diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs
index 1ec8a62193..a0a114a5f7 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ namespace OpenRA
 		internal static void CreateServer()
 		{
 			// todo: LobbyInfo is the wrong place for this.
-			Server.Server.ServerMain(Settings.InternetServer, Settings.GameName, Settings.ListenPort, 
+			Server.Server.ServerMain(Settings.InternetServer, Settings.MasterServer, Settings.GameName, Settings.ListenPort, 
 				Settings.ExternalPort, LobbyInfo.GlobalSettings.Mods);
 
 			JoinServer(IPAddress.Loopback.ToString(), Settings.ListenPort);
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/GameRules/UserSettings.cs b/OpenRA.Game/GameRules/UserSettings.cs
index 7f15e27712..b653d5eb0d 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/GameRules/UserSettings.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/GameRules/UserSettings.cs
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.GameRules
 		public readonly int ListenPort = 1234;
 		public readonly int ExternalPort = 1234;
 		public readonly bool InternetServer = true;
+		public readonly string MasterServer = "http://open-ra.org/master/";
 		
 		// Gameplay options
 		// TODO: These need to die
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Server/Server.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Server/Server.cs
index f157f2210e..9cccd3e8c9 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Server/Server.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Server/Server.cs
@@ -51,9 +51,11 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 												// of leeway.
 		static int lastPing = 0;
 		static bool isInternetServer;
+		static string masterServerUrl;
 
-		public static void ServerMain(bool internetServer, string name, int port, int extport, string[] mods)
+		public static void ServerMain(bool internetServer, string masterServerUrl, string name, int port, int extport, string[] mods)
 		{
+			Server.masterServerUrl = masterServerUrl;
 			isInternetServer = internetServer;
 			listener = new TcpListener(IPAddress.Any, port);
 			initialMods = mods;
@@ -561,7 +563,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 			if (wc.IsBusy || !isInternetServer) return;
 
 			wc.DownloadDataAsync(new Uri(
-				"http://open-ra.org/master/ping.php?port={0}&name={1}&state={2}&players={3}&mods={4}&map={5}".F(
+				masterServerUrl + "ping.php?port={0}&name={1}&state={2}&players={3}&mods={4}&map={5}".F(
 				ExternalPort, Uri.EscapeUriString(Name),
 				GameStarted ? 2 : 1,	// todo: post-game states, etc.
 				lobbyInfo.Clients.Count,