ConfigUpdateHandler.PROP_PROXY_HOST);
-        if (host != null)
-            return host;
-        else
-            return ConfigUpdateHandler.DEFAULT_PROXY_HOST;
+        return _context.getProperty(ConfigUpdateHandler.PROP_PROXY_HOST, ConfigUpdateHandler.DEFAULT_PROXY_HOST);
     }
     public String getProxyPort() {
-        String port = _context.getProperty(ConfigUpdateHandler.PROP_PROXY_PORT);
-        if (port != null)
-            return port;
-        else
-            return ConfigUpdateHandler.DEFAULT_PROXY_PORT;
+        return _context.getProperty(ConfigUpdateHandler.PROP_PROXY_PORT, ConfigUpdateHandler.DEFAULT_PROXY_PORT);
     }
     
     public String getUpdateThroughProxy() {
@@ -76,8 +75,7 @@ public class ConfigUpdateHelper extends HelperBase {
     }
     
     public String getUpdatePolicySelectBox() {
-        String policy = _context.getProperty(ConfigUpdateHandler.PROP_UPDATE_POLICY);
-        if (policy == null) policy = ConfigUpdateHandler.DEFAULT_UPDATE_POLICY;
+        String policy = _context.getProperty(ConfigUpdateHandler.PROP_UPDATE_POLICY, ConfigUpdateHandler.DEFAULT_UPDATE_POLICY);
         
         StringBuffer buf = new StringBuffer(256);
         buf.append("<select name=\"updatePolicy\">");
diff --git a/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/NewsFetcher.java b/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/NewsFetcher.java
index 98fac325d191b9b73e9d1261b980c39affbdadb9..0eeaca32bfd5513795581da90c1d8316d88b97a1 100644
--- a/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/NewsFetcher.java
+++ b/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/NewsFetcher.java
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ public class NewsFetcher implements Runnable, EepGet.StatusListener {
         }
     }
     public void fetchNews() {
-        String newsURL = _context.getProperty(ConfigUpdateHandler.PROP_NEWS_URL, ConfigUpdateHandler.DEFAULT_NEWS_URL);
+        String newsURL = ConfigUpdateHelper.getNewsURL(_context);
         boolean shouldProxy = Boolean.valueOf(_context.getProperty(ConfigUpdateHandler.PROP_SHOULD_PROXY, ConfigUpdateHandler.DEFAULT_SHOULD_PROXY)).booleanValue();
         String proxyHost = _context.getProperty(ConfigUpdateHandler.PROP_PROXY_HOST, ConfigUpdateHandler.DEFAULT_PROXY_HOST);
         String port = _context.getProperty(ConfigUpdateHandler.PROP_PROXY_PORT, ConfigUpdateHandler.DEFAULT_PROXY_PORT);