diff --git a/docs/honk.8 b/docs/honk.8
index 3ea246a..3fce09a 100644
--- a/docs/honk.8
+++ b/docs/honk.8
@@ -83,9 +83,9 @@ file.
 .Pp
 Custom messages may be set by editing the database.
 (Sorry.)
-.Dl insert into config values ('servermsg', 'message');
-.Dl insert into config values ('aboutmsg', 'message');
-.Dl insert into config values ('loginmsg', 'message');
+.Dl update config set value = 'message' where key = 'servermsg';
+.Dl update config set value = 'message' where key = 'aboutmsg';
+.Dl update config set value = 'message' where key = 'loginmsg';
 .Pp
 .Ss ADMIN
 New users can be added with the
diff --git a/honk.go b/honk.go
index 52de461..cac60a6 100644
--- a/honk.go
+++ b/honk.go
@@ -137,9 +137,9 @@ type Honker struct {
 
 var serverName string
 var iconName = "icon.png"
-var serverMsg = template.HTML(`<h2>Things happen.</h2>`)
-var aboutMsg = template.HTML(`<h3>What is honk?</h3><p>Honk is amazing!`)
-var loginMsg = template.HTML(`<h2>login</h2>`)
+var serverMsg template.HTML
+var aboutMsg template.HTML
+var loginMsg template.HTML
 
 func ElaborateUnitTests() {
 }
@@ -175,9 +175,9 @@ func main() {
 		}
 		switch os.Args[2] {
 		case "on":
-			saveconfig("debug", 1)
+			updateconfig("debug", 1)
 		case "off":
-			saveconfig("debug", 0)
+			updateconfig("debug", 0)
 		default:
 			log.Fatal("argument must be on or off")
 		}
diff --git a/upgradedb.go b/upgradedb.go
index 3aa45b4..d419992 100644
--- a/upgradedb.go
+++ b/upgradedb.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
-var myVersion = 26
+var myVersion = 27
 
 func doordie(db *sql.DB, s string, args ...interface{}) {
 	_, err := db.Exec(s, args...)
@@ -280,6 +280,29 @@ func upgradedb() {
 		doordie(db, "update config set value = 26 where key = 'dbversion'")
 		fallthrough
 	case 26:
+		s := ""
+		getconfig("servermsg", &s)
+		if s == "" {
+			setconfig("servermsg", serverMsg)
+		}
+		s = ""
+		getconfig("aboutmsg", &s)
+		if s == "" {
+			setconfig("aboutmsg", aboutMsg)
+		}
+		s = ""
+		getconfig("loginmsg", &s)
+		if s == "" {
+			setconfig("loginmsg", loginMsg)
+		}
+		d := -1
+		getconfig("debug", &d)
+		if d == -1 {
+			setconfig("debug", 0)
+		}
+		doordie(db, "update config set value = 27 where key = 'dbversion'")
+		fallthrough
+	case 27:
 
 	default:
 		log.Fatalf("can't upgrade unknown version %d", dbversion)
diff --git a/util.go b/util.go
index 3ecc8de..3b304a2 100644
--- a/util.go
+++ b/util.go
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ func initdb() {
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
+	alreadyopendb = db
 	defer func() {
 		os.Remove(dbname)
 		os.Exit(1)
@@ -129,11 +130,7 @@ func initdb() {
 		log.Print("that's way too short")
 		return
 	}
-	_, err = db.Exec("insert into config (key, value) values (?, ?)", "listenaddr", addr)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Print(err)
-		return
-	}
+	setconfig("listenaddr", addr)
 	fmt.Printf("server name: ")
 	addr, err = r.ReadString('\n')
 	if err != nil {
@@ -145,24 +142,17 @@ func initdb() {
 		log.Print("that's way too short")
 		return
 	}
-	_, err = db.Exec("insert into config (key, value) values (?, ?)", "servername", addr)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Print(err)
-		return
-	}
+	setconfig("servername", addr)
 	var randbytes [16]byte
 	rand.Read(randbytes[:])
 	key := fmt.Sprintf("%x", randbytes)
-	_, err = db.Exec("insert into config (key, value) values (?, ?)", "csrfkey", key)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Print(err)
-		return
-	}
-	_, err = db.Exec("insert into config (key, value) values (?, ?)", "dbversion", myVersion)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Print(err)
-		return
-	}
+	setconfig("csrfkey", key)
+	setconfig("dbversion", myVersion)
+
+	setconfig("servermsg", "<h2>Things happen.</h2>")
+	setconfig("aboutmsg", "<h3>What is honk?</h3>\n<p>Honk is amazing!")
+	setconfig("loginmsg", "<h2>login</h2>")
+	setconfig("debug", 0)
 
 	initblobdb()
 
@@ -374,9 +364,16 @@ func getconfig(key string, value interface{}) error {
 	return err
 }
 
-func saveconfig(key string, val interface{}) {
+func setconfig(key string, val interface{}) error {
 	db := opendatabase()
-	db.Exec("update config set value = ? where key = ?", val, key)
+	_, err := db.Exec("insert into config (key, value) values (?, ?)", key, val)
+	return err
+}
+
+func updateconfig(key string, val interface{}) error {
+	db := opendatabase()
+	_, err := db.Exec("update config set value = ? where key = ?", val, key)
+	return err
 }
 
 func openListener() (net.Listener, error) {